Immigration - Visas

The Department of State has delayed the effective date of the increase in consular fees from May 30, 2023, to June 17, 2023 (to provide a 60-day delay after the final rule was received by Congress). The most relevant fee increases remain : Visa TypeCurrent FeeRevised FeeNon-petition-based nonimmigra

On May 26, 2023, the U.S. Department of State announced the delay of the implementation of the final rule raising nonimmigrant visa application processing fees and the fee for a Border Crossing Card for Mexican citizens age fifteen and older. The effective date has been delayed from May 30, 2023,

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs has released the June 2023 Visa Bulletin and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed that it will accept employment-based I-485 adjustment of status applications per the bulletin’s Final Action Dates chart.

Employers may find it useful to have an understanding of the H-1B, L-1A, and L-1B maximum periods of stay. As a reminder, H-1B status is granted for certain specialty occupations and fashion models, L-1A status is granted for intracompany transfers of executives and managers, and L-1B status is gran

On May 30, 2023, fees for nonimmigrant visas at all consulates abroad will increase. The increase can be avoided if the visa fee is paid on or after October 1, 2022, and before May 30, 2023, and an interview is scheduled within 365 days of payment. The interview need not

USCIS has announced that the total number of eligible registrations submitted for FY 2024 was 758,994 (up from 474,421 eligible registrations submitted for FY 2023). Of the 758,994 eligible registrations submitted, USCIS said it made 110,791 selections to fill the 85,000 available H-1B visa slots. T

Since the implementation of the H-1B cap registration process in 2020, there has been an exceedingly high demand for H-1Bs, resulting in registrations that far outnumber the H-1B supply made available by the U.S. Congress. Due to the increasingly difficult odds of selection for an H-1B in the lotter

In this podcast, attorneys Carissa Tyler and Angel Valverde, members of Littler’s Immigration and Global Mobility Group, discuss alternative employment-based visa options for individuals who were not selected in the initial FY 2024 H-1B registration process (H-1B lottery). The visa categories discus

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs’ May 2023 Visa Bulletin shows a trend of backlogs and slowdowns in the employment-based immigrant visa or green card process.

A new federal law restricts foreign investors’ access to E visas by adding a three-year domicile requirement for investors who obtained their citizenship through Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programs. Buried in the nearly 2,000-page National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), P.L. 117-263, signed

A recent ruling in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia provides added protection and work authorization safeguards for H-4 spouses of H-1B visa holders facing potential lawsuits and administrative challenges.

On April 19, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the temporary suspension of the biometrics requirement for certain individuals filing Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, would be extended through September 30, 2023.

On March 31, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that it had removed the requirement that a civil surgeon’s signature on Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, be dated no more than sixty days before the date USCIS accepts it.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services recently announced that as of March 30, 2023, the supplemental H-2B cap for returning workers had been reached for the early second half of fiscal year 2023.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently published an update to its web page outlining Options for Nonimmigrant Workers Following Termination of Employment.

USCIS announced it has completed the annual H-1B selection process (“lottery”) for Fiscal Year 2024, with early reports indicating a record number of registrations submitted. Each year, it becomes increasingly difficult to obtain one of the 85,000 H-1B visas allotted under the congressionally mandat

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs has released the Visa Bulletin for April 2023. The new Visa Bulletin reflects an ongoing trend of backlogs and slowdowns in the visa process, in stark contrast to the progress reflected in the Visa Bulletin in fiscal years 2021 and 2022.

USCIS shared updated guidance on how it will evaluate evidence for petitions seeking O-1B classification as individuals of Extraordinary Ability in the Arts or in the Motion Picture and Television Industry (MPTV). The updated guidance, released on March 3, 2023, is found in the USCIS Policy Manual,

USCIS has expanded premium processing for F-1 students to pending Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) applications based on Optional Practice Training (OPT) and STEM OPT. On April 3, 2023, the same will be extended to new EAD applications for OPT and STEM OPT. The cost for this premium processi

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently updated its policy guidance related to O-1B nonimmigrants of extraordinary ability in the arts and motion picture or television industry. The updated guidance, effective immediately, is intended to clarify how USCIS evaluates evidence submit