On March 9, 2021, DHS announced that it would no longer defend the 2019 Public Charge Rule (2019 Rule) implemented by the Trump Administration which led to the creation of the Form I-944. Lawsuits were filed challenging the 2019 Rule. It has been confusing at times when the Rule was put on hold, then back on, then only applicable to some jurisdictions. Given that the last court decision was to...
This post relates to employer's obligations when it has retained an attorney to handle its H-1B registration. First, the employer must have access to its USCIS account. If employer has created an account last year, the same login credential should work. If not, employer should go through the reset password procedure. If employer has never created an account, employer should follow the...
DOL’s OFLC has released a FAQ regarding the extent of its accommodations for employers in Texas and Oklahoma who were impacted by the recent weather disaster. Accommodations include, for example, deadline flexibility and guidance relating to unintended changes in worksite. Anyone in these states who has on-going cases relating to PERM, labor certification, prevailing wage request, H-2A, H-2B,...
As we enter into the registration period (March 9, 2021 to March 25, 2021), it is important to note some of the common mistakes so that each beneficiary is properly registered. The company should be aware that there are three account types to choose from. Choose the correct one. Regardless of whether they have an attorney or not, they must have an account as a “H-1B registrant”. Please see...
As we have previously reported, this final rule has been postponed in light of Biden's efforts to postpone "midnight regulations" that signed by President Trump during the waning days of his administration. See our earlier posts: Final Rule on Creating Wage-Based Selection System for H-1B Cap-Subject PetitionH-1B Lottery unlikely to be impacted by the New RuleH-1B Lottery for FY2022 will Remain...
As we have been posting recently, USCIS is experiencing record delays in issuing receipt notices of various applications. We just finally received all receipt notices in connection with I-485 employment based applications in October 2020 (a 4 month wait!). It does not seems like the situation is improving as we are continuing to receive various receipt notices that are 2 to 3 months late. The...
The Biden Administration has revoked or rescinded two Trump era policies: "Buy American and Hire American" (BAHA) Executive Order, andthe 2017 Computer Programmer Memorandum. Revocation of BAHA Executive Order The BAHA executive order was signed on April 18, 2017 by President Trump which aimed to protect and increase wages for US workers by restricting alien worker visas such as H-1B and L-1....
Update 07/29/2021 Pursuant to a court order, these flexibilities have been extended to include applications received from Oct. 1, 2020, through Oct. 31, 2021. For applicants who timely filed Form I-765 for OPT and STEM OPT and whose applications were later rejected, USCIS will accept a refiled Form I-765 as filed on the original filing date if: The original, timely filed application was received...
The answer should be fairly straightforward. But USCIS has not always been consistent in adjudicating similar cases. They are supposed to follow the "last action" rule. Once GC is approved, then the beneficiary becomes a lawful permanent resident from that point onwards. The pending H-1B extension may be approved but only up to the day before GC approval. But the varying adjudication outcomes...
On February 24, 2021, President Biden rescinded Trump's Immigrant Visa ban (Proclamation 10014) which suspended the entry of certain immigrant visa applicants. However, given the backlog caused by the Covid pandemic and the bans under Trump, the resumption of visa services will not be swift or back to pre-pandemic levels. The Department of State has provided an update on its website regarding...
