The Immigration Channel

USCIS Clarifies Accrued Unlawful Presence Policy 5/14/2018  On Friday, USCIS clarified its policy for individuals in F, J, and M status who fail to maintain their status. The memorandum expands the terms under which such individuals who fail to maintain status after August ... More

June 2018 Visa Bulletin Released 5/11/2018 The Department of State released the preliminary June 2018 Visa Bulletin. Though unlikely, this information is subject to change from now until June 1, 2018. We will provide updates regarding any significant changes. Below is a breakdown ... More

DHS Ends TPS for Honduras05/08/2018On Friday May 4, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen M. Nielsen announced that the temporary protected status (TPS) designation for Honduras will terminate on January 5, 2020.TPS is a program created through the Immigration Act of 1990 that provides ... More

Lawsuit Targets Additional Requirements on H-1B Workers 5/8/2018  A group of IT staffing firms filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, May 1 in the US District Court for the District of New Jersey seeking a temporary restraining order (TRO) blocking enforcement of USCIS’s memorandum which imposes additional ... More

DHS Ends TPS for Nepal04/30/2018On Thursday April 26, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen M. Nielsen announced that the temporary protected status (TPS) designation for Nepal will terminate on June 24, 2019.TPS is a program created through the Immigration Act of 1990 that provides ... More

USCIS Quietly Tightens OPT Restrictions4/30/2018An unannounced change to the USCIS website that took place in January 2018 shows new restrictions that forbid foreign STEM graduates participating in the optional practical training (OPT) program from being placed at third-party locations.OPT allows employers to ... More

USCIS Letter Targets H-4 Employment Authorization4/30/2018 On April 4, 2018, USCIS Director L. Francis Cissna wrote a letter to Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA), summarizing its efforts to tighten scrutiny on nonimmigrant visas, as well as mentioning its intention to propose additional regulatory changes ... More

USCIS Announces Updates to Form I-9074/23/2018 On Friday USCIS announced updates to the Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service, dated April 11, 2018. The updated form adds a seventh page with space for applicants to add any additional relevant information pertinent ... More

May 2018 Visa Bulletin Released4/12/2018 The Department of State released the preliminary May 2018 Visa Bulletin. Though unlikely, this information is subject to change from now until May 1, 2018. We will provide updates regarding any significant changes. Below is a breakdown ... More

USCIS Completes FY2019 H-1B Cap Selection Process4/12/2018Today USCIS announced that it received 190,098 cap-subject H-1B petitions for Fiscal Year 2019, including petitions filed under the U.S. master's cap. USCIS also announced it performed the computer-run lottery on April 11th to select petitions ... More