CDC Requires COVID-19 Vaccination for Green Card Applicants and Refugees Starting October 1
Starting October 1st, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) will require proof of COVID-19 vaccination for all green card applicants and refugees. Vaccination requirements for immigration are not new. In fact, proof of many other vaccines recommended by the Advisory…
DHS Continues Temporary Protected Status Designations for El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua and Sudan
The Department of Homeland Security has announced the automatic extension of TPS designations for El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan. TPS beneficiaries from these six countries will retain their status, provided they continue to meet all the individual…
USCIS Announces Extension of Proof of Status for Conditional Permanent Residents to 24 Months with Pending Form I-751 or Form I-829
Starting Sept. 4, 2021, USCIS is extending the time that receipt notices can be used to show evidence of status from 18 months to 24 months for petitioners who properly file Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, or Form I-829,…
How to Request USCIS Ombudsman’s Individual Case Assistance
Did you know that the USCIS has an official ombudsman? The CIS Ombudsman’s Office works with applicants to improve the quality of citizenship/immigration services by helping applicants with resolving certain case issues. The current seventh Ombudsman is Phyllis Coven. Her…
Justice Department Settles with Large Health Care Organization to Resolve Software-Based Immigration-Related Discrimination Claims
The Department of Justice announced today that it reached a settlement with Ascension Health Alliance (Ascension), a Missouri-based health care organization with more than 2,600 sites – including 146 hospitals and more than 40 senior living facilities – in 19 states and…
DHS Seeks Public Comment on Public Charge Rule-making
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is seeking data and information from the public that DHS intends to use to develop a public charge regulatory proposal. The purpose of public comment is to ensure that the proposal is fair, consistent…
USICS Announcement that Cap Reached for Remaining H-2B Visas for Returning Workers for FY 2021
As of Aug. 13, 2021, the USCIS has received enough petitions for returning workers to reach the additional 22,000 H-2B visas made available under the FY 2021 H-2B supplemental visa temporary final rule. We will reject and return any cap-subject petitions…
USCIS Reaches Settlement Agreement in “No Blank Space Rejection Policy” Case
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services reached a settlement agreement in the case of Vangala et al. v. USCIS et al., No. 4:20-cv-08143(N.D. Cal.). The agreement allows certain individuals to receive updated receipt dates for resubmitted immigration benefit applications or petitions originally…
Justice Department Settles with Iowa-Based Nursing Home and Management Company to Resolve Immigration-Related Discrimination Claim
The Department of Justice announced today that it reached a settlement with JP Senior Healthcare LLC and JP Senior Management LLC, resolving the department’s claims that these companies violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by discriminating against a Latino…
U.S. expands Citizenship Eligibility for Children born Overseas through Surrogacy or In Vitro Fertilization
The Biden administration recently expanded the eligibility of certain children born overseas through assisted reproductive technology (ART). ART is used to treat infertility and conceive children through various techniques such as surrogacy or in vitro fertilization. Until this new policy…
