USCIS Announces Plan to Reduce Severe Backlog and Improve Processing Times of Pending and New Cases
It’s no secret that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services’ backlog of cases awaiting a decision has grown exponentially due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resource constraint from the Trump administration. At the end of fiscal year 2021, the…
Premium Processing Update for Certain Pending EB-1C and EB-2 NIW Applications
The USCIS recently announced the first phase of its expansion of premium processing for some types of applications. Specifically, 45-day day guaranteed premium processing is now available for I-140 petitions based upon EB-2 NIW and EB-1C Multinational Executives and Managers…
USCIS to Implement Premium Processing for Certain Previously Filed EB-1 and EB-2 Form I-140 Petitions
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is implementing premium processing for certain petitioners who have a pending Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, under the EB-1 and EB-2 classifications. This expansion of premium processing only applies to certain previously filed Form…
DHS Announces Registration Process for Temporary Protected Status for Afghanistan
WASHINGTON—The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted for public inspection a Federal Register notice on Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan. This notice provides information about how to register for TPS under Afghanistan’s designation. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas previously announced the 18-month designation of…
USCIS Simplifying, Improving Communication of Case Processing Data so Public will have access to immediate, clear answers on case processing times
WASHINGTON— Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced changes to simplify and improve how the agency communicates case processing time data to the public. As part of an agency-wide commitment to improve transparency, efficiency, and customer service, the changes…
USCIS Increases Automatic Extension Period of Work Permits for Certain Applicants
WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a Temporary Final Rule (TFR) that increases the automatic extension period for employment authorization and Employment Authorization Documents (EADs), available to certain EAD renewal applicants, to up to 540 days. The increase, which will be effective…
Justice Department Secures Settlement with UPS to Resolve Immigration-Related Discrimination Claims
The Department of Justice announced today that it reached a settlement with United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS). The settlement resolves the department’s claims that UPS violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) when it discriminated against a non-U.S. citizen by…
DHS Announces Registration Process for Temporary Protected Status for Ukraine and Sudan
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted today two Federal Register notices on Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ukraine and Sudan. These notices provide information about how to register for TPS under each country’s designation. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas previously announced the 18-month designation of…
USCIS Alert: Data-Driven Strategic Approach for Conditional Permanent Resident Interviews
Effective April 7, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced an updated policy adopting a risk-based, data-driven approach when waiving interviews for conditional permanent residents (CPR) who have filed a petition to remove the conditions on their permanent resident status….
USCIS Announces New Expedited Processing Policy For Healthcare Worker EAD Renewals
Processing times for employment authorization documents (EAD) can exceed 8 to 12 months, even for renewals. On December 28, 2021, the USCIS announced that certain healthcare workers who have a pending EAD renewal application (Form I-765 Application for Employment Authorization) are eligible…
