Weekly Immigration News Recap (February 27-March 5)

USCIS Issues Clarifying Guidance on Eligibility for the O-1B Visa Classification

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services released policy guidance that clarifies how it assesses the evidence to determine eligibility for O-1B nonimmigrants of extraordinary ability in the arts and nonimmigrants of extraordinary achievement in the film or television industry.  A chart describing types of evidence that may satisfy the O-1B evidential criteria, as well as factors to take into account while evaluating such evidence, has been added to the appendix of the policy. The chart also helps petitioners provide the right supporting documentation that can prove the beneficiary’s eligibility.

Source: USCIS

USCIS Reaches H-2B Cap for Second Half of FY 2023 and Announces Filing Dates for the Second Half of FY 2023 Supplemental Visas

USCIS has received enough petitions to reach the H-2B cap set by Congress for the second half of FY 2023. The final day for receipt of new cap-subject H-2B worker petitions with an employment start date on or after April 1, 2023, and before October 1, 2023, was February 27, 2023. All new cap-subject H-2B petitions submitted after February 27, 2023, and requesting an employment start date on or after April 1, 2023, but before October 1, 2023, will be denied.

Source: USCIS

USCIS to Start Collecting Fees for EB-5 Integrity Fund

A Federal Register notice with details about the EB-5 Integrity Fund was published by the Department of Homeland Security. As mandated by the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022, USCIS will use the EB-5 Integrity Fund primarily to manage the EB-5 Regional Center Program. Each authorized regional center will start paying an annual fee on March 2 in order to help pay for the EB-5 Integrity Fund.

Source: USCIS

H-1B Registrations 2024: H-1B Visa Registration started on March 1

From March 1st, 2023, the H-1B visa registration procedure has been underway for the fiscal year 2024. Through March 17, 2023, the complete process will be ongoing. These details were released in a press release by the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). offers a registration confirmation number. Just the registration tracking process will use this number. The status of a case cannot be followed using this number.

Source: Businessleague

Students can now apply for visas up to a year in advance.

Now that F and M student visas can be issued up to 365 days before the I-20 program start date, students have additional time to submit a visa application. More than 30 days prior to the commencement of their program, students are still not permitted to enter the country on a student visa.

Source: Boundless