According to the data provided by the United States government, over one million Indians are facing prolonged waits in US employment-based immigration queues. More than 1.2 million nationals from India, taking into account dependents, are waiting in the first as well as second and third employment-based green card categories, based on the statistics from the USCIS. The data shows approved l-140 immigrant petitions as of November 2, 2023.

The latest Visa Bulletin shows notable shifts in two key categories: Family and Employment. Specifically, changes are observed in the Family-based F3 category for married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens, potentially impacting waiting times. In the Employment sector, adjustments are seen in the Certain Religious Workers category, which could affect visa allocation and processing for religious roles in the country.

USCIS issued a reminder that effective May 9, 2024, it will reject affirmative asylum applications improperly filed at service centers instead of the lockbox with jurisdiction. The agency has advised to check the USCIS website for the proper filing location.

USCIS issues reminders about Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) renewal requests and strongly encourages renewal requests to be filed between 120-150 days before the expiration date. Filing more than 150 days ahead of the expiration date will not result in a faster decision.

USCIS determined that for May 2024, applicants in all family-sponsored preference categories must use the Dates for Filing chart and all employment-based preference categories must use the Final Action Dates chart.

USCIS issued guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to update the Schedule A, Group II definition of science or art to align with DOL’s definition. This update does not change policy or operations and is effective immediately and applies to requests that are pending or filed on or after April 10, 2024.

Starting April 1, applicants filing Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, can now request an original or replacement Social Security number (SSN) or card and update their immigration status with the Social Security Administration (SSA) without visiting an SSA office. Noncitizens using the new edition of Form N-400 (dated 04/01/24) can request an SSN or replacement card alongside their application submission. New citizens may avoid the need to visit an SSA field office for these purposes.

USCIS published its final rule and is moving forward with significant fee increases for various immigration applications. This change represents the first major fee adjustment since 2016 and addresses the agency’s operational and financial challenges. The new prices are set to take effect April 1, 2024, meaning all applications postmarked after this date will be charged the new, higher costs.

US Travel Association pushed authorities to work on cutting visa wait time since that affects the FIFA World Cup, a major sports event scheduled for 2026. The average wait time for a US visitor visa in Colombia is around 725 days, similar to those in India and Mexico. The Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill is seen as a potential factor that could accelerate the visa processing process.

A lawsuit filed in Colorado challenges recent increases in US immigration fees, including those for EB-5 investment visas. The lawsuit argues that the fee hikes were imposed without proper legal procedure and unfairly targeted certain groups, like EB-5 investors. The plaintiffs also claim the government failed to justify the increases with a required fee study. They are seeking a court order to block the fee increases while the case proceeds.

Congress has set aside $50 million for the U.S. State Department to help “reduce passport backlogs and reduce visa wait times” in a bill signed into law by U.S. President Joe Biden on March 30, and praised by the travel industry this week. The law gives the State Department some discretion. It doesn’t specifically restrict the spending for any visa category, such as for business and leisure rather than education. It also doesn’t mention any specific country for which the State Department should cut wait times.

USCIS has begun implementing a streamlined process for Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, to provide Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) more efficiently to eligible refugees after they are admitted into the United States. This streamlined process shortens the wait time for an EAD to approximately 30 days instead of several months. All individuals admitted into the United States as refugees on or after Dec. 10, 2023, will receive EADs pursuant to this new process.