Over 100,000 young immigrants under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program will soon be eligible for federal health care coverage for the first time. The Biden administration has recently announced a rule that will allow DACA recipients to enroll in health plans through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. Despite contributing significantly to federal taxes, these recipients have historically been excluded from federally funded health insurance. The new rule, effective November 1, does not extend to Medicaid but aims to reduce the high uninsured rate among DACA recipients.

The surge in migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border has become a political issue for President Biden as he faces reelection against Donald Trump, who prioritizes strict immigration policies. Despite criticism from Trump’s campaign that migrant workers take jobs from Americans, local communities like Columbus have benefited from the labor of migrants and refugees, particularly in sectors experiencing shortages. The Biden administration has urged Congress for immigration reform and has taken steps to expedite work permits and create new legal pathways for migrants. This influx has contributed to economic growth and workforce expansion in the U.S., countering potential labor deficits as the baby boomer generation retires.

The USCIS announced the application period for the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program, which provides funding for citizenship preparation programs in communities across the country. The 16-year-old program, specifically Citizenship Instruction and Naturalization Application Services, will provide up to $10 million in grants to prepare legal immigrants for naturalization and promote civic integration through increased knowledge of English, U.S. history, and civics.

The USCIS announced the upcoming opening of international field offices in Doha, Qatar, and Ankara, Turkey, to increase capacity for refugee processing, strengthen strategic partnerships, and facilitate interagency cooperation. The Biden-Harris administration set the refugee admissions ceiling for fiscal year 2024 at 125,000 refugees. Establishing USCIS field offices in Qatar and Turkey will support the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program’s infrastructure in the region. It also will directly support long-established and increasing USCIS refugee processing circuit rides.

USCIS released its 2007 reasonable fear procedures manual due to FOIA litigation. USCIS uses this manual to determine whether immigrants in fast-tracked removal proceedings who express a fear of persecution or torture will have the opportunity to pursue protection in the United States.

The DOS issued a final rule on the Exchange Visitor Program regulations that apply to sponsors designated to conduct international educational and cultural exchange programs and allow for digital signature and electronic transmission for Form DS-2019. The rule is effective May 23, 2024.

In 2023, Mexican nationals received over 2.3 million visas, constituting 22.3% of all visas issued that year. According to the Bureau of Consular Affairs, a total of 10.4 million visas were issued in 2023, with most going to North American nationals, while 2.3 million went to South Americans, as per VisaGuide.World. This marked a 53.1% increase from 2022, when 6.8 million visa applications were approved.

The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince has suspended routine immigrant visa appointments until further notice. Immigrant visa applicants who can travel to another U.S. embassy or consulate that processes immigrant visas and remain in that country for the duration of their visa processing should consider requesting the transfer of their case from the U.S. Embassy Port-au Prince.

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.