Immigration News
USCIS Reaches H-2B Cap for Second Half of FY 2024
USCIS has received enough petitions to meet the congressionally mandated H-2B cap for the second half of FY 2024. March 7, 2024, was the final receipt date for the new cap-subject H-2B worker petitions requesting an employment start date on or after April 1, 2024, and before October 1, 2024. The agency will reject new cap-subject H-2B petitions received after March 7, 2024, that request an employment start date on or after April 1, 2024, and before October 1, 2024.
FY 2025 H-1B Visa Application Process Begins
The application submission procedure for the H-1B temporary work visa for fiscal year 2025 started on March 6, 2024. The United States Citizenship and Immigration System (USCIS) has initiated the initial registration process, which will run until March 22. This process allows employers to register beneficiaries and pay the required fees electronically.
Religious Workers Face US Immigration Backlog
A report by the Tampa Bay Times revealed that the R-1 visa, which is granted to foreign-born religious workers for up to five years, is facing a severe backlog. Experts said that as many as 33,000 religious workers are in the queue for permanent legal status, with around 25% of those from Latin America, according to estimates based on the State Department’s records.
Certain Updated Forms Take Effect on April 1 with No Grace Period
On January 31, 2024, USCIS announced a fee adjustment for immigration applications and petitions, effective April 1, 2024. Applications postmarked after this date must include updated fees to avoid rejection. Notably, there’s no grace period for Form I-140 submissions; only versions dated April 1, 2024, will be accepted from that date onwards. USCIS released a preview of the updated form and instructions on March 1, 2024, emphasizing that submissions should occur on or after April 1, 2024, to be considered valid.
H-1B Visa Registrations Begin on March 6
H-1B online filing start date for FY25 is right around the corner, starting from March 6. In a recent press conference, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressed concerns about the H-1B visa process and the backlog of green card applications, emphasizing President Joe Biden’s commitment to addressing issues within the legal immigration system.
New Immigration Court in Chelmsford Aims to Ease Backlogs
A new federal immigration court will soon open in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. Migrants are continuing to arrive each day, with most awaiting court dates for judges to hear their cases. As the situation continues to burden the court system, the U.S. Department of Justice plans to open the new Lowell Immigration Court on Chelmsford’s Apollo Drive. The court is expected to open in early April.
No Visa Backlog Under The EB-5 Rural Category Now
The EB-5 visa is a popular route to acquire a US Green Card and get permanent citizenship in America. In March 2022, the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act introduced new regulations, prioritizing rural projects in the allocation of visas. Notably, rural petitions now receive 20% of the total set-aside visas annually. Consequently, while many countries contend with backlogs in EB-5 visa applications, those pursuing rural investment petitions enjoy a streamlined process, with their petitions deemed “current” as of February 2024.
Eligible Ukrainians Can Now Apply for Re-Parole
Beginning February 27, 2024, eligible Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family members who are physically present in the United States can now be considered for re-parole so they can continue to remain in the United States temporarily. Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family members who were paroled into the United States on or after Feb. 11, 2022, can apply for re-parole under this process. As with any parole application, we will consider these applications on a discretionary, case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.
Green Card Backlog Increased by 16% in January
In January, the National Visa Center (NVC) experienced a 16% surge in the immigrant visa (IV) backlog, rising from 292,105 to 338,256. Additionally, the count of green card applicants with documentarily complete cases rose by 13%, from 337,870 to 380,407. A “documentarily complete” case implies all necessary forms and documents have been submitted and accepted by the NVC, thus ready for interview scheduling. Moreover, green card interviews scheduled in January increased to 42,151, compared to 45,765 in December.
US Working to Reduce Visitor Visa Wait Time for Indians
The United States is working towards further reducing the wait time for visitor visas for Indians following a decrease of 75 percent last year, according to US Bureau of Consular Affairs Assistant Secretary Rena Bitter. In an interview with PTI, Bitter noted that today more Indians can travel to the United States than in any other time in history.
The Cost of US Citizenship Is About to Rise
The cost of applying for U.S. citizenship is about to rise. More than 9 million legal permanent residents in the United States are eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship but haven’t done so, according to the Office of Homeland Security Statistics. On April 1, the cost of the application to naturalize is climbing as much as 19%. The price of getting a green card will jump, too. The changes are a fraction of the fee increases sought by the Trump administration before a federal judge scrapped them. Still, immigration attorneys say, immigration costs almost always trend higher, so those who want to naturalize for less should consider submitting an application before April 1.
USCIS Launching a Pilot of E-Verify+
USCIS announced that it will be launching a pilot of E-Verify+ in 2024. USCIS states that E-Verify+ will streamline the Form I-9 and employment eligibility verification process.