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.

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.