Farmers Will Find It Even Harder to Hire Workers Under the New H-2A Visa Rule The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a new regulation that makes it more difficult for farmers to hire immigrants and address the severe labor shortage that the industry is now experiencing, which threatens to raise already record-high food costs. Increasing the number of immigrant agricultural laborers can lower food prices and boost incomes, claims a recent Texas A&M University study. Despite this, the DOL has proposed a rule that would make hiring even more difficult for American farmers by adding more paperwork and stages that may lengthen the H-2A application process by nearly seven months. Source: Boundless Employers in the US are having trouble filling open positions “Help Wanted” billboards for salespeople, waiters, and postal employees are commonplace across the country as businesses battle a labor shortage brought on by the epidemic, a wave of early retirements, and tough immigration regulations. Many people who left the workforce as Covid-19 began to devastate the US economy in early 2020 have never come back. Source: VOA Backlog for green cards decreases in August By raising the number of interviews scheduled for August from 36% over July, the National Visa Center (NVC) of the Department of State made some headway this month on reducing the backlog for immigrant visas (IV). Compared to the 32,888 interviews slated for August 2022, little over 24,000 interviews were scheduled for July 2022. Due to the increase in green card interviews, the backlog decreased proportionately, from 409,645 outstanding cases last month to 388,780 cases this month—a almost 6% reduction. Source: Boundless Civil Rights Organizations Demand an Investigation Into ICE Sting Operation In 2015, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) established a phony institution, and more than 40 organizations asked for an investigation into it. The University of Farmington in Michigan was established as part of the sting operation, which allegedly sought to expose student visa fraud. It is claimed that the operation resulted in the unlawful detention of more than 600 students and netted more than $6 million in tuition payments from the victims. Source: Boundless

USCIS updates requirements for green card sponsors for 2022 USCIS updated the minimum annual income required for a family of 2 has increased from $21,770 to $22,887. This assumes that the sponsor – the U.S. citizen or current green card holder – is not in active military duty and has only one relative to sponsor. However, Alaskans and Hawaiians have higher income requirements based on their family size. Source: Boundless  High-Skilled Immigrants’ H-1B Visa Cap is reached for FY 2022 The H-1B lottery received over 300,000 registrations in fiscal 2022, surpassing the previous record high in fiscal 2021. Each year, Congress mandates a cap of 65,000 regular H-1B visas and another 20,000 for advanced degree exemption categories. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.  Source: Bloomberg, USCIS

The USCIS rolls back harsh standards for bringing refugee spouses to the U.S. Earlier this week, USCIS issued guidance eliminating a previous policy that prohibited refugees from bringing their spouses to the U.S. if their marriages were not recognized by local authorities. USCIS’ new guidance restores its prior policy of allowing informal marriages among refugees and asylum seekers. Many of these couples live in refugee camps, where informal social structures are usually not recognized by local law, or they are LGBTQIA+ or interfaith couples who are not able to get married in their countries of origin. Source:https://www.boundless.com/blog/boundless-weekly-immigration-news/#:~:text=U.S.%20Citizenship,their%20home%20countries. USCIS urges eligible applicants to switch employment-based categories due to the high availability 02/18/2022, USCIS Due to an exceptionally high number of EB immigrant visas available in these categories during this FY (October 2021 through September 2022), USCIS encourages eligible applicants to request to transfer the underlying basis of their adjustment of status application to the first category (priority workers) or the second category (noncitizens in professions with advanced degrees or with exceptional abilities). Since FY 2021 had approximately 140,000 family-sponsored visas, the overall annual limit for FY 2022 is twice as high as usual. Source:https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/uscis-urges-eligible-applicants-to-switch-employment-based-categories USCIS urges eligible applicants to switch employment-based categories due to the high availability02/18/2022, USCISDue to an exceptionally high number of EB immigrant visas available in these categories during this FY (October 2021 through September 2022), USCIS encourages eligible applicants to request to transfer the underlying basis of their adjustment of status application to the first category (priority workers) or the second category (noncitizens in professions with advanced degrees or with exceptional abilities). Since FY 2021 had approximately 140,000 family-sponsored visas, the overall annual limit for FY 2022 is twice as high as usual. Source: https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/uscis-urges-eligible-applicants-to-switch-employment-based-categories US Visa Service has been reopened in several countries, including India and China In response to CVID-19, visa services for U.S. citizens have been suspended around the globe. In recent weeks, most of the U.S. embassies and consulates have resumed booking certain immigrant and nonimmigrant visa appointments.  Source:https://www.boundless.com/blog/covid-19-u-s-embassy-and-consulate-reopening/  Pandemic restrictions have been lifted throughout the world Worldwide, countries such as Sweden, UK, and Australia have begun to lift COVID restrictions, despite the World Health Organization’s warnings. Australia reopened its borders to international vaccinated travelers later this month, after closing them since early 2020. Source: https://www.boundless.com/blog/boundless-weekly-immigration-news/#:~:text=COUNTRIES%20AROUND%20THE,later%20this%20 month.  Application deadline for adjustment of status for family sponsorship and EB visas: March 2022 US State Department releases Visa Bulletin for March 2022. It can be a major issue if you are waiting for your priority date to be current in order to be able to submit your green card application. To learn more about how to file an Adjustment of Status petition on your behalf if a relative or employer hasn’t already done so, please contact us or go to the USCIS website. Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, cannot be filed until you have an available visa in your category (if applicable). Check this page to learn when to apply for adjustment of