Weekly Immigration News Recap (December 12-18)

USCIS Announces Trial for Updates to the Naturalization Test

WATERLOO – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will test modifications to the current citizenship test, according to a notice that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued today in the Federal Register. The English language proficiency test consists of four parts: reading, writing, civics, and English proficiency. The naturalization test’s reading and writing sections are typical. The trial’s objectives are to evaluate a newly constructed English-speaking component and a civics component with revised structure and content that may become standard.

Source: USCIS

DHS and DOL Announce Availability of Additional H-2B Visas for Fiscal Year 2023

For fiscal year (FY) 2023, the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Labor (DOL) are releasing a temporary final rule that adds 64,716 H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas to the pool of available visas. These additional H-2B visas are available to U.S. firms who want to file petitions for new hires during specific times during the fiscal year prior to September 15, 2023.

Source: USCIS

Biden Administration Restarts Task Force to Help New Immigrants

A task force to aid immigrants and refugees in assimilating into American society is being revived by the Biden administration. The Task Force on New Americans will prioritize issues such as financial access, language instruction, and workforce development. President George W. Bush established the task committee in 2006, but it was abandoned during the Trump administration.

Source: Boundless