Author: HSD immigration

Today, USCIS announced its plan to revert to the 2008 version of the naturalization civics test.   On December 1, 2020, USCIS, under Trump administration, had implemented a revised naturalization civics test naturalization civics test (2020 civics test). In addition to making changes to ...

USCIS issued an update today regarding the delays at certain lockboxes in issuing receipt notices for Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, filed by F-1 students to receive Employment Authorization Document (EAD) so that they can start or continue employment.  Though USCIS ...

Through implementation of a notice in April 2017, called “Special Instructions for B-1/B-2 Visitors Who Want to Enroll in School,” U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has been requiring B-1/B-2 to F-1 change of status applicants to file applications to extend their B-1/B-2 non...

USCIS announced today that the initial H-1B cap registrations for the FY2022 annual quota (or cap) will open on March 9th, 2021.   U.S. employers and their legal representatives can start filing registrations at noon Eastern Standard Time (EST) on March 9th. USCIS will accept registrat...

Through implementation of a “Special Instruction” in April 2017[1], United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has been requiring B-1/B-2 to F-1 Change of Status (COS) applicants to file B-1/B-2 extension application(s) to “bridge the gap” until USCIS makes a final ...

Today, DHS announced that the final rule creating a wage-based selection process for H-1B registrations will not go into effect until December 31, 2021. This rule was first set to go into effect on March 9, 2021, but got pushed to March 21, 2021, because of the regulatory freeze announced by the Whi...

While USCIS is yet to release a formal guidance for the upcoming H-1B Cap Petition filings, employers who wish to sponsor foreign nationals for the FY2022 annual quota (or cap) should anticipate registrations to open on March 1st, 2021.   If you are interested in sponsoring H-1B nonimmigra...

Today, Department of State (DOS) posted the February 2021 Visa Bulletin.  Later during the day, USCIS determined that, for February 2021, F2A applicants may file using the Final Action Dates chart. Applicants in all other family-sponsored preference categories must use the Dates for Filing char...