USCIS Announces Premium Processing Fee Adjustments Effective February 26, 2024
Photo by rupixen.com on Unsplash On December 27, 2023, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a final rule to adjust the premium processing fees for certain immigration forms due to inflation. This adjustment will take effect on Monday, February 26, 2024. The premium processing fees for eligible forms and categories will increase to […]
H-1B Travelers to Save Time, Money, and Heartache with Stateside Visa Renewal Pilot Program
For H-1B visa holders, the logistics of traveling home for a wedding can be almost as challenging to plan as the wedding. An Indian client who traveled to India for a wedding had to remain there for weeks to get a visa to return to the US. He had to apply for the visa in […]
Department of State Unveils Stateside Renewal Visa Pilot Program for H-1B Applicants from India and Canada
The Department of State has officially announced the Stateside Renewal Visa Program through a Federal Register Notice, inviting eligible individuals to participate in the pilot program from January 29th to April 1st. This initiative, advocated by AILA since 2021, is a significant development in visa processing. The program is exclusively available to H-1B principal beneficiaries […]
USCIS Policy Update: Sole Proprietorships and L-1 Petitions
Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy update through its Policy Manual, reinforcing the legal distinctions between business entities in the context of immigration petitions. Specifically, the guidance makes it clear that a sole proprietorship, by virtue of not being a distinct legal entity separate […]
H-1B Visa Cap Reached: USCIS FY 2024 Updates and Exemptions
Photo by Erik Odiin on Unsplash The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reached the congressionally mandated caps for H-1B visas for fiscal year (FY) 2024. The regular cap of 65,000 and the master’s cap of 20,000 for U.S. advanced degree exemptions have both been met. Non-selection notices will be sent to registrants through […]
Immigration Fees Likely to Soar in Early 2024
Facing a stubborn backlog and an influx of immigrants seeking refuge, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) proposed a rule featuring a new fee schedule in January 2023. The proposed fee schedule includes sharp increases in fees for H-1B visas, green cards, and naturalization. USCIS has deferred the final ruling on the fees until […]
Minimize Your Cost by Starting the Green Card Process Early
In the immigration community, autumn brings a new-year sense of renewal. A new US government fiscal year beginning October 1 means a fresh start to the annual allocation of green cards for those looking to apply. But application backlogs which have grown for countries like mainland China and India have tempered that October optimism. A […]
FY 2025 H-1B Cap Lottery Integrity Measures made by USCIS
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has introduced a final rule aimed at enhancing the integrity of the H-1B registration process to mitigate potential fraud. The new rule also aims to ensure fairness in the selection process for beneficiaries, regardless of the number of registrations submitted on their behalf by employers. Here are the […]