For many ambitious professionals around the world, the National Interest Waiver (NIW) represents a critical pathway to achieving their American dream. This special provision falls under the EB-2 visa category, specifically designed for individuals with exceptional abilities or who hold advanced degrees. In this blog post, we will explore the specifics of...
Category: I-140
Understanding the New USCIS Filing Fee Adjustments: A Comprehensive Guide for Clients
Navigating the Upcoming USCIS Fee Changes: Strategies for Employers
In the face of rising operational costs and the relentless march of inflation, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a significant update to its fee structure for various immigration-related filings. Effective April 1, 2024, these changes mark the first fee adjustment since 2016, underscoring a critical development for employers...
New USCIS Premium Processing Fees Now in Effect: A Comprehensive Guide to the 2024 Adjustments
As previously announced, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ new inflation-adjusted premium processing fees take effect today, increasing the filing fee for Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing. USCIS published a final rule announcing the change on Dec. 28, 2023.
The USCIS Stabilization Act established the current premium processing fees and...
USCIS 2024 Fee Update: Navigating New Costs and Processes for Immigration and Naturalization Services
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a final rule to adjust certain immigration and naturalization benefit request fees for the first time since 2016. The final rule will allow USCIS to recover a greater share of its operating costs and support more timely processing of new applications.
The final...
New USCIS Policy Update: Analyzing Employer’s Ability to Pay Wages in Employment-Based Visa Petitions
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued new policy guidance regarding the evaluation of an employer's ability to pay the proffered wage for immigrant petitions in first, second, and third preference employment-based visa classifications. This is particularly relevant when the sponsored worker changes employers. Employers must demonstrate their ability to...
Inflation-Driven Increase in USCIS Premium Processing Fees Announced for 2024
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a final rule that will increase the filing fee for Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing. This change, effective from February 26, 2024, is an inflation adjustment based on the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers from June 2021 to June 2023....
Temporary Suspension of Premium Processing for All I-129 and I-140 Petitions
On March 3, 2020, the Department of State (DOS) made an update to the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) website, our online portal for visa applicants. A visa applicant whose case previously displayed as being in “Administrative Processing” on his or her case status page now displays as being “refused.”
There...
TPS Update: Secretary Mayorkas Designates Afghanistan for Temporary Protected Status
On May 22, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced a new 18-month designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti. The effective date will be the date of publication of an upcoming Federal Register notice (FRN). This new TPS designation will enable Haitian nationals (and individuals without nationality who last resided in...
SPIRITUAL ENLIGHTENMENT AND U.S. IMMIGRATION: Understanding the Religious Visa (R Visa).
On May 19, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security posted for public inspection a Federal Register notice (FRN) designating Afghanistan for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months from May 20, 2022, through Nov. 20, 2023.
This designation allows Afghan nationals (and individuals having no nationality who last habitually resided in Afghanistan) who have continuously...