U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has recently begun selecting additional H-1B registrations that were submitted in March 2020 for the fiscal year 2021 H-1B lottery. Foster attorneys have been notified that certain previously unselected H-1B registrations are now eligible for submission. As with cases selected in the initial lottery in March, USCIS is providing a […]
USCIS and Federal Courts Deal Dual Blows to the Asylum Process
11 Aug
by Olsa Alikaj-Cano, on Blog, COVID-19 Updates, Immigration, News
In the past two years, there have been many changes in U.S. asylum law that have had a negative impact on asylum seekers. On January 25, 2019, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Migrant Protection Protocol (MPP) did nothing to protect the migrants. On the contrary, it made it more difficult for individuals to apply for asylum. Thousands of asylum seekers arriving from Latin American countries without prior authorization to enter the United States, who were immediately placed in […]
Questionable Requests with Questionable Motives
6 Aug
by Brenda Granderson Hicks, on Blog, COVID-19 Updates, Immigration, News
For the past few years, usually before it receives a deluge of new H-1B petitions in early April, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) has implemented a partial suspension of its Premium Processing service, generally lasting three to six months for H-1B petitions. True to form, USCIS suspended premium processing this year as well, but this time the suspension was across the board for all types of petitions. USCIS justified these […]
Increase in Visa Reciprocity for E, H, and L Visa Holders from Mexico
5 Aug
by Foster LLP, on COVID-19 Updates, Immigration Updates, News
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has recently implemented major changes to the reciprocity schedule for citizens of Mexico for the E, H, and L visa classifications. Mexicans have been limited to being issued nonimmigrant work visas with a maximum validity of only one year. This impacted visa holders who […]