Primary care physicians working at any healthcare facility with a HPSA score of 7 or higher can now qualify for a J-1 waiver under the HHS clinical waiver program. Previously, facilities had to be designated as Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) or Rural Health Centers (RHCs).
Read MoreIn response to COVID-19, USCIS issued a Policy Memorandum outlining temporary policy changes to provide some flexibility for J-1 waiver physicians regarding the full-time work requirements of J-1 waiver programs for doctors.
Read MoreU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it has extended temporary office closures and suspension of in-person services until June 4, 2020.
Read MoreOn April 22, 2020 President Trump signed a presidential proclamation suspending the entry of only a limited group of immigrant visa applicants to the US for 60 days. The proclamation is effective as of 11.59pm on April 23, 2020. Notably, the proclamation does not impact immigrants already in the US, or individuals or any nonimmigrant visa programs, including the H-1B, L-1, TN, E, O-1, P-1, F-1, J-1 and B visa programs.
Read MoreVia tweet, President Trump has announced that he plans to sign an Executive Order that would temporarily suspend immigration into the US. No other details have been provided by the President, White House staff or government agency officials.
Read MoreThe Department of Homeland Security has announced that existing travel restrictions in place with Canada and Mexico have been extended for an additional 30 days, until May 21.
Read MoreDespite the urging of immigrant advocacy groups, USCIS has has declined to offer any flexibility for foreign national individuals whose ability to file an extension or change of immigration status has been impacted by COVID-19.
Read MoreUSCIS has confirmed they received nearly 275,000 H-1B registrations from roughly 40,000 employers during the inaugural year of the new H-1B cap pre-registration program. Beginning April 1, 2020, USCIS started accepting H-1B petitions for the selected registrations.
Read MoreUSCIS has announced that routine face-to-face services will continue to be suspended all Field Offices, Asylum Offices and Application Support Centers (ASC) until at least May 3, 2020 to help mitigate the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
The suspension of in-person services at USCIS offices includes interviews, naturalization ceremonies and biometric collection appointments. However, USCIS will continue to provide emergency services during this time.
Read MoreUSCIS has completed the random lottery of all electronic registrations received during the initial period of the FY2021 H-1B cap. USCIS expects to notify successful petitioners by March 31, 2020. Once a petitioner receives notification that a registration has been selected, they can proceed to file the full H-1B petition on behalf of the selected beneficiary.
Read MoreIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, USCIS has announced that it is providing a 60-day deadline extension to assist applicants and petitioners who are responding to requests for evidence (RFEs) and notices of intent to deny (NOIDs) dated between March 1 and May 1, 2020.
Read MoreDue to the COVID-19 National Emergency, the Department of Labor Office of Foreign Labor Certifications has announced it will begin issuing certified Form ETA-9089 (labor certifications) by email.
Read MoreIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the US Department of Labor (DOL) has published an FAQ that offers some limited accommodations for employers that sponsor temporary and permanent foreign workers.
Read MoreDue to the COVID-19 National Emergency, USCIS has announced that starting March 21, 2020, it will accept immigration forms with digitally reproduced signatures, including Form I-129, instead of insisting on originally-signed forms with “wet ink” signatures.
Read MoreEffective March 20, 2020, USCIS will stop accepting requests for premium processing service on I-129 and I-140 petitions. Employers may continue submitting expedite requests as necessary in urgent situations, but USCIS retains sole discretion whether to approve or deny such requests.
Read MoreIn response to COVID-19, DHS has announced interim guidance that provides employers with some flexibility in terms of complying with the I-9 in-person document verification requirements.
Read MoreIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, non-essential travel between the US, Canada and Mexico has been temporarily prohibited starting March 21, 2020.
Read MoreRoutine nonimmigrant and immigrant visa services at all US Embassies and Consulates worldwide have been suspended indefinitely, effective today.
Read MoreCoronavirus continues to impact international travel, with the UK and Ireland recently added to the US travel bans. Also, operations at US Consulates in numerous countries, including India, Spain, Ireland and France, continue to be affected by Coronavirus resulting in visa appointment cancellations and/or consular service reductions.
Read MoreIn addition to its well-documented health impacts, Coronavirus (COVID-19) is also affecting both travel and immigration application and visa processing, as countries try to contain the spread of this virus.
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