USCIS Fee Increases Blocked by Preliminary Injunction
Written by: Ashik Jahan, Esq. USCIS fee increases were scheduled to go into effect on October 2, 2020. However, a federal judge granted a motion for a preliminary injunction blocking the fee increase. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White wrote that
Judge Strikes Down Trump Administration’s Diversity Visa Ban
Written by: Ashik Jahan, Esq. Each year, the State Department uses a lottery system to select visa recipients from a broad array of countries that are underrepresented in the United States. In April, President Trump banned diversity visa (DV) re
Phased Resumption of Routine Visa Services
Written by: Ashik R. Jahan, Esq. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/phased-resumption-routine-visa-services.html The Department of State suspended routine visa services worldwide in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Trump Administration Issues New Proclamation Suspending Entry for Certain Non-Immigrants through December 31, 2020
Written by: Ashik R. Jahan, Esq. President Trump’s latest Presidential Proclamation is effective as of June 24, 2020 and suspends entry of individuals in H-1B (specialty occupation), H-2B (temporary non-agricultural and seasonal workers), L-1
H-1B Wage Obligations During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Written by: Ashik R. Jahan, Esq. With the growing uncertainty of what impact COVID-19 will have on local businesses from an economic standpoint, many businesses are unsure of how they will maintain day-to-day operations. There may be an added un
Premium Processing Suspended for FY 2021 H-1B Cap Until June 29, 2020
Written by: Ashik Jahan, Esq., and Cody Hendrix USCIS has placed a temporary suspension on premium processing services for fiscal year 2021 cap H-1B Petitions. This means that petitioners will not be able to request nor file for premium processi
USCIS Statement Regarding COVID-19 and the New Public Charge Rule
Written by Ashik Jahan, Esq. and Cody Hendrix USCIS has issued a statement informing immigrants who get tested or treated for COVID-19 that they will not be punished when seeking immigration benefits under the new public charge rule that was ush
Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the European Schengen Area Travel Ban
Written by: Ashik R. Jahan With growing fears concerning spreading of the global pandemic, COVID-19 (Coronavirus), the U.S. has barred entry into the U.S. from non-U.S. citizens in the European Union’s Schengen Area. People who have visited
Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness (LRIF) Provides Pathway to Permanent Residency for Eligible Liberian Nationals
Written by: Ashik R. Jahan As of December 26, 2019, Liberian immigrants that have been in the United States since November 20, 2014 may be eligible for permanent legal status. The Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act (LRIFA) is a special la
Immigration Updates February 2020
Written by: Ashik Jahan, Esq. USCIS H-1B Fiscal Year 2021 H-1B Cap Season Electronic Registration System Overview The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on December 6, 2019 that its new electronic process for petitioning