USCIS

US Citizenship and Immigration Services (used to be BCIS, INS)

Extension of Temporary Waiver of 60-Day Rule for Civil Surgeon Signatures on Form I-693

Release Date 

09/29/2022

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is extending the temporary waiver of the requirement that civil surgeons must sign Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, no more than 60 days before an individual applies for the underlying immigration benefit (including Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status).

USCIS Extends Green Card Validity Extension to 24 Months for Green Card Renewals

Release Date 

09/28/2022

Effective Sept. 26, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is automatically extending the validity of Permanent Resident Cards (also known as Green Cards) to 24 months for lawful permanent residents who file Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card.

Lawful permanent residents who properly file Form I-90 to renew an expiring or expired Green Card may receive this extension. Form I-90 receipt notices had previously provided a 12-month extension of the validity of a Green Card.

DHS Publishes Final Rule to Restore Asylum Regulations Consistent with Asylumworks Vacatur

Release Date 

09/21/2022

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today announced publication of a final rule consistent with the vacatur of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in  Asylumworks et al. v. Mayorkas et al. This final rule is effective starting Feb. 7, 2022. 

USCIS to Implement Next Phase of Premium Processing for Certain Previously Filed EB-1 and EB-2 Form I-140 Petitions

Release Date 

09/15/2022

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is implementing the next phase of the premium processing expansion for certain petitioners who have a pending Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, under the EB-1 and EB-2 classifications.

USCIS Updates Guidance Related to Religious Workers

Release Date 

08/30/2022

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to reorganize and expand on existing guidance related to special immigrant and nonimmigrant religious workers.

This update reorganizes the special immigrant religious worker guidance for clarity and provides more comprehensive information about the special immigrant religious worker filing process, verification of evidence, and the site-inspection process.

USCIS Reaches Fiscal Year 2023 H-1B Cap

Release Date 

08/23/2022

USCIS has received a sufficient number of petitions needed to reach the congressionally mandated 65,000 H-1B visa regular cap and the 20,000 H-1B visa U.S. advanced degree exemption, known as the master’s cap, for fiscal year (FY) 2023.

USCIS has completed sending non-selection notifications to registrants’ online accounts. The status for registrations properly submitted for the FY 2023 H-1B numerical allocations, but that were not selected, will now show:

USCIS Updates Interpretation of “Under Honorable Conditions” for Military Naturalization

Release Date 

08/02/2022

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is publishing an update to its Policy Manual to clarify that a current or former service member who received an uncharacterized discharge may be eligible for naturalization under sections 328 and 329 of the Immigration and Naturalization Act (INA).