Israeli Nationals Eligible for Treaty Investor Visas
Certain Israeli nationals who are lawfully present in the United States will soon be able to request a change of status to the E-2 treaty investor classification.
Certain Israeli nationals who are lawfully present in the United States will soon be able to request a change of status to the E-2 treaty investor classification.
Starting June 1, USCIS is ending the Forms Request Line service that allows you to order forms by phone. This is part of our continuing effort to modernize the processes and promote online products and services.
USCIS updated the following USCIS form:
“An out-of-status scenario, for the H-1B visa holder and his or her dependents (such as spouse and children) would mean a three-to-ten-year bar from re-entering the country. The mechanism to redress an H-1B denial (including that of a transfer) is also highly inefficient,” said Rajiv S Khanna, managing attorney at Immigration.com.
USCIS has updated the Adjudicator’s Field Manual (AFM) (PDF, 224 KB) to emphasize that, under current regulations, the periods of initial authorized stay are different for individual athletes (P-1A) and their essential support personnel (P-1S).
USCIS recently updated the following form(s):
USCIS has completed data entry for all fiscal year 2020 H-1B cap-subject petitions selected in the computer-generated random selection process, including those selected under the U.S. advanced degree exemption. As in previous years, USCIS will now begin returning all H-1B cap-subject petitions that the center did not select and will issue an announcement once USCIS is done notifying petitioners.
On May 20, 2019, the Texas Service Center will begin processing Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, for certain H-1B cap-exempt petitions requesting:
Added to the backlog woes is the spike in denials of naturalization applications "The grounds for denial are unpredictable, they could even relate to errors made when obtaining H-1B visas or green cards. This adds to the uncertainty," said Rajiv S Khanna, managing attorney at Immigration.com. " An entrepreneur had sponsored a green card for an employee without mentioning that he was a distant relative. He thought it was immaterial as the relationship was so distant. Today, this entrepreneur is unable to become a US citizen," Khanna said.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced a new strategy known as eProcessing to accelerate USCIS’ transition to a digital business model. eProcessing will be a complete digital experience, from applying for a benefit, to communicating with USCIS, through receiving a decision on a case.
You may file Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, online if you are applying as a single applicant (without co-applicants, or legal or accredited representation) to extend your stay and you hold status as a:
“The term speciality occupation is defined in the Immigration and Nationality Act, so a definition change cannot be brought about by mere agency regulation,” Rajiv S. Khanna, managing attorney at Immigration.com told TOI.
“Unfortunately, the definitions of employment and employer-employee relationship are not provided in the statute. That definition can be tinkered with. But to what degree it can be redefined remains to be seen,” he adds.
Rajiv S Khanna, managing attorney at immigration law firm Immigration.com, said it could take as much as a year for the visa programme to get scrapped. "The process is currently at the second last stage. Once it is approved here, it will be posted in the federal register and people will have 30 or 60 days to post comments, following which the regulation will be made final," said Khanna. The administration is obligated to comment before publishing and implementing the final rule, a process that could take several months, he added.
However, even if this proposal goes through, it would take a while for it to take effect. "The process is currently at the second last stage. Once it is approved here, it will be posted in the federal register and people will have 30 or 60 days to post comments, following which the regulation will be made final," Rajiv S. Khanna, managing attorney at immigration law firm Immigration.com, told the Economic Times. The administration is obligated to comment before publishing and implementing the final rule, a process that could take as much as a year, he added.
USCIS recently updated the following USCIS form:
USICS strongly encourages you to update your address with USCIS to ensure you receive all correspondence and benefits from USCIS in a timely manner and avoid possible delays related to your case.
“The outcome will be more delays and expansion of the consular power to deny visas that have been traditionally exempt from too many problems, such as H-4 and L-2 visas for derivative beneficiaries (spouses and dependent children of H-1B and L-1 visas holders). Already, consulates enjoy plenary powers in visa decisions. We cannot challenge visa denials, unless egregious and obvious illegality can be demonstrated. These questions combined with unfettered power are just a part of the invisible wall against lawful visitors,” Rajiv S. Khanna, managing partner at Immigration.com told TOI.
USCIS will reject petitions lacking petitioner’s or applicant’s primary U.S. office address
USCIS has received enough petitions to reach the additional maximum 30,000 visas made available for returning workers under the H-2B numerical limit (also called a cap) for fiscal year (FY) 2019.
“For employees who are coming from outside the US, premium processing will offer a great deal of comfort in knowing where a case stands. If the application is denied, which is quite common these days, there will be enough time to appeal or litigate it before the October 1, start date,” Rajiv S. Khanna, Managing Attorney at Immigration.com told TOI.
For more on this news please read the attached file.
On May 31, 2019, The Department of State updated its immigrant and nonimmigrant visa application forms to request additional information, including social media identifiers, from most U.S. visa applicants worldwide.
Certain New Zealand nationals can now request a change of status to the E-1 nonimmigrant trader classification and the E-2 nonimmigrant investor classification under Public Law 115-226.