Family 2A Category to Become Current July 1, 2019
IMMIGRATION NEWS: Family 2A Category to Become Current this July Earlier this month, the U.S. State Department announced that the family 2A category (spouses and unmarried children of lawful permanent residents) will become current, for the first time in several years, on July 1, 2019. The family 2A category is… Read More
Immigration News Update! Certain Non-Immigrants Can Now File Form I-539 Online
You may file Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, online, if: 1. You are a single applicant (without co-applicants, or legal or accredited representation); and 2. If you hold the following status: B-1 temporary visitor for business; B-2 temporary visitor for pleasure; F-1 academic student with a specific… Read More
What is an H2B Visa and How is it Different Than an H1B Visa?
The H-2B program allows U.S. employers or U.S. agents who meet specific regulatory requirements to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary nonagricultural jobs- for example, seasonal workers, like those at an amusement park, summer resort areas, construction workers, landscapers, cruise ship workers, etc. To qualify, U.S. employers… Read More
Advocates File Lawsuit to End ICE’s Blanket Use of Video Teleconferencing
AILA Doc. No. 19022101 | Dated February 12, 2019 February 12, 2019 Seven immigrants, representing a class of all detained immigrants in the New York City area, and the three New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP) providers—Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS), The Legal Aid Society (LAS), and The Bronx Defenders… Read More
Visa Bulletin Update: Current Wait Times for Available Visas in the Family “Preference Categories”
The Department of State recently released the Visa Bulletin for March 2019. In part, the Visa Bulletin specifies the period of time a non-immediate relative family member must wait before filing for a family-sponsored green card. According to the March 2019 visa bulletin, the following are the current wait times… Read More
H-1B Petitions for the Same Beneficiary and Considerations for the FY2020 H-1B Cap Season
The FY 2020 H-1B Cap Season has begun. It is possible that some FY2019 H-1B cap-subject petitions remain unadjudicated going into this year’s H-1B cap season. AILA posted a practice alert regarding the potential consequences, if any, of an employer filing an FY2020 H-1B cap-subject petition while the FY2019 petition… Read More
USCIS Experiencing “Crisis-Level” Delays in Processing Applications and Petitions for Immigration Benefits
The American Immigration Lawyers Association’s analysis of recently published U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services data reveals crisis-level delays in the agency’s processing of applications and petitions for immigration benefits under the Trump administration. AILA’s analysis of this data reveals that the overall average case processing time surged by 46 percent… Read More