On November 18, 2016, the USCIS announced its Final Rule for the proposed rule announced almost a year ago, affecting certain employment-based immigrants and high skilled non-immigrant workers. This Final Rule will become effective on January 17, 2017. For most parts, the new rules are beneficial for those affected. The followings are some of the highlights of the new rules. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Executive Action
Potential Benefits of the New Visa Bulletin – Good News for Green Card Applicants!
The Visa Bulletin updated every month by the Department of State is an indication of how much longer a Green Card applicant must wait until he can get his green card. Starting from the October 2015 Visa Bulletin, the structure of the Visa Bulletin has changed in a few ways. These changes are great news for those who have a long waiting period, since they can now file I-485 much earlier, which potentially means that they can get their Employment Authorization Document (work permit) and Advance Parole (travel document) much earlier. The new changes will also enable some applicants to continue to stay and work in the U.S., who would have otherwise had to leave the U.S. and wait in their home countries. Continue reading
Understanding the Visa Bulletin and When Your Priority Date Becomes Current
The Visa Bulletin is a guidance to how much longer you have to wait before you can get your green card. However, the Visa Bulletin is a bit tricky to understand for a first-time viewer. The following is to show you how to read the Visa Bulletin and to estimate your waiting time. Continue reading
New Immigration Status for Entrepreneurs and Startup Founders: “Significant Public Benefit” Parole Program
On 06/25/2015, the USCIS held a public engagement teleconference regarding its new program creating a parole status for inventors, researchers and founders of start-up enterprises. This program is proposed as part of President Obama’s executive actions on immigration announced on November 20, 2014. The rules of the program are not set yet, and the purpose of the teleconference was for the USCIS to receive comments from stakeholders so that they can create the detailed rules for this parole program. Continue reading
Review of 2014, Preview of 2015
Happy New Year! 2014 was a busy year for the immigration community. Here are some of the highlights of what happened in 2014, and what we can expect in 2015. Continue reading
