Blog : Immigration Law Update

USCIS has completed the H-1B lottery selection process and has completed notifying those selected in the first round of selection. 

If any registration(s) for your company have been selected, you will have received an email from myUSCIS stating that USCIS has taken action on your case.  To review which case(s) were selected, you may log in to your myUSCIS account. 

• “Selected” means that the case was selected.
• “Submitted” means that the case will be kept “in reserve” in case any additional numbers become available.  USCIS will not provide final confirmation of non-selection until after September 30. In prior years, USCIS has not provided final confirmation of non-selection until February of the following year.

We have notified any selected beneficiaries in a separate email.  We will move forward with preparing an H-1B petition for those selected beneficiaries.  If we need further information from you, we will be in touch. 

If there are additional rounds of the lottery, we will be in touch once we have any updates.  

Over the weekend, USCIS began the process of notifying employers of registrations that were selected in this year’s H-1B lottery. To date, USCIS has not yet confirmed that it is done notifying all selected registrants. There may be additional notifications until March 31, unless USCIS makes an announcement before then, stating that it has completed notifying selected registrants.

Until then, we may have incomplete information about who was selected in this round of this year’s lottery. We are working to notify the lottery results to all selected candidates timely. We thank you for your patience as we wait for USCIS to complete notifying selected registrants.

UPDATE: The H-1B lottery registration window will be opening next Tuesday, March 1, 2022 and will close on March 18, 2022. 

Today, we provided a complimentary webinar with a comprehensive overview of the H-1B registration system and guidance on what employers are expected to do as well as the workflow and anticipated timeline.

We would like to provide a recording of our webinar along with copies of the slides that were presented today: 

• Recording: https://app.box.com/s/jni46lyyav5nbpwajf6i1bseoafjtwpr
• Slides: https://app.box.com/s/jxny6knhcc1ew8blil2331mh8w79xn7q

We would also like to remind you of the information previously provided in our bulletin: https://app.box.com/s/ono6eoaomdgd4v0vn9oyhd7qq4w2u3z8.  This bulletin includes information about cut-off dates for initiating a case and rush fees. 

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Please join us to learn more about the H-1B registration system and what you can do to prepare.

We will provide a comprehensive overview of the H-1B registration system and guidance on what employers are expected to do as well as the workflow and anticipated timeline.

For this year’s H-1B lottery registrations, the electronic registration period for participation in the lottery is March 1 through March 18, 2022. USCIS will notify employers of selection by March 31, 2022, and the H-1B petition filing window for selected registrants begins on April 1, 2022.

The webinar will be recorded, and the presentation materials will be made available for clients.
When: Feb. 25, 2022 11:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Please register in advance for this webinar: [link deleted]

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

It is time to start getting ready for the annual H-1B lottery registration period, which is expected to open sometime in March 2022.  (USCIS has not yet announced exact dates.) 

As a reminder, individuals who have never previously been in H-1B status will need to go through the lottery registration process.  This may include, for example, employees or candidates who are:

• Working with you pursuant to F-1 OPT/STEM OPT.
• Working with you pursuant to a dependent EAD based on their spouse’s nonimmigrant status
• Located outside the U.S.

We have prepared a bulletin providing a detailed overview of the process timeline, deadlines, and important things to know.  Please note that this bulletin will be updated as we receive more information from USCIS regarding exact dates.  (The link to the bulletin will remain the same as it gets updated.) 

Please review our bulletin closely as it contains important information.  Action items for you to be aware of at this time are: 

1. Please start collecting and providing the names and email addresses of potential candidates now.  We ask that you provide this information by February 1, 2022.  Due to anticipated volume, advance planning is critical.  
2. Please note that cases initiated on or after February 23, 2022 will be subject to additional surcharges.  Further details are listed in the bulletin linked above.   

If you have candidates who were not selected this year, or if you have provided the names of potential candidates to us throughout the past year, our office will follow up by mid-January. 

We anticipate reaching out to the bulk of H-1B lottery candidates throughout the months of January and February.  In the meantime, please feel free to provide any interested candidates with our flowchart overviewing the process.  The flowchart will be updated once we receive more information from USCIS regarding exact dates.

Thank you, and happy holidays! 

On November 26, 2021, President Biden announced a new COVID-19 public health travel ban from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe in response to the Omicron Variant.

Effective November 29, 2021, at 12:01 am EST, foreign nationals who have been physically present in any of the above-mentioned countries within 14 days of travel to the U.S. will be barred from entry with the exception of the following:

• U.S. citizens and nationals;
• U.S. lawful permanent residents;
• Spouses of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents;
• A foreign national parent or legal guardian of an unmarried U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident under the age of 21;
• A foreign national sibling of a U.S. citizen of lawful permanent resident, provided they are both unmarried and under the age of 21;
• A foreign national child, foster child or ward of a U.S. citizen of lawful permanent resident, or a prospective adoptee with IR-4 or IH-4 visa;
• A foreign national who has been invited by the U.S. government for a purpose related to containment or mitigation of the COVID-19 virus;
• A foreign air or sea crewmember;
• Certain A, C, E-1 (TECRO or TECO employees), G and NATO nonimmigrants within the scope of section 11 of the UN Headquarters Agreement;
• A foreign national whose entry would further important U.S. law enforcement objectives;
• A foreign national whose entry would be in the national interest; and,
• Members of the U.S. armed forces and their spouses and children.

Exempt individuals must comply with the existing vaccination and testing requirement.

The CDC website provides updated information regarding testing and vaccine requirements.  The U.S. will accept vaccines that are FDA approved or authorized as well as those that are on the WHO’s emergency use list.

MT Perspective:

The Department of State has not issued guidance how to apply for the “National Interest Exception” to obtain a waiver for the travel ban.

As of November 29, 2021, it is unclear whether the criteria and standards for the previous regional travel bans will apply. It is also unclear whether the Department of State will issue a visa even if the foreign national is subject to the ban and has not been granted a waiver.

MT is closely monitoring the COVID-19 travel ban and restrictions and will continue to provide updates.

On November 19, 2021, USCIS announced that they have selected an additional 16,753 registrations for this year’s H-1B lottery.

If your company filed any H-1B registrations this year that have not yet been selected, you will be able to check for updates on each case in the myUSCIS portal.

• Cases that indicate “Selected,” and were not already selected in March or July, have been selected in the additional round and the next step will be to file a petition between November 22, 2021 and February 23, 2022.
• Cases that indicate “Submitted” will be held “in reserve.” We do not know when USCIS will provide final confirmation of non-selection; for last year’s lottery, USCIS did not provide final confirmation of non-selection until February 2021.

In June 2021, USCIS announced that they received 308,613 registrations for the 85,000 available slots, of which it selected 87,500. In July 2021, USCIS selected an additional 27,717 registrations.

If USCIS does not receive enough petitions to meet the annual cap, it may select additional cases from the reserve. We do not know if there will be any additional rounds of selections in the coming months.

Our office will reach out to candidates regarding the status of their cases. We will begin work on the petitions for those selected in the lottery over the course of the next week.

The annual ‘green card’ lottery is here again. Please share this information with your foreign national employees!
 
The annual Diversity Visa Lottery registration is currently open and concludes on Tuesday, November 9, 2021 (EST Noon). Applicants may apply online at https://www.dvlottery.state.gov/ during the registration period. For Fiscal Year 2023, there are 55,000 visas available for random selection, distributed among six geographic regions.
 
Because the process is fairly straightforward, we doubt your foreign national employees will need our assistance, and there are no filing fees to apply.
 
Please note that eligibility is by country of birth, not country of citizenship, and individuals born in the following countries are NOT eligible to apply: BANGLADESH, BRAZIL, CANADA, CHINA (including Hong Kong SAR), COLOMBIA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, EL SALVADOR, HAITI, HONDURAS, INDIA, JAMAICA, MEXICO, NIGERIA, PAKISTAN, PHILIPPINES, SOUTH KOREA, UNITED KINGDOM (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, VENEZUELA, and VIETNAM. Persons born in MACAU SAR and TAIWAN are eligible.
 
Also, please note that those who are currently going through the green card process (e.g. PERM, I-140) can still apply, and spouses, if both qualify, can each apply to double their chances. Starting May 8, 2022, applicants for the Diversity Visa Lottery will be able to check whether their application has been selected through the website https://www.dvlottery.state.gov/. Given the current visa backlogs in some categories, we encourage eligible foreign national employees to apply.

Vaccination Requirement Replaces Regional COVID Travel Bans for Air Travelers

On October 25, 2021, President Biden that the U.S. will move away from country-by-country travel restrictions and adopt an air travel policy that relies primarily on vaccination, with limited exceptions.

Effective, November 8, 2021, at 12:01 am (ET), foreign national air travelers to the U.S. must be fully vaccinated to travel to the U.S. and will be required to provide proof of vaccination status prior to boarding an airplane. This requirement does NOT apply to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), or those traveling to the U.S. on an immigrant (permanent resident) visa.

Foreign national children under 18 are exempt from the vaccination requirement but must take a pre-departure COVID test within three days before departure and show proof of a negative viral test to board an airplane to the U.S. Children under 2 years of age are encouraged but not required to undergo pre-departure testing..

The has been updated with information regarding testing and vaccine requirements. The U.S. will accept vaccines that are FDA approved or authorized as well as those that are on the WHO’s emergency use list.

Fully-vaccinated air travelers will continue to be required to show pre-departure negative viral test from a sample taken within three days of travel to the U.S. This testing requirement applies to ALL travelers including U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and foreign nationals.

For additional details, please visit the Dept. of State website.

U.S. to Open Land and Ferry Borders on November 8, 2021

Effective, November 8, 2021, at 12:01 am (ET), DHS will lift its ban on “non-essential travel” for fully-vaccinated foreign nationals arriving via land or ferry. By providing proof of vaccination, foreign nationals will be allowed to cross the land border from Canada and Mexico without having to prove that their travel is for an “essential” purpose.

The has been updated with information regarding testing and vaccine requirement. The U.S. will accept vaccines that are FDA approved or authorized as well as those that are on the WHO’s emergency use list.

The U.S.–Canada and U.S.–Mexico land border remains closed for non-essential travel for unvaccinated foreign nationals until January 21, 2022. The Biden Administration may decide to extend these restriction further.

NEWS ALERT – WHITE HOUSE TO REPLACE REGIONAL TRAVEL BANS FOR VACCINATED INDIVIDUALS

On September 20, 2021, the White House announced that U.S. replace the existing regional COVID-19 travel bans with a COVID-19 vaccination requirement for foreign nationals for entry to the U.S. by air travel. The implementation is expected to start in November 2021, but the exact date or details are currently unknown.

• The COVID-19 vaccination requirement for foreign nationals will be in addition to the current COVID testing requirement for all travelers entering the U.S. regardless of immigration status. All travelers must provide proof of the negative result from the COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of travel
• The White House is expected to replace the existing COVID-19 related travel bans affecting travelers who have been in Brazil, China, India, Iran, Ireland, the European Schengen Area, South Africa, or the United Kingdom with the vaccination requirement as early as November 2021
• Limited exceptions are expected for children and travelers who have an extremely compelling reason to travel but lack access to vaccination.
• This change is for air travel only and will not affect land border travel restrictions.
• Until fully implemented, the current travel restrictions will remain in effect.

MT is closely monitoring the development of the new vaccine requirement for entry to the U.S. and will provide an update when the government agencies provide additional information. As the pandemic related travel conditions may change abruptly, travelers should continue to remain flexible and anticipate delays. MT continues to recommend against all non-essential travels and encourages clients to consult with us before planning any international travel.

MT IMMIGRATION NEWS – September 2021

List of topics:

1. Covid-19 Vaccination Requirement for Lawful Permanent Residence 
2. Other Medical Exam News (subsection)
3. The Latest on COVID-Related Travel & Visa Restrictions
4. H-1B CAP FY 2022: Update on this year’s H-1B Lottery
5. Nonimmigrant Visa Interview Waiver Process & Expanded Waiver Eligibility
6. I-9 Flexibilities in Connection with COVID-19 Pandemic

In other news (in case you missed it this summer):

1. USCIS Issues Three Policy Changes to Improve Immigration Services
2. Biometrics Requirement Suspended for Certain I-539 (H-4, L-2, and E-1/2/3D)

NEW COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENT
FOR LAWFUL PERMANENT RESIDENCE 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has added COVID-19 vaccination to the list of required vaccinations for individuals seeking U.S. lawful permanent residence (“green card”), effective October 1^st. The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) reported on this new requirement on August 25^th.

• Starting on October 1, 2021, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the U.S. State Department will require proof of COVID-19 vaccination for all green card applicants, including Adjustment of Status applicants applying from within the U.S. and Immigrant Visa applicants applying through a U.S. consular post abroad.
• The new requirement will apply to all green card applicants who are medically and age-eligible for the vaccine, with some exceptions.
• If an applicant’s Form I-693 (Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record) is fully executed on or after October 1^st, completion of the COVID-19 vaccine series and corresponding documentation is required.
• If Form I-693 is fully executed before October 1^st, and if it remains valid, the COVID vaccine is NOT required.
• USCIS is expected to issue an updated version of Form I-693 and corresponding instructions.
• Information and background from the CDC on this development can be found on the CDC Requirements for Immigrant Medical Exams web page.

MT is closely monitoring the situation and will guide clients as more information becomes available.

IN OTHER MEDICAL EXAM NEWS:

• USCIS has issued guidance stating that adjustment of state applicants should submit Form I-693 alongside Form I-485. They advised that filing Form I-693 and Form I-485 at the same time may eliminate certain potential processing delays after submission.
• USCIS announced that the validity period of Form I-693 will be temporarily extended from two to four years, effective August 12, 2021 through September 30, 2021, for cases adjudicated by then. In a policy alert, USCIS cited COVID-related processing and operating delays in 2020 as the main impetus behind this exception. Although narrow in scope, this targeted measure is indicative of USCIS efforts to address COVID-related backlogs, and process as many applications as possible in the final weeks of fiscal year 2021 in order to reduce the number of unused immigrant visa numbers.

THE LATEST ON COVID-RELATED TRAVEL & VISA RESTRICTIONS

Overview of Current Conditions:

While the last few months have seen an easing of many COVID-related travel and visa restrictions around the world, numerous restrictions remain in place globally and conditions are in flux, changing rapidly and with little or no notice. In mid-July, the State Department announced that some U.S. consular posts were beginning to phase in routine visa services. The resumption of visa services has been nonlinear and operations remain fluid in light of changing and unpredictable local conditions, limited staffing, and other factors. The availability, practices, and priorities regarding routine visa services vary greatly from post to post and lengthy backlogs persist in most locations. 

U.S. COVID-related travel restrictions still in effect include:

• COVID Test Results:
  • The CDC’s COVID test requirement remains in effect and, as of September 1^st, all air passengers arriving in the U.S., regardless of immigration or vaccination status, are required to test negative for the coronavirus within 72 hours of travel departure, or provide documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 within the prior 3 months. The order has been in effect since January 2021.
  • This applies to U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents as well as fully vaccinated individuals.
  • A blanket humanitarian waiver for certain travelers from Afghanistan has been in place since August 15^th.

• US-Canada & US-Mexico Border Closures – EXTENDED:

On August 23^rd, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued notice that the Department of Homeland Security restrictions on non-essential travel into the U.S. via land border from Mexico and Canada have been extended through September 21, 2021:

• These particular restrictions do NOT apply to air travel and some sea travel.
• Increased CBP scrutiny, additional and detailed questioning at the border, and increased risk of rejection/non-admittance is expected to continue during this time.
• Essential travel includes individuals traveling to the U.S. for work, school, medical treatment, or business*, and any travel by US citizens and US lawful permanent residents.

*Foreign nationals traveling for one of these purposes should be prepared at the border to document, and answer detailed questions about, their intended purpose (for example, if traveling for work, proof of planned business or employment activities in the U.S.)

• By contrast, travel for recreation or tourism is considered “non-essential” and is not permitted at land borders.
• Timing: restrictions are now scheduled to remain in effect until at least September 21, 2021 unless otherwise rescinded by the Department of Homeland Security. 

• COVID Geographic Travel Bans – travel from certain countries within 14 days:

See above for the anticipated changes to these travel restrictions in November 2021. As of today, these remain in place.

• Several COVID-related Presidential Proclamations barring U.S. entry of noncitizens who have been to any of the following countries within 14 days of seeking admission to the U.S.: China, Iran, the 26 European countries comprising the Schengen Area, the UK, Ireland, Brazil, South Africa, and India (unless travelers meet certain exemptions or National Interest Exceptions) remain in effect. See updates on National Interest Exceptions below.
• The Proclamations do not apply to US citizens, lawful permanent residents, and other specified individuals.
• Timing: geographic travel bans will be reviewed at least every 30 days and will remain in place until terminated by the President.    

National Interest Exceptions:

• National Interest Exceptions – UPDATED VALIDITY:

On August 12^th, the U.S. State Department updated its FAQs regarding National Interest Exceptions (NIEs) and its expansion of NIE validity, previously announced in early July.

Background:
Some individuals subject to the COVID-related Geographic Travel Bans (due to their presence in China, Iran, Brazil, South Africa, the Schengen Area, the UK, Ireland, or India) are eligible to apply for National Interest Exceptions (NIEs). NIEs are granted by either the U.S. State Department (at a U.S. embassy/consular post) or the Department of Homeland Security/CBP (at the border, ports of entry or pre-flight inspection sites).

• What changed?

The validity period of NIEs granted at a U.S. embassy or consulate/consular post. These NIEs are now valid for 1 year (as opposed to 30 days) from the approval date, and for multiple entries (as opposed to single entry), provided the purpose of travel remains the same.

• Who is impacted?

Travelers with NIEs granted by a U.S. consulate or embassy who are traveling for the same purpose as was the basis for the NIE.

• Who is NOT impacted?

Travelers with NIEs issued by CBP, at ports of entry or pre-flight inspection sites. Clarification has been requested from the CBP but, in the meantime, CBP-issued NIEs remain valid for only a single entry and have a validity period of 30 days.

• When did this go into effect?

The change was effective immediately as announced in early July and reiterated in the State Department’s FAQs updated on August 12^th. NIE rules and COVID travel restrictions can change at any time, without notice.

MT Perspective & Considerations:

• MT urges clients to contact their immigration legal team and consult with an attorney prior to planning any international travel for the foreseeable future and throughout the pandemic.
• While situations remain fluid, authorities around the world are still broadly recommending against non-essential travel.

Related Resources:

• For the most up-to-date travel warnings and information on travel risks, refer to the Dept. of States’ travel advisories 
• For updated country-specific travel restrictions and information, refer to the Dept. of States’ COVID-19 specific information page
• USCIS’s COVID-19 Resource Center page contains information about the agency’s response to the pandemic within the U.S.
• And for updates on coronavirus-related travel restrictions, immigration developments, and MT’s perspective, please visit our COVID-19 info page.

H-1B CAP FY 2022: UPDATE ON THIS YEAR’S H-1B LOTTERY
On July 28^th, USCIS conducted a second round of H-1B lottery selections in connection with this year’s H-1BFY cap registration process. 

This second round of selections was conducted because USCIS did not receive enough H-1B petitions from its first round of selections to meet the annual cap.

Background: the annual numerical limit or “cap” on new cap-subject H-1B visa numbers is 85,000 per year, with 20,000 reserved for those with qualifying advanced degrees. When demand for new H-1B cap petitions exceeds the 85,000 annual allotment, USCIS conducts a lottery selection process.

More on the numbers:

During the first round of selections this year, conducted in March, USCIS selected 87,500 H-1B registrations. An additional 27,717 H-1B registrations were selected during the second round of selections in July, for a total of 115,217 selected so far this fiscal year.

In June, USCIS reported that a total of over 308,600 H-1B registrations were received during this year’s registration period, a 12% increase compared with last year’s H-1B cap.

USCIS uses a formula based on historical data to calculate the number of registrations needed to reach the H-1B cap each year. This year, they projected needing fewer registrations to meet the cap than was projected last year, which further contributed to a comparatively lower selection rate.

Next steps and timeline:

• For H-1B registrants selected in the second round of selection:
  • The next step is filing of the H-1B petition with USCIS.
  • The corresponding H-1B petition filing window for those selected on July 28^th is August 2^nd to November 3^rd.

• For H-1B registrations NOT selected:
  • H-1B registrations NOT selected are still being held “in reserve” in case any additional numbers become available. If USCIS does not receive enough petitions to meet the annual cap, it may select additional cases from the reserve.
  • USCIS will provide final confirmation of non-selection after September 30^th.
  • We do not know if there will be any additional rounds of selection in the coming months.  Last year, USCIS conducted only one additional round of selection in August without prior notice. 

Our office is working with clients on appropriate action including the filing of petitions for those selected in the second round of the lottery.

Companies that filed H-1B registrations this year can also view the status of each case in the myUSCIS portal.

NONIMMIGRANT VISA INTERVIEW WAIVER PROCESS & EXPANDED WAIVER ELIGIBILITY 
Earlier this year, the Department of State announced that its policy to expand interview waiver eligibility for individuals applying for a nonimmigrant visa in the same classification has been extended until December 31, 2021. Under this temporary policy, applicants whose nonimmigrant visa expired within 48 months are eligible for an interview waiver; whereas, previously, only those applicants whose nonimmigrant visa expired within 24 months were eligible.
In light of this expansion, the American Immigration Lawyer Association (AILA) issued information and guidance regarding the nonimmigrant visa interview waiver process. We are sharing highlights from this guidance here.

Background:

Individuals who are required to obtain a visa to enter the United States must apply at a U.S. consulate abroad. A critical part of the application process involves an in-person interview at the consulate. If the visa application is approved, the consulate issues the visa stamp in the applicant’s passport and arranges for return of the passport and visa to the applicant.

In recent years, many consular posts implemented interview waiver procedures that permitted certain nonimmigrant visa applicants to obtain visas without an in-person interview. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this interview waiver process has been implemented more broadly at consular posts around the world and the requirements to qualify have been expanded. Using this process is a convenient option for those renewing visas in the same nonimmigrant category and can reduce the hassle and anxiety of an in-person interview with a consular officer.

Am I Eligible for an Interview Waiver?

Under the recently expanded interview waiver eligibility requirements (valid through December 31, 2021), visa applicants who meet the following criteria may qualify for the interview waiver program:

• Applicant has a previously issued U.S. visa in the same classification as the visa for which they are applying;
• Applicant is applying at the consular post of the applicant’s usual residence;
• The prior visa is not annotated “Clearance Received” or “Department Authorization”;
• The most recent visa in the same classification for which the applicant is applying, was issued on or after their 14th birthday (For children under 14 years of age, interviews are rarely required);
• The most recent visa in the same class for which the applicant is applying was not lost/stolen or cancelled;
• The applicant was not previously refused a visa in any classification, unless the refusal was overcome or ground for inadmissibility was waived; and
• The applicant’s prior visa in the same classification is still valid or has expired within the last 48 months.

Note: because local procedures may vary, applicants should review their local consulate’s website to determine whether it has implemented an interview waiver procedure. In some cases, applicants may also need to reference the appointment scheduling website. The consulate has the discretion to require an interview of any applicant from whom they have received a visa application.

MT urges clients to contact their immigration legal team and consult with an attorney prior to planning any international travel. Please contact your MT legal team if you have specific questions.

I-9 FLEXIBILITIES IN CONNECTION WITH COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) flexibility rules regarding Form I-9 compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic was last extended to December 31, 2021. These precautions  were initially put in place on March 20, 2020, extended, and were previously set to expire on August 31, 2021. 

The extension includes guidance for employees hired on or after April 1, 2021, and work exclusively in a remote setting due to COVID-19-related precautions. Such employees are temporarily exempt from the physical inspection requirements associated with the Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9) until they undertake non-remote employment on a regular, consistent, or predictable basis, or the extension of the flexibilities related to such requirements is terminated, whichever is earlier.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
(other news from this summer):

USCIS ISSUES THREE POLICY CHANGES TO IMPROVE IMMIGRATION SERVICES
In June, USCIS announced three significant policy updates which include changes to expedited processing criteria, elimination of the “denial without RFE” policy and other Request for Evidence (RFE) and Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID) guidance, and extension of validity period for certain Employment Authorization Document (EAD) based on a pending adjustment of status application.
Snapshot of main policy changes:

1. Expedited Processing:  USCIS considers all requests for expedited processing on a case-by-case basis. With this policy change, USCIS clarifies and amends the criteria it uses to determine whether an expedite request may be granted. Highlights from the updated expedite criteria policy:

• Emergencies: USCIS restored emergencies as one of the criteria for which expedited processing may be granted and it clarified what USCIS considers to be an emergency, such as travel connected to time-sensitive medical treatment.
• Severe financial loss: USCIS expanded the definition of severe financial loss, which was previously limited to situations in which failure to expedite would result in a company being at risk of failing altogether. The new definition takes into consideration the loss of a critical contract or being required to lay off employees.
• Nonprofits: certain nonprofit organizations may now request expedited processing even if premium processing is available for that benefit, a provision previously eliminated by the Trump administration.

1. Requests for Evidence (RFE) and Notices of Intent to Deny (NOID): USCIS is rescinding guidance from a 2018 memo which permitted officers to deny applications without first issuing an RFE or NOID.  The new policy is a return to previous guidance that instructs officers to issue an RFE or NOID if additional evidence could potentially establish eligibility for a given immigration benefit.

1. Employment Authorization Document (EAD): EAD cards for certain Adjustment of Status applicants will now be issued with a validity period of two years instead of one year. This move, effective immediately, should free up USCIS resources and provide eligible EAD-holders with more stability in connection with their work authorization. This applies to initial and renewed EADs and does NOT apply to replacement EADs.

MT Perspective:
Our office welcomes these improvements and continues to monitor ongoing developments in immigration policy and the new administration.

BIOMETRICS REQUIREMENT SUSPENDED
FOR CERTAIN I-539 (H-4, L-2, AND E-1/2/3D)

USCIS announced in May that it would suspend the biometrics requirements for certain I-539 applicants for a two-year period, beginning on May 17, 2021. This biometrics suspension applies to the H-4, L-2, and E-1, E-2, and E-3 categories and Form I-539 applications that are either: 1) pending and had not yet received a biometric service appointment notice as of May 17, 2021, or 2) are new applications received by USCIS from May 17, 2021 through May 23, 2022.
MT Perspective:

This suspension is welcome news and is intended to help reduce the extraordinary backlogs for Employment Authorization Document applications by derivative spouses in H-4, L-2, and E-1/2/3D status (spouses of H-1B, L-1, and E-1/2/3 status).

MT will continue to monitor the situation and provide additional updates if needed.