I-485 Filing Dates: DOS Visa Bulletin vs. USCIS Determination

Effective this month, the monthly Visa Bulletin from the DOS contains two charts, one listing Application Final Action Dates (“Final Action Dates”) and the other listing Dates for Filing Applications (“Filing Dates”). The Final Action Dates are dates when applications for adjustment of status or immigrant visas may finally be approved/issued, while filing dates are […]

Unsworn statement vs. affidavit: for immigration matters, there’s no difference except an affidavit looks more formal.

28 U.S. Code § 1746 – Unsworn declarations under penalty of perjury Wherever, under any law of the United States or under any rule, regulation, order, or requirement made pursuant to law, any matter is required or permitted to be supported, evidenced, established, or proved by the sworn declaration, verification, certificate, statement, oath, or affidavit, […]

New Visa Reciprocity Agreement Between the U.S. and China – Longer Visa Validity for Business Visitors, Tourists, and Students

On November 10, the State Department announced that the U.S. and China were concluding a reciprocal visa validity arrangement that would strengthen the ever-broadening economic and people-to-people ties between the two countries by increasing the validity of short-term tourist and business visas, and student and exchange visitor visas issued to each other’s citizens. Chinese applicants […]

News Update: New Countries Eligible for H-2A & H-2B Visa Programs

New countries eligible to participate in the H-2A & H-2B visa programs for 2015 Fiscal Year U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in consultation with the Department of State (DOS), has added Austria, Italy, Panama, and Thailand to the list of countries whose nationals are eligible to […]

News Update: Government Reopening

Updates on the Government Reopening U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) Effective this morning, DOL’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification (“OFLC”) began to accept and process Labor Condition Applications (LCAs), Applications for Prevailing Wage Determination, Applications for Temporary Employment Certification, and Applications for Permanent Employment Certification. OFLC’s web site, including the iCERT Visa Portal System, has […]

News Update: Impact of the Government Shutdown on Immigration

The U.S Government is on a partial shutdown… The U.S. government is on a partial shutdown, affecting many services including immigration law enforcement and benefit adjudications provided by different government agencies. Here is a summary of the effect of the shutdown on various employment-related immigration services. U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) DOL’s Office of Foreign […]