DOL Processing Times The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has published updated processing times as of October 31, 2022, confirming that the Department continues to face internal staffing shortages and high demand. As a result, we have continued to see…

Flexibility Extended for Deadlines for Responses to Requests for Evidence and Other Agency Requests  USCIS has extended flexibility to respond to Agency requests received through January 24, 2023. Initially adopted in March of 2019 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic,…

Each year, 85,000 new H-1B visas become available to U.S. employers seeking to sponsor foreign national workers in “specialty occupation” positions across all industries. These 85,000 new H-1B visas are available in three distinct tranches: 58,200 visas are available under…

New Immigration Policy Impacting Sponsorship in STEM Fields In line with the Biden Administration’s commitment to remove barriers to legal immigration and promote economic growth, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is taking action to improve immigration pathways for…

By Donald W. Parker,  Immigration Attorney The USCIS has published guidelines for requesting an expedite of a pending application to renew an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) specifically for qualifying healthcare workers.  This is now an additional basis for requesting expedited…

COVID-19 Testing Requirements for U.S. Entry Currently, there are no region- or country-based travel restrictions in place for individuals seeking to enter the U.S. Instead, all air travelers to the United States are subject to the same testing and vaccination…