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,…
Blog Archives
USCIS and I-9 Form COVID-19 Flexibilities Roundup
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) continue to extend flexibilities for immigration benefits and compliance due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Below is a list of COVID-19 flexibilities currently in place as of October…
November 2022 Visa Bulletin & Immigrant Visa Availability
Fiscal Year 2023 began on October 1, 2022 with approximately 60,000 unused family-based visas from FY 2022 rolling over into the FY 2023 employment-based allocation. With these additional visas, in total, there are approximately 200,000 immigrant visas available to employment-based…
The 2023 H-1B Cap Lottery Process Kicks-Off on March 1, 2022
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…
Posted in Immigration Law
Immigration Quick Takes – February 2022
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…
Posted in Immigration Law
Expanded Basis for Requesting Expedited Processing of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs)
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…
Posted in Immigration Law
Immigration Quick Takes – January 2022
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…
Posted in Immigration Law
DACA: Where We’ve Been, Where We’re Going
A brief overview of DACA’s long and winding road and its current status By Molli Freeman-Lynde, Immigration Attorney Origins of DACA The Obama administration created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program, known as DACA, on June 15, 2012. The…
Posted in Immigration Law
Immigration Quick Takes — November 2021
Current Status of Travel Restrictions and Vaccine Requirements On October 25, President Biden issued A Proclamation on Advancing the Safe Resumption of Global Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Effective as of November 8th, the Proclamation revokes the country-by-country restrictions implemented…
Posted in Immigration Law
Adjudication Trends: Before and After Trump
USCIS RFE data shows a return to sanity in adjudications for some nonimmigrant case types post-Trump presidency, while others have seen little or no improvement By Grant W. Godfrey, Immigration Attorney The Trump administration articulated early on a broad policy…
Posted in Immigration Law
Parker Gallini LLP
Business Immigration Law Firm
400 5th Avenue, Suite 401
Waltham, MA 02451
(781) 810-8990
Immigration at Work 