February 26, 2025 Alert: Scam Calls Impersonating Immigration Agencies
February 26, 2025 Trump States EB-5 Investor Visa to be Replaced by Fee Based Visa
February 25, 2025 Alert: Lawful Permanent Residents and Immigrants Stopped at Ports of Entry
February 25, 2025 First Successes Against Birthright Citizenship Ban
February 24, 2025 Trump Administration Removals Below Expectations and Previous Administration
February 24, 2025 Alert: Prepare for Longer Wait Times for Visa Applications and Processing
February 21, 2025 DHS Ends Haiti TPS Extension
February 18, 2025 U.S. Consular Posts Change Nonimmigrant Visa Processing Protocol
February 13, 2025 March 2025 Visa Bulletin: Modest Movement in Most Employment-Based Categories, Retrogression for EB-4
January 10, 2024
Updates to Interview Waiver Questions
The U.S. Visa Appointment booking system is showing new questions based on updated guidance on the interview waiver process. The new interview waiver guidance, issued in 2023, went into effect on January 1, 2024.
January 10, 2024
Proposed USCIS Application Fees Update
The first immigration-services fee increase in seven years is now in the hands of the White House for final review before publication.
January 8, 2024
Updated Guidance on “Ability to Pay” When Changing Employers
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released updated policy guidance on how they review an employer’s ability to pay the offered wage when changing employers.
January 5, 2024
Call for New U.S. Semiconductor Visa
The U.S. semiconductor industry is estimating a shortfall of 67,000 employees by 2030, per the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) and is suggesting a new semiconductor visa.
January 2, 2024
Immigration: 2023 Year End Review and 2024 Outlook
We take a moment to look back at 2023 and head to 2024 for U.S. immigration. With 2024 being an election year, we anticipate immigration being a key topic.
December 29, 2023
Welcome Corps Phase Two Open: U.S. Sponsors Can Now Select Who to Sponsor
The Welcome Corps Phase Two program is now open for qualifying groups of five or more U.S. citizens or permanent residents to identify a person or family to sponsor.
December 27, 2023
Premium Processing Fees Updated to Reflect Inflation Adjustment
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a filing fee increase for Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing, effective February 26, 2024.
December 21, 2023
Significant Change To Students Pursuing Green Card
USCIS issued a policy alert signaling a major shift in its long-established policy regarding F and M nonimmigrant student visa categories and their inability to pursue permanent residency while present in the United States under these visas.
December 21, 2023
Immigration Case Backlog Exceeds 3 Million
Case backlog in U.S. immigration courts surpassed 3 million open cases in November 2023. This represents an increase of an estimated 1 million cases over the last year.
December 21, 2023
Domestic H-1B Visa Renewal Program Limited to Visas Issued In India and Canada
The procedures, process, and qualifications for H-1B visa holders to qualify for domestic renewal are now available. Only those individuals with H-1B visas issued within a specific date range at U.S. consulates in India and Canada are eligible.
December 20, 2023
Possible Expansion of STEM Roles for Employment Certification
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is considering an update to the employment certification process to make hiring foreign workers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields easier for U.S. companies.
December 20, 2023
Texas Governor Enacts Laws Enabling Arrest and Deportation for Illegal Entry to the State
Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed three immigration-related bills, sparking legal controversy and criticism. The laws make it a state offense to enter the state without a legal basis. Individuals can be deported by state judges.
December 19, 2023
Federal Government Reiterates Defense of Chevron Doctrine
The U.S. federal government again urged the Supreme Court to maintain the Chevron doctrine, allowing judges to defer to executive branch agency interpretations in rulemaking when laws are ambiguous.
December 14, 2023
FY2024 H-1B Cap Reached – No Further Selections
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services confirmed the receipt of sufficient petitions to reach the congressionally mandated caps for regular and advanced degree caps. No further applications will be accepted to reach the caps.
December 14, 2023
January 2024 Visa Bulletin: Exciting EB-1 Advancement for India and Overall Promising Movement
The January 2024 Visa Bulletin shows advancement in the employment-based category, particularly for India. Overall, advancement in employment-based categories show promising movement.
December 12, 2023
Family-Based Conditional Permanent Residence Policy Updated by USCIS
Updates to guidance on eligibility, filing, and adjudication for Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, were announced by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
December 6, 2023
Domestic H-1B Visa Renewal Pilot Excludes Dependents
The pilot program allowing up to 20,000 H-1B visa holders to renew their visas in the U.S. will not include their dependents. The H-4 dependents are still required to travel for their visa renewal.
December 6, 2023
Projected Labor Shortages and How Visa Policy Can Help
The gridlock in the U.S. Congress over immigration reform continues to limit U.S. companies from hiring the talent needed to support several key industries. The labor shortage is impacting the healthcare, semiconductor, and hospitality industries.
December 4, 2023
Client Success Story: USCIS Approves Delayed Green Card Application, Signals Retroactive Application of Updated CSPA Policy
ILBSG is happy to announce that we have received an I-485 approval based on the updated CSPA policy announced in February 2023. The I-485 application was filed nearly 5 years after the priority date became current
November 29, 2023
H-1B Worker Domestic Visa Renewal Pilot Program Among Efforts to Reduce Backlog
Up to 20,000 H-1B holders will have the ability to renew their visas in the United States in the coming months. The domestic visa renewal program is estimated to begin as soon as January 2024.