H1B Visa Lawyer Blog

October 25, 2023

USCIS Webinar – (10/27/23) – TPS for Venezuela

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will be holding a national webinar on Friday, October 27, 2023, between 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm (Eastern). This webinar will provide an overview of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuela, including an explanation of eligibility requirements and filing tips. This presentation will be conducted in Spanish!

Participation Link

USCIS states that you do not need to register for this event, just use Microsoft Teams to join the engagement. They recommend using Microsoft Edge, Chrome, or Firefox as your web browser. To view the engagement from a mobile device use the Microsoft Teams application.

October 24, 2023

DHS Announces Extension of Temporary Protected Status for Cameroon

by Kellie N. Lego

On Friday, October 6, 2023, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that they were extending the designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for the country of Cameroon for 18 months, beginning on December 8, 2023 and ending on June 7, 2025! Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas stated, “The United States will continue to offer safety and protection to Cameroonian nationals who are currently unable to safely return home due to ongoing armed conflict, and extraordinary and temporary conditions including human rights abuses,”

For further details please review the DHS Press Release, “Secretary Mayorkas Announces Extension and Redesignation of Cameroon for Temporary Protected Status“

Background:

October 23, 2023

Immigrants in each State (fact sheets): CT, DE and DC – Update

by Kellie N. Lego

UPDATE: Explore American Immigration Council’ interactive map to get more comprehensive information on U.S. immigration data and its impact!

The American Immigration Council (AIC) has released all fifty states and the District of Columbia, for a total of fifty-one updated state-by-state fact sheets highlighting immigration data and facts. These fact sheets highlight the demographic and economic impact of Immigrants in each state.

With national immigration policy being discussed, we thought that it would be a good time to provide some statistics on the Immigrant population in the United States as provided by this AIC research. Once a week we will be posting a blog with information on three states at a time. This week we will highlight; Connecticut, Delaware and District of Columbia!

October 20, 2023

MVP “Immigration Q & A Forum” – 10/20/23

by Kellie N. Lego

MVP Law Group, P.A. makes available the information and materials in this forum for informational purposes only. The information is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice or any contractual obligations. Further, the use of this site, and the sending or receipt of this information, does not create an attorney-client relationship between us. Therefore, your communication with us through this forum will not be considered as privileged or confidential.

I have a U.S. citizen fiancé in the U.S., and I am applying for a visitor visa to come and see her. Do I need to include her information in my DS-160 form?

Yes. Form DS-160 requests information about immediate relatives. It specifically mentions fiancé. Therefore, you must disclose the relationship.

October 19, 2023

USCIS Reaches H-2B Cap for First Half of FY 2024

by Kellie N. Lego

On Friday, October 13, 2023, USCIS announced that it has reached the H-2B cap for the first half of fiscal year 2024. October 11, 2023 is now the “final receipt date” for cap-subject H-2B worker requesting employment start dates before April 1, 2024. The “final receipt date” is the date on which USCIS determined that it has received enough cap-subject petitions to reach the limit of H-2B workers for the first half FY2024. USCIS continues to accept petitions that are exempt from the congressionally mandated H-2B cap.

The exceptions are listed below:

• Current H-2B workers in the U.S. petitioning to extend their stay and, if applicable, change the terms of their employment or change their employers;

October 17, 2023

Reminder – 2023 National Immigrant Integration and Citizenship Education Conference – Oct. 17 and 18

by Kellie N. Lego

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will be holding a national conference, “National immigrant integration and citizenship education (NIICE) 2023 conference. (PDF)” on Tuesday, October 17, 2023, between 8:00 am to 5:45 pm (Eastern) and Wednesday, October 18, 2023, between 8:00 am to 4:30 pm (Eastern). USCIS has partnered with the White House Task Force on New Americans (TFNA) and the Interagency Naturalization Working Group (NWG) to present this in-person conference on immigrant integration and citizenship education!

Review the USCIS Upcoming National Engagements Web Page for more details: National immigrant integration and citizenship education (NIICE) 2023 conference. (PDF)

Source of Information:

October 16, 2023

MVP “Immigration Q & A Forum” – This Friday, October 20, 2023

by Kellie N. Lego

We wanted to find a new way to engage our reader base. Every other Friday, we will post the ten (10) best/most frequently asked questions received during the week from our h1bvisalawyerblog, Facebook, and Twitter readers. We will answer those questions and provide the Q&A on our H-1B Visa Lawyer Blog.

If you have a burning question, are seeking assistance with a difficult immigration related case, wish to discuss your views on Comprehensive Immigration Reform, DREAMers, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, priority dates, the monthly visa bulletin, adjustment applications, etc., please contact us by submitting your question/comment/viewpoint in our comment box provided on our H-1B Visa Lawyer Blog.

Our next “Q & A Forum” will take place this Friday, October 20, 2023. Act now and submit your questions!

October 13, 2023

Diversity Visas for Fiscal Year 2025

by Kellie N. Lego

There will be up to 55,000 Diversity Visas (DVs) available for Fiscal Year 2025 and will be open for entries from October 4th to November 7th, 2023! This program allows people from countries with low U.S. immigration rates and that meet the requirements, to enter for a chance to apply for a U.S. immigrant visa. For more details, please review the Federal Register Notice: Diversity Visa Instructions for DV–2025 (PDF).

Source of Information:

Federal Register, 10/3/23, Posted Notice: Diversity Visa Instructions for DV–2025 (PDF)

October 12, 2023

DOS Provides Contact Information for U.S. Embassy in Israel

by Kellie N. Lego

The State Department is providing contact information for the U.S. Embassy in Israel! U.S. citizens that need to contact the U.S. Embassy in Israel should follow the following link: cacms.state.gov/s/crisis-intake or by calling the State Department Consular Affairs at +1-833-890-9595 or +1-606-641-0131.

Source of Information:

Facebook – Travel Gov – U.S. Department of State: Consular Affairs

October 11, 2023

Visa Bulletin – November 2023

by Kellie N. Lego

The Department of State has released its latest Visa Bulletin.

Click the link to view the November 2023 Visa Bulletin

The monthly Visa Bulletin has changed. The bulletin now summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during the reported month for: “Application Final Action Dates” (consistent with prior Visa Bulletins) and “Dates for Filing Applications,” indicating when immigrant visa applicants should be notified to assemble and submit required documentation to the National Visa Center using Consular Processing (outside of the US) or file on their own with USCIS Form I-485 (within the US).