On September 8, 2017, President Donald J. Trump signed H.R.601 - Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 and Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2017, which concludes that all government functions are continued until December 8, 2017. The continuing resolution extends important immigration programs, including the EB-5 Regional Center Program. This means that the EB-5 program which was set expire on September 30, 2017, the end of the federal fiscal year, is extended without reforms at this time. This extension now gives Congress more time to decide on possible regulatory changes, as well as a permanent solution for the EB-5 program. Williams Global Law closely monito

To help individuals affected by Hurricane Harvey in Texas, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) now offers the following immigration services (upon request on a case-by-case basis): Changing a nonimmigrant status or extending a nonimmigrant stay for an individual currently in the United States. Failure to apply for the extension or change before expiration of the authorized period of admission may be excused if the delay was due to extraordinary circumstances beyond individual’s control; Re-parole of individuals previously granted parole by USCIS; Expedited processing of advance parole requests; Expedited adjudication of requests for off-campus employment authorization for F-1 s

Starting October 1, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin conducting in-person interviews for applicants whose benefit, if granted, would allow them to obtain permanent residence in the United States (Green Card). Previously, applicants in these categories did not require an in-person interview with USCIS officers. The interviews will be conducted with foreign nationals applying for the following: • Adjustment of status applications based on employment (Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status), and • Refugee/asylee relative petitions (Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition) for beneficiaries who are in the United States and

As a result of the Russian government’s personnel cap imposed on the U.S. Mission, on August 23, 2017, all nonimmigrant visa (NIV) operations across Russia got suspended. The NIV interviews got suspended in the U.S. Consulates in St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, and Vladivostok. U.S. Mission cancelled all current nonimmigrant visa appointments countrywide, and starting today, September 1, 2017, nonimmigrant visa interviews will be conducted only at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. The U.S. Embassy in Moscow and three consulates will continue to provide emergency and routine services only to American citizens. Source: U.S. Embassy in Russia.

In accordance with the News Release announced on June 6, 2017 by Secretary of Labor, Alexander Acosta, which called for proposed form changes to better protect American workers, confront fraud, and increase transparency, the Department of Labor published a 60 day notice in the Federal Register announcing its intent to revise its information collection for the H-1B, H-1B1 and E-3 programs. The revision includes the Labor Condition Application for Nonimmigrant Workers (LCA) Form ETA 9035/ 9035E (electronic), Form ETA 9035CP accompanying instructions, a new Appendix for the Form ETA 9035/ 9035E, and the Wage and Hour Division's WH-4 Nonimmigrant Worker Information Form collection. Any written c