Updated List of Countries Eligible for the H-2A and H-2B Visa Programs
On January 18, 2018, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published the list of countries whose nationals are eligible to receive H-2A and H‑2B visas in 2018. The notice listing the eligible countries was published in the Federal Register. Effective Jan. 18, 2018, nationals of the following countries are eligible to receive H-2A and H‑2B visas: #H2A
USCIS Started Processing Asylum Applications Prioritizing Those Recently Filed
On January 31, 2018, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will schedule asylum interviews for recent applications ahead of older filings, in an attempt to stem the growth of the asylum backlog. USCIS currently faces a crisis-level backlog of 311,000 pending asylum cases as of January 21, 2018, making the asylum system increasingly vulnerable to fraud and abuse. This backlog has grown by more than 1750% over the last five (5) years, and the r
USCIS to Continue Challenging H-1B Level 1 Wage Applications
Last year, President Trump signed the “Buy American, Hire American” executive order, which specifically discussed the need to reform the H1B program, and called for the implementation of policies that will cause only the highest-paid and most-skilled foreign workers to be granted H1B status. Following the order, the United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) started issuing requests for evidence (RFEs) on the majority of H1B petitions accompanied by labor condit
Remarks by President Trump in State of the Union Address Concerning Immigration
On January 30, 2018, President Donald Trump delivered his first State of the Union speech at U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. Among various statements about the country’s domestic policy, President Trump addressed issues of the current immigration system and reforms that are being crafted by the Administration. Over the next few weeks, the House of Representatives and the Senate will be voting on an immigration reform package. The new immigration plan includes the following f
