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One of the most significant parts of getting a green card in the U.S. is waiting for your priority date to be current. For those who have invested the time, effort, and money into an immigrant visa, questions arise such as "How long will it take for my date to be current?" and "Can I speed this process up?" We provide regular monthly updates on the most recent visa bulletin, analyze the date movements, and predict upcoming months to help answer these questions. This month, we'll go over the December 2024 visa bulletin. (more…)
With Donald Trump winning the 2024 presidential election and set to take office again in January 2025, it's natural to wonder how his previous immigration policies might shape the future. His first term was marked by strict immigration measures affecting both legal immigrants and those without documentation. Here's a look at how his administration’s past actions could signal what's ahead. Looking Back: H-1B Visa Program Revisions Increased Scrutiny and Restrictions During his previous term, the H-1B visa program faced tougher rules. The definition of a "specialty occupation" became more stringent, leading to more denials and hurdles for applicants. This meant…
What is Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery? The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has announced the submission dates for the 2026 Diversity Visa Green Card lottery. Electronic entry submission begins at noon on October 2, 2024 and closes at 12PM EST on November 5, 2024. All submissions must be made through the electronic system and those submitted past November 5th will not be accepted. There is no fee to enter but individuals selected and scheduled for an interview need to pay the visa application fee before appearing before the consular officer. The results of the (FY) 2026 lottery are expected to…
USCIS has introduced important clarifications that make it easier for individuals to qualify for the EB-1A Extraordinary Ability and other high-skilled visa categories. These updates bring more flexibility to the evaluation of key criteria, expanding the type of evidence applicants can use to prove their extraordinary achievements. 1. Team Awards Now Recognized USCIS now counts team awards as evidence of excellence under the criterion for lesser nationally or internationally recognized prizes. This change is especially important for those in fields like research, sports, or the arts, where awards are often given to teams. Applicants must demonstrate how their contribution was…
In the 2024-25 H-1B season, we saw many visa petitions from candidates who are currently on F-1 status and working in the U.S. under the optional practical training (OPT) program. A large portion of these F-1 visa holders rely on the OPT cap-gap rule to continue their employment after the OPT expires on April 1st (or for as long as the H-1B petition is not denied or rejected by USCIS). With that said, the OPT cap-gap rule only extends your employment authorization until September 30th which means some H-1B candidates might be at risk of being in a period of…
USCIS recently issued a memo with updated guidance on the timeframe students can be eligible for optional practical training (OPT) if the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. It also further defines guidance on school transfers, study and grace periods and more. About Optional Practical Training (OPT) Practical training is a type of work program that is available to international students (F1 currently enrolled or completing a degree) related to their major of study. Students must have been enrolled for a minimum of nine months as a student in order to apply for up to 12 months of OPT…
On Monday, August 26th, a Texas judge temporarily suspended the Biden administration's new immigration program Keeping Families Together, that would create a path for an estimated 500,000 illegal immigrants to obtain legal residency in addition to about 50,000 children (those under 21 must have a parent who is married to a U.S. citizen to be eligible). The policy suspension is in response to a federal lawsuit filed by 16 states whom assert that the policy would reward 1.3 million illegal immigrants, of which 200,000 live in Texas, by "circumvent[ing] the processes established by Congress to apply for permanent residency." "This…
In a previous news update from June we alerted you of the Department of Homeland Security's proposed new actions aimed at promoting family unity, in line with the Biden Administrations commitment to keeping families together. On August 19th, it was reported that DHS implemented this process, which allowed certain noncitizen spouses and noncitizen stepchildren of U.S. citizens to request parole. DHS estimates that approximately 500,000 noncitizen spouses of U.S. citizens could be eligible to access these benefits plus an additional 50,000 noncitizen stepchildren of U.S. citizens could be eligible to seek parole under the Keeping Families Together initiative. Under section…
