A compelling article in The New York Times highlights the profound impact of deportation on an undocumented immigrant who has lived in the U.S. since infancy, arriving at just 10 months old. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/15/us/trump-immigrant-deportations-rome-georgia.html?unlocked_article_code=1.h04.Ge-v.Vf8dbWy40LJt&smid=url-share

On March 9, 2021, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals lifted its stay to keep the rule in place and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois vacated the Public Charge Final Rule. USCIS removed the I-944 form, Declaration of Self-Sufficiency, from its website and after March 9, 2021, will no longer […]

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today provided guidance on how it will implement Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf’s July 28 memorandum regarding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy. Under USCIS’ implementing guidance:   FROM USCIS 8/24/20: We will reject all initial DACA requests from aliens who have never previously received DACA and return all fees. […]

Initially, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) required foreign students to take at least one in-person class or return home.  The July 6 policy prompted lawsuits from U.S. universities and today, it was announced that foreign students need not worry if their courses are entirely online during the pandemic.  They will not have to leave the […]

Today, a group of green card applicants, their sponsors, nonprofit immigration legal service providers and civil rights groups sued the Trump administration regarding the “public charge” regulation.  Please read all about it here:  https://www.aila.org/advo-media/press-releases/2020/lpr-applicants-their-sponsors-and-immigrant

As many of you have probably heard, today the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the Trump Administration’s 2017 attempt to terminate DACA.  This means that existing DACA recipients may continue to renew DACA and initial applications should also be accepted by USCIS.  If you would like to apply for the first time, it is important to […]

Please click on this link to read about USCIS’ visitor policy:  https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/uscis-visitor-policy.

LA Community Relations D43, Los Angeles Fri, Apr 24, 2020 at 12:38 PM On March 18, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services temporarily suspended in-person services at its field offices, asylum offices, and application support centers (ASCs) to help slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). USCIS is readying offices to re-open in compliance with local and […]

The order is in effect for 60 days from April 23, 2020 11:59pm to June 23, 2020 11:59pm and may be renewed. The order only affects people who are outside the U.S. as of April 23, 2020 11:59pm AND don’t have an immigrant visa and no other travel document other than a visa. This order […]

Here’s the Presidential Proclamation: Proclamation Suspending Entry of Immigrants Who Present Risk to the U.S. Labor Market During the Economic Recovery Following the COVID-19 Outbreak  Issued on: April 22, 2020 The 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has significantly disrupted the livelihoods of Americans.  In Proclamation 9994 of March 13, 2020 (Declaring a National Emergency Concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) […]

During the Covid-19 global epidemic, Hart Immigration, APLC remains at your service.  United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, the National Visa Center, The U.S. Department of Labor and the Immigration Courts are processing cases but are temporarily closed for hearings and interviews.  Evelyne Hart is working remotely during normal business hours.  From 8:30 am to […]

USCIS processing times have increased 94% since 2014 and 46% between 2016 and 2018.  Unsurprisingly USCIS now wants to raise their fees for popular applications between 55% and 83%.  See ILRC’s table below. Benefit Sought  Current Fees   Proposed       Fees        Net   Difference     % Change Naturalization $640 $1,170 […]

I just received this email from USCIS about the new Public Charge rule. Regulation promotes self-sufficiency and immigrant success Today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a final rule that clearly defines long-standing law to better ensure that aliens seeking to enter and remain in the United States — either temporarily or permanently — are […]

USCIS will decrease processing times but will have applicants attend interviews outside their jurisdiction.  They don’t say how far outside their jurisdiction.  Let’s hope air flights aren’t involved. The following email from USCIS was sent to me this morning at 8:16am. USCIS will implement a national strategy to decrease differences in processing times based on […]

Beautiful flowers received from one of my wonderful clients today.

I just received a call from a sweet couple who innocently and unwittingly applied for the husband’s adjustment of status.  He was denied and will be placed in deportation proceedings because he’s not eligible for adjustment of status.  I am posting this example but over the years, I’ve received dozens of these calls. The USCIS […]

Recently, I spoke to a prospective client.  She has been a lawful permanent resident or green card holder for the past 18 years.  She is married to a U.S. citizen, has two U.S. citizen children, she and her husband have a business.  In short, she is upstanding in all respects.  Why did she call my […]

Hart Immigration is proud to announce the recent addition of two countries to its list of clients.  With Luthania and Slovakia, our number of countries now represented are 92.

On December 26, 2018, 400 Immigration Judges were furloughed in the face of 770,000 pending cases.  Hearings for non-detained immigrants have been cancelled.  Before this announcement, the average wait time in court is 2 years.  Now, we are looking at rescheduled cases years into the future. An example of the fallout means that applicants hoping […]

A lot of my clients tell me how frustrating it is to make an Infopass Appointment so I wanted to post about it and I hope it is helpful. One of my I-751 waiver clients, whose case has been pending for almost a year, said this:  “I was looking for appointment for almost two weeks. […]

June 12, 2018_Today, Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a very controversial verdict that victims of gang or domestic violence are not members of a particular social group for asylum.  This follows on the heels of the BIA landmark decision in Matter of A-R-C-G- et al., 26 IN Dec. 388 (BIA 2014), which found that women of domestic […]

10/2/17 WASHINGTON – Based on a new information-sharing partnership between U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA), foreign nationals in certain categories or classifications can now apply for work authorization and a social security number using a single form – the updated Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. To lawfully work […]

Filing begins on April 3, 2017 this year.  There are still only 65,000 H-1Bs available with 20,000 extra visas for U.S. master’s degrees or higher.  There is a temporary suspension of premium processing for all H-1B petitions beginning April 3, 2017 for up to six months.

As of February 17, 2017, the November 20, 2014 priority enforcement memoranda has been cancelled by the Trump administration through his Executive Order entitled “Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States.” ICE will immediately hire 10,000 officers and agents.  The priority for removal are those who: Have been convicted of ANY criminal […]

This important message was received today from USCIS. “Dear Stakeholder, Immigrants all over the country are being targeted in scams. Don’t be one of the victims! Scammers may call or email you, pretending to be a government official. They will say that there is a problem with an application or additional information is required to […]

BEFORE AFTER Currently, the Provisional Waiver applies to immediate relatives who are children and spouses of U.S. Citizens.  As of August 29, 2016, the Provisional Waiver also applies to children and spouses of Lawful Permanent Residents, including all beneficiaries of family-sponsored, employment-based immigrant visa petitions, as well as Diversity Visa Selectees who have a qualifying […]

June 23, 2016 Today, the Supreme Court issued a 4-4 decision in United States v. Texas, which is the case challenging expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA).  This means that the Fifth Circuit’s decision upholding the preliminary injunction against these executive actions […]

“Reclassification” under Proposition 47 (also called “Record Change”) allows people with certain low-level, nonviolent felonies to change those convictions to misdemeanors.  You are not excluded if you served a prison sentence. “Reduction” under Penal Code 17(b) is another law that allows people to reduce some felony convictions to misdemeanors.  A case is not eligible if […]

Hart Immigration is proud to announce that as of today, June 1, 2016, we have represented foreign nationals from 85 different countries, with the last 3 countries being Croatia, Ghana and Trinidad Tobago.

There is some serious disconnect between state and federal law when it comes to marijuana.  Although it is legal to smoke marijuana in many United states, it is still a Schedule I federally controlled substance.  And, even more importantly for immigrants, it makes you inadmissible if you are trying to be admitted to the U.S. […]

The new STEM OPT regulations are going into effect on May 10, 2016.  If the employee is eligible for 24 month extension after OPT, the employee and the employer must prepare an I-983 training plan to be filed with the DSO.  Per the Paperwork Reduction Act, the training plan takes 7.5 hours to prepare. Please […]

We filed an I-129F Petition with the California Service Center on December 9, 2014 and it was approved on December 24, 2014. It used to take at least 5 months to get these petitions approved and lately, it’s taking 2-6 weeks.

My client from Caracas Venezuela’s 212(d)(3) waiver was just approved and the consular officials have asked her to come in to provide her passport so they can Visa Stamp it with a B1/B2.

Our office stands ready and willing to process applications for highly skilled graduates and DAP applications (Deferred Action for Parents) for the parents of undocumented U.S. Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident children who have lived in the U.S. longer than 5 years, have no criminal history and are willing to pay taxes.

Days before the I-129F was approved, I was retained. The fiance had moved from Country A to Country B while the I-129F was processing.

Obama’s Immigration Executive Order Could Mean War, Romney, GOP Warn Obama’s Immigration Executive Order Could Mean War, Romney, GOP Warn President Obama had better think twice if he’s considering using an executive order to change how immigration laws are enforced, top conservatives warned on Sunday morning television shows. Obama’s long-rumored executive action plan on immigration […]

I filed a K-1 I-129F Fiancee Petition with CSC and it was approved in 1 month and 13 days with no RFE, WITH AN IMBRA issue yet.

An interesting phenomenon occurred with my spouse-based consular-processing client.

We received good news in late August. We filed an EB-3 PERM case in 2010, which was certified 20 days later . . . over the holidays! We filed the I-140 Petition in 2011 and it was approved 4.5 months later with no RFE. After waiting for the priority date to be current, we filed […]

The Washington Post article below provides an interesting profile on several states. Evelyne M. Hart, Esq.

WASHINGTON — Congress is likely to postpone consideration of an immigration overhaul until the end of the year, if not longer, even as advocates are preparing for an all-out, urgent push this fall to win their longstanding goal of a path to citizenship for millions of immigrants here illegally. In Washington, the sudden debate over military action in Syria and a looming face-off with President Obama over the budget and the nation’s borrowing limit have shot to the top of the legislative agenda, while Republican angst about losing Hispanic voters in the 2012 presidential campaign has faded. In the House, where many Republicans view an overhaul bill passed by the Senate as a federal juggernaut that is too kind to immigrant lawbreakers, the legislative summer recess has done little to stoke enthusiasm for immediate action. Senior Republican aides in the House say immigration is at the back of the line, and unlikely to come up for months. The prospect of a delay is generating frustration among supporters of the legislation, who felt emboldened by a summer in which conservative opposition in House districts largely fizzled and immigrant groups seized the chance to lobby lawmakers on their home turf. “We […]

Click here to view original Immigration Reform Falls to the Back of the Line

DHS is acting swiftly and smoothly. This is long overdue. Evelyne Hart

Today, the U.S. Supreme court struck down DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act, the law which prevented the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages which were legalized by some of our states. In United States v. Windsor, in a 5-4 decision, the court found DOMA to be unconstitutional.

WASHINGTON — The biggest overhaul of U.S. immigration laws in a generation won bipartisan approval from a powerful U.S. Senate committee last week, but there is a strong chance that Republicans in the House of Representatives will end up killing it. The problem: House Republicans are far from convinced by arguments from party leaders that passage of the bill would help Republicans draw support from Hispanic voters. Many also believe any kind of amnesty for the estimated 11 million immigrants who are in the United States illegally is just plain wrong. “There is no evidence to support this idea that Republicans will pick up a lot of votes if we give amnesty to 11 million folks,” said Representative Tim Huelskamp, a Kansas Republican. One possibility is that the House will vote for watered-down reform, including more visas for highly skilled workers. But it likely will not include a way for the undocumented to stay legally and eventually get on a special pathway to U.S. citizenship. Senate Democrats and even some Senate Republicans say there is no way a comprehensive immigration bill could win final congressional approval without a pathway to citizenship. “It’s a non-starter,” said Democratic Senator Charles Schumer […]

Click here to view original Immigration reform faces long odds in Republican-led House

Senate Judiciary Committee members Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., left, and Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., confer on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, May 20, 2013, as the committee assembled to work on a landmark immigration bill. The landmark immigration legislation penned by the “gang of eight” lives to see another day. The comprehensive immigration bill survived its first real test when it passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, 13 to 5, Tuesday night. “I don’t think we will make the mistakes we made six and seven years ago because we’ve had this crucible,” Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said. [ READ: Major ICE Union Against Immigration Bill, But Senate Bill Barrels Forward ] The bill will now have its day on the Senate floor in June when Congress returns after the recess. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced Tuesday during a press briefing that he will not stand in its way. “The Gang of Eight has made a substantial contribution to moving the issue forward. So far, I’m told that the Judiciary Committee has not in any fundamental way undone the agreement reached by the eight senators,” McConnell said. “I’m hopeful we’ll be able to get a bill we can […]

Click here to view original Immigration Bill to Hit Senate Floor in June

Washington (CNN) — Advocates for comprehensive immigration reform won their first major legislative victory this week when the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 13-5 to approve the bipartisan "Gang of Eight" plan. If enacted, the measure will create a 13-year path to citizenship for most of the country’s 11 million undocumented immigrants. It aims to strengthen border security while raising the cap on visas for high-skilled workers and establishing a new visa program for low-skilled workers on America’s farms and elsewhere. Immigration reform clears key Senate hurdle Here are five key things to know about the state of play on this issue: 1) There’s still a long way to go The Judiciary Committee’s 13-5 vote was significant partly because three Republicans — Arizona’s Jeff Flake, South Carolina’s Lindsey Graham, and Utah’s Orrin Hatch — joined the panel’s Democrats in backing the measure. Now, however, attention turns to the full Senate, where the level of GOP support remains an open question. Assuming every member of the Democratic caucus backs the bill, five Republicans will be needed to ensure it receives the 60 votes needed to pass the 100-member chamber. The bill’s backers have been hoping for as many as 70 votes, […]

Click here to view original 5 things you should know about immigration reform

Carlos Gonzalez has lived nearly all his 29 years in a country he considers home but now finds himself on the wrong side of the border — and the wrong side of a proposed overhaul of the U.S. immigration system that would grant legal status to millions of people. Gonzalez was deported to Tijuana, Mexico, from Santa Barbara in December, one of nearly 2 million removals from the United States since Barack Obama was first elected president. “I have nobody here,” said Gonzalez, who serves breakfasts in a Tijuana migrant shelter while nursing a foot that fractured in 10 places when he jumped the border fence in a failed attempt to rejoin his mother, two brothers and extended family in California. “The United States is all I know.” While a Senate bill introduced earlier this month would bring many of the estimated 11 million people living in the U.S. illegally out of the shadows, not everyone would benefit. They include anyone who arrived after Dec. 31, 2011, those with gay partners legally in the U.S., siblings of U.S. citizens and many deportees such as Gonzalez. With net immigration from Mexico near zero, the number who came to the U.S. […]

Click here to view original Some Are Overlooked in US Immigration Overhaul

The new immigration reform bill will double the number of immigrants coming to the US over the next decade, critics say. Others say it’s too early, too complex, or too politically risky to tell. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R) of Alabama stands with members of law enforcement as he speaks about immigration reform last week on Capitol Hill in Washington. Charles Dharapak/AP Enlarge These may seem like straightforward questions: How many new permanent residents of the United States will there be every year, if the Senate’s bipartisan legislation on immigration reform becomes law? And how many new workers would the plan inject into the American economy, exactly? Related stories Subscribe Today to the Monitor Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of The Christian Science Monitor Weekly Digital Edition The problem, at least for the moment, is that even those involved in crafting the immigration reform legislation don’t know the answers. “Nobody has a number that is based on the bill right now that’s accurate,” said Lynn Tramonte, deputy director of America’s Voice Education Fund, a group that supports the reform effort, in a conference call with reporters. “This bill is extremely sophisticated … it’ll take a bit more [analysis] […]

Click here to view original How many new immigrants are we talking about?

Enlarge image Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. (right), talks during a hearing at which he angered Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa (far left). Grassley thought Schumer was accusing him of using the Boston bombings as an excuse to slow or kill the immigration overhaul. J. Scott Applewhite / AP No sooner did the first reports emerge that the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings were Chechen immigrants than did that fact intrude into Washington’s debate on immigration. Opponents of immigration reform seized on the fact to raise doubts about efforts to change immigration laws to, in part, bring the estimated 12 million people now in the U.S. illegally out of limbo. So a major question a week after the bombings was whether the Boston violence had slowed — or even derailed — momentum for the immigration overhaul. Early indications were that the legislative effort still appeared on track. “I don’t think there’s been a change in the fundamental truth that the country needs this broad immigration reform and that there’s a commitment from lawmakers in both parties to addressing it this year. That hasn’t changed” because of Boston, said Lynn Tramonte , deputy director of America’s Voice, a pro-immigration group. “Most […]

Click here to view original Immigration Overhaul Seems On Track Despite Boston Tragedy : NPR

Should we pit family visas against employment visas? Some viewpoints say yes, some say no. For those who say yes, there is concern about increasing immigration levels. For those who say no, family compliments business; both categories should be addressed together. Both viewpoints agree on family unification. How do we satisfy all viewpoints? Cut family […]

A new immigration rule taking effect March 4, 2013 will let immigrants reduce the amount of time they are apart from their families when applying for their lawful permanent residence, also known as a green card.

In the House, support of a “majority of the majority” party is necessary to advance Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Evelyne M. Hart, Esq.

Comment by Evelyne M. Hart: 89% of Americans agree that we are better off if high-skilled foreign workers immigrate to the U.S. There is no such thing as too many high-tech workers!

Comment by Evelyne M. Hart – This article provides the clearest, most up-to-date bullet points for current immigration policies and proposed legislation. President Obama is impatient and counsel remains optimistic that immigration reform looms on the horizon.

The battle between corporations and labor rages on. Both sides agree that the number of foreign workers should be regulated by markets needs and cannot be set by quotas. However they differ on how to achieve the policy. Corporations’ perspectives is to set the number of foreign workers they need. Labor would like to see […]

As an attorney representing health care facilities, many questions are raised by foreign nurses and their employers.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

I have a couple of clients that I am representing for DACA who have gone the entire route, taking advantage of AB540. They have graduated from a Cal State . While they studied, they worked, to pay their own tuition. An incredible feat. We need young people like them in our society – hard-working, ambitious, […]

For the first time in 12 years, with President Obama still in office, immigration stakeholders see serious immigration reform as a possibility. Yes, enforcement is important alongside a true path to legalization for the undocumented persons who have been productive and do not have a serious criminal record. As an immigration attorney, I come across […]

I look forward to the day when USCIS is completed automated and we can file all of our applications electronically. USCIS ELIS is a great start.

Through a Q A, the following article provides you with the nuts and bolts of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. The DACA requirements appear deceivingly simple but the process is easily complicated if the applicant has a criminal history, moved a lot, changed schools numerous times, possesses few pieces of circumstantial evidence or needs translations […]

The simplest comprehensive reform is to grant the same amnesty that existed from 1986 through 2001. That amnesty was called 245(i). Simply, put, the applicant pays a $1,000 penalty and follows the same process as for applicants who entered legally. There is no need to create a new process because the process exists already. After […]

Secretary Napolitano Announces Final Rule to Support Family Unity During Waiver Process Release Date: January 2, 2013 For Immediate Release DHS Press Office Contact: 202-282-8010

Illegal Immigrants Line Up by Thousands for Deportation Deferrals

Hace algún tiempo, USCIS decidió hacer realidad uno de los proyectos de servicio a la comunidad hispana más ambiciosos de nuestra agencia hasta el momento: el sitio Web en español uscis.gov/espanol. Con el transcurso del tiempo, hemos diversificado nuestras ofertas hasta incluir el servicio de Twitter en español, y hoy nos sentimos especialmente orgullosos de […]

A Demographic Profile of Immigrants Who Might Benefit from the Obama Administration’s Deferred Action Initiative

By ALICIA A. CALDWELL | Associated Press – Fri, Jun 15, 2012

Clients went to Ciudad Juarez and provided a day by day account of their experience. I have reproduced it below to help those with Ciudad Juarez Immigration Visa Appointments.

This resource page provides numbers that explain who is migrating to the United States and what their effect is on the population.

In reading some of the online immigration forums, we have noticed that there are a few myths on the internet about the adjustment of status, also known as the Green Card process. We hope this post helps to clear up any confusion you have about the process of getting your Green Card.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today launched the first phase of its electronic immigration benefits system, known as USCIS ELIS. The system has been created to modernize the process for filing and adjudicating immigration benefits.

My client was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in one of the local detention centers in Orange County. He has a conviction for assault (California Penal Code Section 245). He has a 2-year green card with an I-751 pending. He is married to a U.S. Citizen and has 3 U.S. born children. He has […]

As money is poured into border enforcement, it is critical that lawmakers consider the facts. The following resources provide key answers to basic questions about the U.S.-Mexico Border and the issues that surround it–from the fiscal implications of policies to the struggle to fight drug cartels.

The article below is indicative of the hypocrisy of anti-immigration proponents. I always say that anti-immigrants also benefit from immigrants’ labor if, for example, they eat at a restaurant, purchase groceries and live in a home.

Comprising only a small share of all immigrants in the United States, the foreign born from Taiwan seem to embody the very spirit of the Asian Tiger. As of 2010, Taiwanese immigrants exhibited extremely high levels of educational attainment; a notable tendency toward homeownership; and elevated rates of employment in management, business, information technology, and […]

The proposed Provisional Waiver rule would allow a spouse or child of a U.S. Citizen relative to obtain a provisional waiver in the United States and if approved, go to their home country to pick up their visas, thus reducing the separation time between families. The provisional waiver applies only for unlawful presence, not for […]

IS THE CLIENT ELIGIBLE TO MARRY? A “simple” spouse-based adjustment of status case may have its challenges in the eligibility of marriage.

This news article shows that immigrants and even illegal immigrants do contribute to the U.S. economy – they do not deplete the U.S. economy. The popular argument by the right that we need to deport illegal immigrants because they drain our resources is faulty. Evelyne M. Hart

Demand is growing for visas that help victims of abuse in U.S.

The Washington Post – By Emily Langer, Published: September 22, 2011

WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), marking a significant milestone in its efforts to provide relief to victims of crimes, has for the second straight year approved 10,000 petitions for U nonimmigrant status, also referred to as the U-visa.

E-Verify was recently upgraded to include a driver’s license verification feature. This is significant because driver’s licenses are presented by more than 80% of new hires to establish their identity during the employment eligibility verification process.

What Happens During the Naturalization Interview? During the naturalization interview with a USCIS Officer, you will be tested on your knowledge of civics and your ability to speak, understand, read, and write English.

First Deportation Cases To Benefit From New Immigration Policy

Who May Qualify to Remain in U.S. Under New Obama Immigration Policy (Source: ILRC)

Quién Puede Calificar para Permanecer en los E.U. Bajo la Nueva Política de Inmigración de Obama? Por Mark Silverman, Immigrant Legal Resource Center

By Alejandro Mayorkas

Posted by Alejandro Mayorkas, Director, U.S. Citizenship Immigration ServicesThis is part of a series of blog posts exploring the progress we have made in implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations.

On August 3, in Washington D.C., DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano and USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas joined other DHS senior leadership and anti-human trafficking stakeholders and advocates to mark the first anniversary of the Blue Campaign, a first-of-its-kind campaign to coordinate and enhance the Department’s anti-human trafficking efforts. In their remarks, Director Mayorkas and Secretary Napolitano […]

NOTARIOS AND PARALEGALS CANNOT PRACTICE LAW: All too often, individuals seeking immigration benefits are deceived by people pretending to be “immigration experts.” This is against the law.

The U.S. Department of State (”DOS”) published an interim final rule that raised the fees that U.S. consular posts charge for processing nonimmigrant visas. Prior to June 4 2010, the fee was $131 for all nonimmigrant visa categories. Under its new fee schedule, the DOS now charges varying fees depending on the visa classification sought.

USCIS has announced that, as of December 17, 2010, approximately 53,900 H-1B cap-subject petitions were receipted. Additionally, USCIS receipted 19,700 H-1B petitions for aliens with advanced degrees. Taking into account the numbers reserved by treaty for nationals of Singapore and Chile (up to 6,800), there may be less than 5,000 new H-1B visa numbers available […]