Procedures for H-2Bs Still in Flux | The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida enjoined the Department of Labor’s H-2B labor-certification rule of February 21, 2012, published at 77 Fed. Reg. 10,038. The injunction came in... Read More

DHS Will Provide Work Authorization to Certain H-4 Spouses | The Department of Homeland Security issued a final rule on February 25, 2015, that will soon allow H-4 dependent spouses of certain nonimmigrants with H-1B status to apply for employment... Read More

DHS Issues New Rules for Transformation to Electronic Form I-94 On March 27, the Department of Homeland Security issued an interim final rule intended to facilitate the transition of Form I-94 from paper to electronic format at air and sea ports of... Read More

Napolitano Resigns as Secretary of Homeland Security On July 12, 2013, Janet Napolitano announced her resignation as Secretary of Homeland Security, a position she has held since the start of the Obama administration. Napolitano will remain in her... Read More

2014 Diversity Visas Online registration for the DV-2014 Program will begin on Tuesday, October 2, 2012, at 12 noon, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4), and conclude on Saturday, November 3, 2012, at 12:00 noon, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4... Read More

DHS Designates Chile for Visa Waiver Program On February 28, 2014, the Department of Homeland Security announced the entry of Chile into the Visa Waiver Program. Beginning May 1, 2014, Chilean nationals will be able to visit the United States for up... Read More

ICE Issues Directive Limiting Detention of Parents On August 23, 2013, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a directive intended to limit the detention of parents and other guardians of minor children during removal proceedings and to allow... Read More

Expedited Review Announced for Cases Affected by Specific Administrative Errors USCIS has now established an expedited process for reviewing and correcting decisions resulting from certain administrative errors. This new process allows customers to... Read More

Administration Revises Policy on False Claims to Citizenship: In a pair of letters sent to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in late August and early September, the administration confirmed that individuals charged with making false claims... Read More

USCIS Releases Draft Guidance on Extreme Hardship | On October 7, 2015, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued draft guidance for public comment on the factors the agency considers in determining whether the denial of an application... Read More

DHS Begins Implementing Decision on DOMA On Wednesday, June 26, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano announced that DHS would immediately begin to implement the Supreme Court decision invalidating section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act... Read More

H-2A Sheepherder Reminder U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services reminds workers in the sheepherding industry that the one-time accommodation giving them more time to transition to the three-year limitation-of-stay requirements for the H-2A nonimmigrant... Read More

DHS Issues Final Regulations on Sexual Abuse in Detention Centers | On March 7, 2014, the Department of Homeland Security issued a long-awaited set of final regulations applying standards required under the Prison Rape Elimination Act Standards to... Read More

USCIS Issues Policy Memo on International Filings On November 30, 2012, USCIS issued a final policy memorandum outlining the circumstances in which applicants may file Form I-601 (Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility) and any associated... Read More

DHS to Enhance Security for Visa Waiver Program| On August 6, 2015, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson announced the implementation of new security measures for noncitizens seeking to enter the United States under the Visa Waiver... Read More