Maria Sacchetti, Washington Post, Dec. 8, 2023 "A federal judge in San Diego on Friday approved a settlement that prohibits U.S. officials from separating migrant families for crossing the U.S....
USCIS, Dec. 8, 2023 "The employment-based (EB) annual limit for fiscal year (FY) 2024 will be higher than was typical before the pandemic, though lower than in FY 2021-2023. We are dedicated to...
Elliot Spagat, Associated Press, Dec. 8, 2023 "A federal judge was poised Friday to prohibit separation of families at the border for purposes of deterring immigration for eight years, preemptively...
In an unpublished decision dated Dec. 4, 2023 a panel of the Ninth Circuit remanded for a new hearing. The facts are stunning...unless you practice immigration law: "Because Lead Petitioner credibly...
This document is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on 12/07/2023 "The Department of State (“Department”) is amending its regulation governing immigrant visas by removing...
USCIS, Nov. 23, 2021
"USCIS provides general guidance on adjudications across the various types of benefit requests that USCIS adjudicates. In general, this update does not make major substantive changes, but consolidates and incorporates existing Adjudicator’s Field Manual (AFM) guidance on general adjudications topics into the Policy Manual, streamlines USCIS’ immigration policy, and removes obsolete information. This guidance, contained in Volume 1 of the Policy Manual, updates and replaces Adjudicator’s Field Manual Chapters 10.3(b), 10.3(d), 10.3(g)-(h), 10.6, 10.7(b), 10.11, 10.14, 10.16, 11.1(a)-(b), 11.1(d)-(n), and 11.3, and related guidance in Chapter 21.2(c)(6)(B), as well as the AFM’s related appendices and related policy memoranda. The guidance contained in the Policy Manual is controlling and supersedes any related prior guidance on the topic. Policy Highlights • Incorporates existing guidance regarding types of evidence, to include primary and secondary evidence, documentary and testimonial evidence, and original documents and document translations. • Incorporates existing guidance regarding adjudicative decisions including approvals and denials. • Incorporates existing guidance regarding post-decision actions on approved applications or petitions. • Explains how officers should handle cases involving unreliable evidence, including consulting the U.S. Department of State’s Reciprocity Table, providing information on DNA collection options, and referring certain cases for in-person interviews. • Clarifies that when a petitioner, beneficiary, or authorized representative requests a copy of a signed sworn statement taken during an interview, officers provide a copy of the statement to the affiant, without fee, at the conclusion of the interview where the statement was taken. Citation Volume 1: General Policies and Procedures, Part E, Adjudications, Chapter 1, Purpose and Background [1 USCIS-PM E.1]; Chapter 6, Evidence [1 USCIS-PM E.6]; Chapter 9, Rendering a Decision [1 USCIS-PM E.9]; Chapter 10, Post-Decision Actions [1 USCIS-PM E.10]."