The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has initiated the process to increase the fee for its premium processing service by 14.92%, from the current $1,225 to $1,410. This fee increase will take effect on October 1, 2018, and all applications postmarked on or after that date must include this new fee. The USCIS premium processing service allows some employment-based immigration petitions to be processed in fifteen calendar days, instead of what can often be several months. The DHS’s … [Read more...]
ALERT: Taylor & Ryan Attorney Publishes Article on Travel Bans
Taylor & Ryan LLC attorney Brian Green recently published an article explaining the history and impact of President Donald Trump’s recent travel bans. Published by the Maryland Association for Justice, Inc., in their publication Trial Reporter, Mr. Green’s article, “The Travel Ban and the Fourth Circuit – Much Ado About Nothing,” focuses on the challenge to the travel bans that was brought in the US District Court in Maryland and later heard by the US Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in … [Read more...]
ALERT: NIV Extensions Receive New Scrutiny
A long-standing U.S. Citizenship and immigration Services (USCIS) policy giving deference to previously approved nonimmigrant visa (NIV) petitions has been rescinded effective October 23, 2017. Under the prior policy, USCIS asked its adjudicators to give some deference to requests for extensions of previously approved NIV petitions. This week, USCIS issued a “Policy Memorandum” https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Laws/Memoranda/2017/2017-10-23Rescission-of-Deference-PM6020151.pdf … [Read more...]
ALERT: Interviews May be Required for Employment-based AOS as Early as October 1st
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirmed, informally, on Friday, August 25, 2017 that beginning on October 1, 2017, interviews will be required for many, if not all applicants, for adjustment of status in employment-based green card cases. This new practice is part of President Donald Trump’s plan to apply “extreme vetting” to immigrants and visitors to the U.S. This is a significant change from USCIS policy over the last 10 years, where USCIS had the discretion to waive … [Read more...]
ALERT: Suspension of Non-immigrant Visa Processing in Russia
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced that as a result of diplomatic restrictions on the number U.S. personnel in Russia, all non-immigrant visa (NIV) operations at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow and at all U.S. Consulates in Russia will be suspended, beginning August 23, 2017. U.S. Visa operations in Russia will resume on September 1, 2017, but on a greatly reduced scale. Interviews for NIV visas (including B, F, H-1B, J-1, L-1, O-1, and P visas) will only be conducted at the U.S. Embassy in … [Read more...]
ALERT: Applications for Advance Parole Will Be Denied if Applicant Travels Before Approval
The USCIS has announced a change in policy regarding adjudication of advance parole applications. An advance parole is an application filed with the USCIS seeking permission to return to the U.S. after international travel. Commonly, someone files this application along with an application to register permanent residence to permit international travel during the adjudication period of an application to register permanent residence. The USCIS is denying this application if the applicant travels … [Read more...]
