Monday, March 27, 2023

USCIS Extends Rule Providing Interpreters at Affirmative Asylum Interviews

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced today a fourth extension to a temporary final rule (TFR) requiring use of a USCIS interpreter at certain affirmative asylum interviews. This TFR extends the requirement through Sept. 12, 2023. After that date, affirmative asylum applicants who cannot proceed with the interview in English must provide their own interpreters.

We anticipate the federal declaration of a public health emergency for COVID-19 will expire in May 2023. Extending this TFR until after that declaration expires will provide public notice that the TFR is expiring and help ensure an orderly and efficient return to prior practice.

Under the TFR, certain asylum applicants must use USCIS' contr

Sunday, March 26, 2023

Visa Bulletin May 2023 Predictions

For official April 2023 Visa Bulletin & Analysis, please click here: https://www.mygcvisa.com/visa-bulletin/2023/visa-bulletin-april-2023.aspx

Please see May 2023 Visa Bulletin Predictions below (for both Family Based and Employment Based categories for all countries):

Family Based:
Final Action Dates
Dates For Filing Applications
"Final Action Date" is the date when when USCIS/DOS may render their final decision on submitted applications. Your priority date should be before this date.
Family-
Sponsored
All Chargeability
Areas Except
Those Listed
CHINA-mainland
born
INDIAMEXICOPHILIPPINES
F101FEB1501FEB1501FEB1515MAY0122APR12
F2A01OCT2001OCT2001OCT2001DEC1801OCT20
F2B01NOV1501NOV1501NOV1515JUN0101DEC11
F308DEC0808DEC0808DEC0808NOV9701JUL02
F415APR0715APR0708OCT0522AUG0022SEP02
"Date for Filing Application" is the date when you can submit I-485/NVC applications to USCIS/DOS. Your priority date should be before this date.
Family-
Sponsored
All Chargeability
Areas Except
Those Listed
CHINA-mainland
born
INDIAMEXICOPHILIPPINES
F115AUG1615AUG1615AUG1622JAN0308JUN15
F2ACCCCC
F2B08JAN1708JAN1708JAN1722JAN0208NOV13
F315NOV0915NOV0915NOV0922JUN0101DEC03
F408JAN0808JAN0815MAR0622APR0122MAY04

Saturday, March 25, 2023

USCIS Issues Guidance on Analyzing Employers’ Ability to Pay Wages

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today issued policy guidance (PDF, 313.21 KB) on how we analyze an employer's ability to pay the proffered wage for immigrant petitions in certain first, second, and third preference employment-based immigrant visa classifications. 

Employers seeking to classify prospective or current employees under the first, second, and third preference employment-based immigrant visa classifications that require a job offer must demonstrate their continuing ability to pay the proffered wage to the beneficiary as of the priority date of the immigrant petition.

The relevant regulation require

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

April 2023 Visa Bulletin Analysis

For April 2023 Visa Bulletin, please click here: https://www.mygcvisa.com/visa-bulletin/2023/visa-bulletin-april-2023.aspx

Please see below analysis of April 2023 Visa Bulletin:

Family Based:
Final Action Dates
Dates For Filing Applications
"Final Action Date" is the date when when USCIS/DOS may render their final decision on submitted applications. Your priority date should be before this date.
Family-
Sponsored
All Chargeability
Areas Except
Those Listed
CHINA-mainland
born
INDIAMEXICOPHILIPPINES
F1No ChangeNo ChangeNo ChangeNo ChangeNo Change
F2A-2 Years 5 Months 23 Days-2 Years 5 Months 23 Days-2 Years 5 Months 23 Days-4 Years 4 Months-2 Years 5 Months 23 Days
F2BNo ChangeNo ChangeNo ChangeNo ChangeNo Change
F3No ChangeNo ChangeNo ChangeNo ChangeNo Change
F4No ChangeNo ChangeNo ChangeNo ChangeNo Change
"Date for Filing Application" is the date when you can submit I-485/NVC applications to USCIS/DOS. Your priority date should be before this date.
Family-
Sponsored
All Chargeability
Areas Except
Those Listed
CHINA-mainland
born
INDIAMEXICOPHILIPPINES
F1No ChangeNo ChangeNo ChangeNo ChangeNo Change
F2ANo ChangeNo ChangeNo ChangeNo ChangeNo Change
F2BNo ChangeNo ChangeNo ChangeNo ChangeNo Change
F3No ChangeNo ChangeNo ChangeNo ChangeNo Change
F4No ChangeNo ChangeNo ChangeNo ChangeNo Change

April 2023 Visa Bulletin

For March 2023 Visa Bulletin, please click here: https://www.mygcvisa.com/visa-bulletin/2023/visa-bulletin-march-2023.aspx

For analysis of April 2023 Visa Bulletin, please click here: https://www.mygcvisa.com/visa-bulletin/2023/visa-bulletin-analysis-april-2023.aspx

April 2023 Visa Bulletin has been officially released (valid from April 1 to April 30 only). Please see below for more details.

Family Based:
Final Action Dates
Dates For Filing Applications
"Final Action Date" is the date when when USCIS/DOS may render their final decision on submitted applications. Your priority date should be before this date.
Family-
Sponsored 
All Chargeability 
Areas Except
Those Listed
CHINA-mainland 
born
INDIA MEXICO PHILIPPINES 
F1 01DEC14
01DEC14 01DEC14 01APR01 01MAR12
F2A 08SEP20 08SEP20 08SEP20 01NOV18 08SEP20
F2B 22SEP15 22SEP15 22SEP15 01JUN01 22OCT11
F3 22NOV08 22NOV08 22NOV08 01NOV97 08JUN02
F4 22MAR07 22MAR07 15SEP05 01AUG00 22AUG02
"Date for Filing Application" is the date when you can submit I-485/NVC applications to USCIS/DOS. Your priority date should be before this date.
Family-
Sponsored 
All Chargeability 
Areas Except
Those Listed
CHINA-
mainland 
born
INDIA MEXICO PHILIPPINES 
F1 08AUG16 08AUG16 08AUG16 01DEC02 22APR15
F2A C C C C C
F2B 01JAN17 01JAN17 01JAN17 01JAN02 01OCT13
F3 08NOV09 08NOV09 08NOV09 15JUN01 08NOV03
F4 15DEC07 15DEC07 22FEB06 01APR01 22APR04

USCIS Processing Times for Orphan and Hague Adoption Cases

On Nov. 2, 2022 USCIS announced a change in our method for calculating orphan and Hague adoption case processing times. In response to this announcement, we received several questions from stakeholders that we address in this FAQ posted on our USCIS Electronic Reading Room<span class="file-info

Monday, March 20, 2023

DHS Publishes Federal Register Notice Extending and Redesignating Somalia for Temporary Protected Status

Redesignation Allows Additional Eligible Somali Nationals to Apply for TPS and Employment Authorization Documents

WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security today published a Federal Register notice extending and redesignating Somalia for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months, from March 18, 2023, through September 17, 2024. The notice provides information about h