USCIS Reopens Field Office in Tegucigalpa, Honduras

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced the reopening of an international field office in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The Tegucigalpa Field Office will focus on increasing refugee processing capacity and helping reunite individuals with their family members already in the United States.

"Reopening the Tegucigalpa Field Office establishes USCIS' presence and expertise in a critical location in the Western Hemisphere and is part of our commitment to the Biden-Harris administration's efforts to facilitate safe and orderly lawful pathways and meet our humanitarian mission," said USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou. "USCIS is dedicated to fairness, integrity, and respect for all we serve, and our renewed presence in Honduras is part of an effort to expand USCIS' footprint outside the United States to more effectively support that mission."

Secretary Mayorkas Announces Extension and Redesignation of Burma (Myanmar) for Temporary Protected Status

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas today announced the extension and redesignation of Burma for Temporary Protected Status for 18 months, from May 26, 2024, to November 25, 2025, due to extraordinary and temporary conditions in Burma that prevent individuals from safely returning. The corresponding Federal Register notice provides information about how to register as a new first-time applicant or current beneficiary for TPS under Burma's extension and redesignation.

After consultation with interagency partners, Secretary Mayorkas determined that an 18-month TPS extension and redesignation are warranted because conditions that support Burma's TPS designation are ongoing. B

USCIS Extends Initial Registration Period for FY 2025 H-1B Cap

USCIS has extended the initial registration period for the fiscal year (FY) 2025 H-1B cap. The initial registration period, which opened at noon Eastern on March 6, 2024, and was originally scheduled to run through noon Eastern on March 22, 2024, will now run through noon Eastern on March 25, 2024. USCIS is aware of a temporary system outage experienced by some registrants, and is extending the registration period to provide additional time due to this issue.

During this period, prospective petitioners and their representatives, if applicable, must use a USCIS online account to register each beneficiary electronically for the selection process and pay the associated registration fee for each beneficiary. USCIS still intends to notify selected registrants by March 31, 2024.

On Feb. 28, 2024, we launched new myUSCIS organizational accounts that allow multiple people within a

USCIS Updates Policy Guidance Clarifying Expedite Requests

USCIS is updating guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify how we consider expedite requests related to government interests and requests related to emergencies or urgent humanitarian situations, including travel-related requests. This update also clarifies how to make an expedite request and explains how we process expedite requests.

Government Interests

This update clarifies that we may expedite cases identified as urgent by federal, state, tribal, territorial, or local governments of the United States because they involve public interest, public safety, national interest, or national security interests. This update clarifies that when an expedite request is made by a

Visa Bulletin May 2024 Predictions

For official April 2024 Visa Bulletin & Analysis, please click here: https://www.mygcvisa.com/visa-bulletin/2024/visa-bulletin-april-2024.aspx

Please see May 2024 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	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
F1	15APR15	15APR15	15APR15	15MAY01	22APR12
F2A	01OCT20	01OCT20	01OCT20	15OCT20	01OCT20
F2B	01JAN16	01JAN16	01JAN16	08JAN04	01DEC11
F3	01NOV09	01NOV09	01NOV09	08OCT98	01JUL02
F4	01JUL07	01JUL07	22DEC05	08NOV00	08JUL03

"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	22SEP17	22SEP17	22SEP17	15JUN05	08JUN15
F2A	22SEP23	22SEP23	22SEP23	01OCT23	22SEP23
F2B	15FEB17	15FEB17	15FEB17	22OCT04	08NOV13
F3	15MAR10	15MAR10	15MAR10	22JUN01	01DEC03
F4	22MAR08	22MAR08	01MAY06	08MAY01	22MAY05

USCIS Clarifies Anti-Discrimination Policy

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced agency-wide anti-discrimination guidance that addresses public-facing interactions and affirms our public service principles.

The Policy Manual update reiterates that, consistent with the USCIS mission statement and core values, USCIS does not tolerate the discriminatory treatment of any individuals. USCIS considers discrimination to be the unlawful treatment of a person or group of persons based on classes or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong. The update clarifies that it is USCIS policy to treat the public in a nondiscriminatory manner, regardless of whether they belong to a class or group s

USCIS Streamlines Process for Refugee Employment Authorization Documents

USCIS has begun implementing a streamlined process for Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, to provide Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) more efficiently to eligible refugees after they are admitted into the United States. This streamlined process shortens the wait time for an EAD to approximately 30 days instead of several months. All individuals admitted into the United States as refugees on or after Dec. 10, 2023, will receive EADs pursuant to this new process.

Under U.S.

USCIS Reaches H-2B Cap for Second Half of FY 2024 and Announces Filing Dates for the Second Half of FY 2024 Supplemental Visas

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has received enough petitions to meet the H-2B cap for the second half of fiscal year (FY) 2024 and is announcing the filing dates for supplemental H-2B visas for the reminder of FY 2024 made available under the FY 2024 H-2B supplemental visa temporary final rule.

H-2B Cap for Second Half of FY 2024

USCIS has received enough petitions to meet the congressionally mandated <a target='_blank' href="https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/h-2b-non-agricultural-workers/cap-count-for-h-2b-nonimmigrants" data-entity-type="node" dat

Reminder: Certain Updated Forms Take Effect on April 1 with No Grace Period

With the new fee rule that goes into effect April 1, 2024, you must use the new 04/01/24 editions of the following forms:

• Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker;
• Form I-129 CW, Petition for a CNMI-Only Nonimmigrant Transitional Worker;
• Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers;  
• <a target='_blank' href="https://www.us

April 2024 Visa Bulletin Analysis

For April 2024 Visa Bulletin, please click here: https://www.mygcvisa.com/visa-bulletin/2024/visa-bulletin-april-2024.aspx

Please see below analysis of April 2024 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	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
F1	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change
F2A	+2 Months 16 Days	+2 Months 16 Days	+2 Months 16 Days	+2 Months	+2 Months 16 Days
F2B	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change
F3	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change
F4	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change	No 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	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
F1	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change
F2A	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change
F2B	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change
F3	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change
F4	No Change	No Change	+1 Month 14 Days	No Change	+1 Year

April 2024 Visa Bulletin

For March 2024 Visa Bulletin, please click here: https://www.mygcvisa.com/visa-bulletin/2024/visa-bulletin-march-2024.aspx

For analysis of April 2024 Visa Bulletin, please click here: https://www.mygcvisa.com/visa-bulletin/2024/visa-bulletin-analysis-april-2024.aspx

April 2024 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	08FEB15	08FEB15	08FEB15	01MAY01	01MAR12
F2A	08SEP20	08SEP20	08SEP20	15AUG20	08SEP20
F2B	22NOV15	22NOV15	22NOV15	22OCT03	22OCT11
F3	01OCT09	01OCT09	01OCT09	08SEP98	08JUN02
F4	08JUN07	08JUN07	15DEC05	15OCT00	15JUN03

"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	01SEP17	01SEP17	01SEP17	01APR05	22APR15
F2A	01SEP23	01SEP23	01SEP23	01SEP23	01SEP23
F2B	01JAN17	01JAN17	01JAN17	01AUG04	01OCT13
F3	01MAR10	01MAR10	01MAR10	15JUN01	08NOV03
F4	01MAR08	01MAR08	08APR06	15APR01	22APR05

FY 2025 H-1B Registration Period and myUSCIS Organizational Account Reminders

On Feb. 28, 2024, we launched new myUSCIS organizational accounts that will allow multiple people within an organization, as well as their legal representatives, to collaborate on and prepare H-1B registrations, H-1B petitions, and any associated Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service. A new organizational account is required to participate in the H-1B Electronic Registration Process starting in M

Eligible Ukrainians Can Now Apply for Re-Parole

Beginning Feb. 27, 2024, eligible Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family members who are physically present in the United States can now be considered for re-parole so they can continue to temporarily remain in the United States. Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family members who were paroled into the United States on or after Feb. 11, 2022, can apply for re-parole under this process. As with any parole application, we will consider these applications on a discretionary, case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.  

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the secretary of homeland security exercised his discretionary authority to allow certain Ukrainians to

Reminder: Adjustment to Premium Processing Fees Takes Effect Today

As previously announced, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' new inflation-adjusted premium processing fees take effect today, increasing the filing fee for Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing. USCIS published a final rule announcing the change on Dec. 28, 2023.

The USCIS Stabilization Act established the current premium processing fees and the authority for the Department of Homeland Security to adjust the premium fees on a biennial basis. After leaving these fees unchanged for the three years