Following the Administration’s March 2017 halt to premium processing for H1-B Premium Processing services, United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the premium processing halt on certain H-1B petitions would resume again for another group of H-1B petitions:  (1) when the visa petition has been accepted under the Fiscal Year 2018 cap (during the five business days in April of 2017); and (2) is still pending. … Read More

Following the Administration’s March 2017 halt to premium processing for H1-B Premium Processing services, United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that, effective immediately, premium processing would resume for certain petitions that may be exempt from the H-1B annual cap of 65,000 visas each fiscal year.… Read More

United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) has again changed the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification.  On July 17, 2017, USCIS published the revised version, which employers are mandated to use effective September 18, 2017.  Until then, employers may continue to use the current Form I-9.  Further, employers must remain compliant with existing Form I-9 storage and retention policies for any previously completed employment verification forms.… Read More

Following the Administration’s March 2017 halt to premium processing for Physicians under the Conrad 30 J-1 Waiver Program, United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on June 23 that premium processing would resume.  Premium processing allows for USCIS application processing within 15 days at an additional cost.

Given the very short timelines USCIS set for the Conrad 30 Waiver and similar programs, premium processing is necessary to allow many whose time qualified to change status. … Read More