Newsletter Week of June 20, 2023
Biden Administration Defers Wage Hike for H-1B Visa and Green Card Holders
The final rules for fee hikes on immigration-related applications, including H-1B visas, have also been postponed until March 2024. Additionally, the agenda includes plans to enhance anti-fraud measures in the H-1B cap registration system. The USCIS' proposed fee schedule, published in January, faced criticism from the business community due to significant increases for many employment-based immigration procedures. It remains unclear whether the final rule, expected to be issued in March 2024, will modify the earlier proposed fee increases and to what extent.
Temporary Protected Status Designations for El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal and Nicaragua Reinstated and Extended for 18 Months
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today posted Federal Register notices extending the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations of El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua for 18 months. As always, DHS closely monitors conditions around the world to assess whether new TPS designations are warranted. TPS beneficiaries under the four designations must re-register to maintain their TPS throughout the 18-month extension.
USCIS Provides Guidance on Employment Authorization Documents Based on Compelling Circumstances
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today released policy guidance on the eligibility criteria for initial and renewal applications for employment authorization documents (EADs) in compelling circumstances. The guidance covers compelling circumstances for principal applicants and their dependents and provides a non-exhaustive list of situations that could lead to a finding that compelling circumstances exist, including serious illness and disability, employer dispute or retaliation, other substantial harm to the applicant, or significant disruption to the employer. The guidance also provides details on evidence an applicant could submit to demonstrate one of these compelling circumstances
