Archive

The Department of State announced that, as of January 1, 2016, it will no longer be possible to add visa pages to U.S. passports.  Instead, visa applicants requiring additional pages in their U.S. passports must obtain a new passport by mail. The new policy replaces this previous ability of passport holders to purchase a 24-page […]

Supplemental fees have increased for L-1 and H-1B petitions for companies employing 50+ people.  This fee increase is a result of the December 18, 2016 FY2016 Omnibus Appropriations bill, and applies to companies employing 50 or more people in the United States, when more than 50% of their workforce is in H-1B, L-1A, or L-1B […]

Approximately 6,000 El Salvadoran applicants awaiting the adjudication of their Temporary Protected Status (TPS) renewal, saw their Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) expire on September 9, 2015.  USCIS has announced that it will automatically issue interim EADs to these El Salvador TPS beneficiaries, thereby extending the period of employment authorization by a further 180 days. The […]

Please read the following information, and click the link at the bottom of this post, which will direct you to step by step instructions for how to submit an application for DV-2017.  The Department of State has announced that the 2017 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, known as DV-2017, will be exclusively electronic.  Applicants should apply […]

The additional fee of $2,000 previously required by USCIS (under Section 402 of Public Law 111-230) for certain H-1B and L-1 petitions is no longer necessary, as long as the petition was filed on or after October 1, 2015.   This fee has been required since August 13, 2010, by Public Law 111-230 for certain L-1A […]

USCIS has announced that, as part of an ongoing process to enhance and maintain the integrity of secure documents, it will now be laminating two specific travel documents: Form I-797F Transportation Letter (issued overseas, to allow applicants to travel) Form I-512L Parole Authorization Letter (known as AP) The transparent lamination process uses the newest technology […]

USCIS is now accepting credit card payments for N-400 Naturalization application fees, as long as the proper procedure is followed.  Acceptable credit cards are Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover.  Gift cards with logos for Visa, MasterCard or American Express are also acceptable forms of payment. How to submit your payment by credit card The […]

USCIS has announced that it is revising the procedure for determining visa availability for foreign nationals wishing to apply for employment-based or family-sponsored preference adjustment of status (green cards). Why Change the System?  The purpose of the new system is to afford DOS greater accuracy in predicting the demand for immigrant visas, and permitting the […]

The season for being able to e-file certain USCIS forms is drawing to an end.  There will be a new Electronic Immigration System in the future, which will take Legacy’s place.  USCIS is already working on this new system.  What does this mean for those would like to e-file their applications in the next month […]

International students in the US in F-1 status may apply for a year of optional practical training (OPT) following their graduation, regardless of their major.  In 2008, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) established a regulation granting additional OPT time for F-1 international students whose degrees are in the fields of science, technology, engineering, or […]