According to a Government Accountability Office report, the backlog of eligible citizenship applications has more than doubled between 2015 and 2020. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is responsible for processing and approving immigration applications for US Work Visas, Permanent Residence (Green Cards), US Citizenship, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) requests, and more.
The US Embassy and Consulates in India have good news for hopeful visa applicants. Indian travelers seeking a US Visa will have extended validity of their visa payment, also known as the Machine Readable Visa (MRV) fee until September 30, 2023. This extension is for applicants who were unable to schedule a visa appointment due to pandemic-related restrictions.
The White House recently announced on Twitter that the United States will be introducing a new travel policy beginning November 8, 2021. The new travel policy will finally allow fully-vaccinated foreign nationals to travel to Canada with very few exceptions. The travel ban imposed on certain countries will also be lifted.
There were over a million international students enrolled in US Universities and Colleges in 2019-20. China is the top source country of international students arriving in the US for higher education. In the last academic year. Around 372,532 Chinese students enrolled in the US, closely followed by Indian students at 193,124. India and China together make up 50% of international student enrollment in the US. The third place is occupied by South Korea, followed by Saudi Arabia and Canada.
President Biden officially raised the refugee visa cap limit to 125,000 annually during the 2022 fiscal year. This visa cap represents the number of refugee admissions in the US until September 30, 2022. President Biden raised the visa cap after consulting with Senate members and the House Judiciary Committee.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced the extension of the period during which petitioners can use receipt notices to show evidence of status. The status period of petitioners who properly submit Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, or Form I-829, Petition by Investor to Remove Conditions on Permanent Resident Status was extended from 18 to 24 months.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) introduced temporary flexibility procedures to defer physical inspection of documents for Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, during the pandemic. These flexibility procedures have been extended many times since. Recently, the DHS announced that these procedures will remain in effect until December 31, 2021. In addition to this, the DHS also expanded the circumstances under which the employers can rely on these procedures to complete Form I-9.
Trusted by thousands, we offer personalized legal services tailored to meet the unique requirements of your immigration goals.
