Updates & Events

New legislation introduced on March 29, 2021, by Democratic and Republican senators would provide unused employment-based immigrant visas for up to 25,000 foreign nurses and 15,000 foreign physicians and their family members.

USCIS announced that it received enough electronic registrations during the initial registration period to reach the fiscal year 2022 H-1B numerical allocations, including the advanced degree exemption (master’s cap).

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced an extension until May 31, 2021, of the flexibility in complying with requirements related to Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, due to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic precautions.

The Department of State issued an update on Presidential Proclamation 10052, which suspended the entry of certain H-1B, H-2B, J (for certain categories within the Exchange Visitor Program) and L nonimmigrants.

On April 2, 2021, the Department of Labor invited interested parties to provide information on the sources of data and methodologies for determining prevailing wage levels covering employment opportunities that U.S. employers seek to fill with foreign workers on a permanent or temporary basis through certain employment-based immigrant visas or through H–1B, H–1B1 and E–3 nonimmigrant visas.

On March 22, 2021, AILA and Wasden Banias, LLP, filed a class action lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, challenging processing delays on extensions of status and employment authorization documents for H-4 and L-2 nonimmigrant spouses.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has extended flexibilities in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) reported a drop of 72 percent in new international student enrollment in U.S. schools in 2020 as compared to calendar year 2019.

On March 18, two bills passed in the House of Representatives with bipartisan support; American Dream and Promise and Farm Workforce Modernization Acts.

On March 19, 2021, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the withdrawal of a proposed rule, “Affidavit of Support on Behalf of Immigrants,” published on October 2, 2020.