Seattle Immigration Blog

• USICS Revives 540-Day Automatic Extension of EADs

  USCIS announces a temporary final rule increasing the automatic extension period of certain employment authorization documents (EADs) from 180 days to 540 days! This measure restores a pandemic-era flexibility, and helps to protect the continuity of America’s workforce.

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• Time to Apply for U.S. Citizenship!

  If you are a lawful permanent resident (green card holder) who is eligible to naturalize, and you want to become a U.S. citizen, now is the time to do it.  It’s an election year, and you could be eligible to vote if you naturalize.

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• What Does It Mean That A Visa Applicant Must Be Admissible?

  Whether someone is applying for permanent residence or for a temporary non-immigrant visa such as visitor, student, or H-1B, among others, every visa applicant is required to be admissible to the U.S.  If everything else about the case is fine, but the applicant is inadmissible, the visa will be denied. Learn about admissibility.

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• Joint Representation and Potential Conflict of Interest in Employment-Based Immigration Matters

  As immigration lawyers typically represent an employer, it’s important that both an employer and the employee be aware of the potential conflicts of interest that may arise in immigration visa matters.

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• New Fees for USCIS Applications Effective April 1, 2024

  On January 30, 2024, USCIS published notice of changes to application fees. Some fee adjustments, as discussed below, take into account the company’s size or nonprofit status.

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• Visa Appointments (Interview) at a U.S. Consulate

  The Visa Interview is Not ‘Just the Last Step’ It Matters! We often hear clients dismiss the visa interview at the U.S. consulate as just the last step, as though everything was done and approved up to that point, and so, of course, the consulate will “stamp” the passport. Nothing could be farther from the

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• U.S. Dept. of State Announces Pilot Program to Renew H-1B Visas Without Leaving the U.S.

  The Department of State has announced a temporary new pilot program for certain H-1B status holders to renew (revalidate) their H-1B visa from within the U.S. without needing to go to a U.S. consulate abroad.

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• Executive Order on AI and STEM Occupations Could Eliminate the Need for PERM Labor Certification for Many Workers

  PERM certification would no longer be needed if AI and STEM jobs are designated as “Shortage Occupations”; significantly speeding up the process to employ foreign workers in these positions.

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• The ABC’s of NIV’s and Possible Alternatives to an H-1B

  Non-immigrant (temporary) visas are designated by letters.  Most people have heard of an H-1B visa, for example, but most don’t know there are many others.  Here’s a fun visa vocabulary for common types of business-related status.

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• USCIS Announces Change – Many Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) and Travel Documents Will Now Be Valid for Five Years

  Learn about recent USCIS changes extending both work and travel authorizations to five years, and the ramifications of such changes.

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