Consular Interviews Can Now be Waived for Certain H, L, & O Visa Applicants
Great news for employment-based visa applicants abroad - the Department of Homeland Security has announced that throughout this year consular officers will have discretion to waive interviews for H, L, & O visa applicants applying in their…
Great news for employment-based visa applicants abroad - the Department of Homeland Security has announced that throughout this year consular officers will have discretion to waive interviews for H, L, & O visa applicants applying in their country of nationality or residence who were previously issued any type of visa, who have never been refused a visa unless such refusal was overcome or waived, and who have no apparent ineligibility or potential ineligibility. Officers also now have authority to waive interviews for first-time applicants in these categories who are citizens or nationals of a country that participates in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), provided that they have no apparent ineligibility or potential ineligibility and have previously traveled to the United States using an authorization obtained via the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).
Need assistance applying for an H-1b, H-4, O, or L visa? We are here for you! Contact us today at theteam@huwelaw.com or 415-849-1199.
Can You Apply for a Green Card Next Month? Check the January 2022 Visa Bulletin
You can check the U.S. Department of State Visa Bulletin for December 2021 to see if your priority date will be current next month.
Have you been “waiting in line” for a green card to become available in your preference category?
You can check the U.S. Department of State Visa Bulletin for January 2022 to see if your priority date will be current next month.
Good news: The F2A category for the spouses and children of permanent residents will remain current. That means that the spouse or child of a U.S. permanent resident will remain eligible to file their application to adjust status in January.
To view the full Bulletin, please visit:
Need help interpreting the Bulletin and preparing and filing your green card application? Our firm is operating fully virtually and is here for you.
Contact us at theteam@huwelaw.com or 415-496-9040 today.
Can You Apply for a Green Card Next Month? Check the December 2021 Visa Bulletin
You can check the U.S. Department of State Visa Bulletin for December 2021 to see if your priority date will be current next month.
Have you been “waiting in line” for a green card to become available in your preference category?
You can check the U.S. Department of State Visa Bulletin for December 2021 to see if your priority date will be current next month.
Good news: The F2A category for the spouses and children of permanent residents will remain current. That means that the spouse or child of a U.S. permanent resident will remain eligible to file their application to adjust status in December.
To view the full Bulletin, please visit:
Need help interpreting the Bulletin and preparing and filing your green card application? Our firm is operating fully virtually and is here for you.
Contact us at theteam@huwelaw.com or 415-496-9040 today.
Work Permit No Longer Necessary for L-2 Visa Holders; Automatic Extensions for H-4 Visa Holders
A recent class action legal settlement has resulted in good news for thousands of spouses of L-1 visa holders, and well as spouses of H-1b visa holders. L-2 visa holders will now be issued work authorization automatically and will not be required to submit an application for an EAD. H-4 visa holders will now be eligible for an automatic extension of their employment authorization if a timely extension request has been submitted.
A recent class action legal settlement has resulted in good news for thousands of spouses of L-1 visa holders, as well as spouses of H-1b visa holders. L-2 visa holders will now be issued work authorization automatically and will not be required to submit an application for an EAD. H-4 visa holders will now be eligible for an automatic extension of their employment authorization if a timely extension request has been submitted.
The new government policy highlights are below:
• Provides that certain H-4, E, or L dependent spouses qualify for automatic extension of their existing employment authorization and accompanying EAD if they properly filed an application to renew their H-4, E, or L-based EAD before it expires, and they have an unexpired Form I-94 showing their status as an H-4, E, or L nonimmigrant, as applicable.
• Provides that the automatic extension of the EAD will continue until the earlier of: the end date on Form I-94 showing valid status, the approval or denial of the EAD renewal application, or 180 days from the date of expiration of the previous EAD.
• Provides that the following combination of documents evidence the automatic extension of the previous EAD, and are acceptable to present to employers for Form I-9 purposes: Form I-94 indicating the unexpired nonimmigrant status (H-4, E, or L), Form I-797C for a timely-filed EAD renewal application (Form I-765) stating “Class requested” as “(a)(17),” “(a)(18),” or “(c)(26),” and the facially expired EAD issued under the same category (that is, indicating Category A17, A18, or C26).
• Provides that E and L dependent spouses are employment authorized incident to their status and therefore they are no longer required to request employment authorization by filing Form I-765 but may continue to file Form I-765 if they choose to receive an EAD.
Are you an employer needing assistance with a visa application? We would be happy to see if we can help! Contact us today at theteam@huwelaw.com or 415-849-1199.
Can You Apply for a Green Card Next Month? Check the November 2021 Visa Bulletin
You can check the U.S. Department of State Visa Bulletin for November 2021 to see if your priority date will be current next month.
Have you been “waiting in line” for a green card to become available in your preference category?
You can check the U.S. Department of State Visa Bulletin for November 2021 to see if your priority date will be current next month.
Good news: The F2A category for the spouses and children of permanent residents will remain current. That means that the spouse or child of a U.S. permanent resident will remain eligible to file their application to adjust status in November. USCIS has announced that the Final Action Dates chart may be used for F2A applicants next month.
To view the full Bulletin, please visit:
Need help interpreting the Bulletin and preparing and filing your green card application? Our firm is operating fully virtually and is here for you.
Contact us at theteam@huwelaw.com or 415-496-9040 today.
