For several years, the spouses and children of green-card holders faced a three- to five-year wait to receive an F2A green card based on the Visa Bulletin posted monthly by the Department of State. In a dramatic shift, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is now processing F2A green card petitions submitted by those currently…
TechCrunch has selected Alcorn Immigration Law founder Sophie Alcorn as an expert contributor. She will write regular columns on immigration matters for TechCrunch and ExtraCrunch, which offers exclusive articles, resources, and recommendations. Sophie’s first column, What everyone at a startup needs to know about immigration, appeared on TechCrunch last week. ExtraCrunch managing editor Eric Eldon…
We’re very excited to better understand how U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is shaping the H-1B lottery for the future, starting next year. It published two different proposals for the pre-registration process for employers planning to submit petitions in the next H-1B lottery. This year, USCIS changed the H-1B lottery process by requiring employers…
Individuals looking to extend their student visa or visitor visa for business or pleasure can now file online through the eProcessing system. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently launched its online eProcessing system with Form I-539 (Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status). Now, you can renew the following visas online: B-1 temporary visitor for business…
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents are turning away some Canadian workers at the border. Without notice, CBP abandoned a decades-long policy of allowing Canadians to apply for L-1 visa renewals directly at U.S. ports of entry. And now, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) reports that CBP officials at some points of entry…
Last month we wrote about how to build your credit score if you recently immigrated to the U.S. We wrote that your credit history and credit score in another country won’t be factored into your credit history and credit score in the U.S. Well, Nova Credit is changing that. Immigrants have learned the hard way…
Nearly 260 million people will be flying during the summer. If you’re one of them, traveling abroad to visit friends and family—and you also hold a visa or green card—there are a few things you should keep in mind. Check Your Expiration Date This may sound obvious, but make sure your visa, green card,…
President Donald Trump has made restricting legal immigration and imposing harsher penalties on immigrants hallmarks of his administration. Do any of the 24 presidential candidates—23 Democrats and one Republican—looking to challenge Trump next year have an immigration plan? A handful of Democratic hopefuls have release detailed immigration reform platforms. Other candidates have announced more general…
Late last year, founding partner Sophie Alcorn wrote about the dramatic rise processing times for some forms by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Since then, the processing times have improved for many visa and green card categories. However, processing times for many employment-based and family-based green cards continue to steadily increase. USCIS takes 10…
The chief of the Department of State’s Visa Control and Reporting Division provided an estimate of the final action dates over the next several months and the estimated wait times for an EB-5 green card. Late last year, founding partner Sophie Alcorn wrote about Charles Oppenheim’s October 2018 predictions and offered alternatives to the EB-5…