USCIS Reaches Fiscal Year 2023 H-1B Cap

USCIS Reaches Fiscal Year 2023 H-1B Cap

USCIS has received a sufficient number of petitions needed to reach the congressionally mandated 65,000 H-1B visa regular cap and the 20,000 H-1B visa U.S. advanced degree exemption, known as the master’s cap, for fiscal year (FY) 2023. We have completed sending non-selection notifications to registrants’ online accounts. The status for registrations properly submitted for […]

New STEM Resources Available on USCIS Website

New STEM Resources Available on USCIS Website

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has published additional online resources on uscis.gov to provide an overview of some of the temporary and permanent pathways for noncitizens to work in the United States in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). This guide also highlights some of the most important considerations for STEM professionals […]

USCIS Updates Interpretation of “Under Honorable Conditions” for Military Naturalization

USCIS Updates Interpretation of “Under Honorable Conditions” for Military Naturalization

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is publishing an update to its Policy Manual to clarify that a current or former service member who received an uncharacterized discharge may be eligible for naturalization under sections 328 and 329 of the Immigration and Naturalization Act (INA). Previously, USCIS had interpreted the requirement for a separation “under honorable conditions” in […]

Newly Naturalized Citizens Can Impact Midterm Elections in Key States, New Report Finds

Newly Naturalized Citizens Can Impact Midterm Elections in Key States, New Report Finds

NATIONWIDE – A new report released on July 20 by the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) and SEIU presents the profile of the New American Voters 2022 that could significantly influence the outcome of the upcoming midterm elections. The report showcases the demographic composition and geographical distribution of new Americans and how their voting power can substantially impact election outcomes […]

Immigration Agencies Get Hit with Record-High Lawsuits as Delays Worsen

Immigration Agencies Get Hit with Record-High Lawsuits as Delays Worsen

By Leslie Dellon, Immigration Impact Lawsuits asking courts to order government employees to decide long-pending immigration filings have increased sharply in the past year. According to a recent report by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), in May 2022 the federal courts recorded 647 immigration-related lawsuits for agency delay. This is “the highest number of such cases […]

USCIS Restores Pathway to a Green Card for TPS Holders

USCIS Restores Pathway to a Green Card for TPS Holders

Washington, DC – May 11, 2022: TPS activists rally at Union Station to call on the Biden administration to make good on the promise to continue the program along with creating a path to citizenship. (Shutterstock) By Kjerstin Lewis, Immigration Impact U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a new policy memorandum on July 1 that eliminated […]

USCIS Celebrates Independence Day 2022 and Continues its Commitment to Naturalization

USCIS Celebrates Independence Day 2022 and Continues its Commitment to Naturalization

Philadelphia, PA / USA – June 14, 2019: A Vietnam veteran proudly wears an American flag during Flag Day ceremonies at Independence National Historical Park, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Shutterstock) WASHINGTON— U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will celebrate Independence Day this year by welcoming more than 6,600 new citizens in more than 140 naturalization ceremonies […]

Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman Submits Annual Report to Congress

Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman Submits Annual Report to Congress

New York, NY – June 1, 2022: Precious Ogwu receives certificate of US citizenship during Memorial Day naturalization ceremony at USCIS New York District Office (Shutterstock) WASHINGTON – Yesterday, the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (CIS Ombudsman) submitted its annual report to Congress which provides recommendations for creating a more effective and efficient […]

DHS Announces Expansion of Citizenship and Integration Grant Program and Open Application Period

DHS Announces Expansion of Citizenship and Integration Grant Program and Open Application Period

By USCIS WASHINGTON— The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the open application period for the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program, which provides funding for citizenship preparation programs in communities across the country. The program will provide up to $20 million in grants, an increase from $10 million in funding last year. “Through our Citizenship […]

State Department Denies Substantial Percentage of Employer-Sponsored Immigrant Visas

State Department Denies Substantial Percentage of Employer-Sponsored Immigrant Visas

By Leslie Dellon, Immigration Impact Surprising data recently revealed that consular officers denied applicants for employer-sponsored immigrant visas at a far higher rate than U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officers denied green cards to employer-sponsored applicants. Data analyzed by the Cato Institute shows that since Fiscal Year 2008, USCIS denied about 8% of employer-sponsored […]