U.S. Consulates to Prioritize Immigrant Visa Backlog The Biden administration announced this week that it was directing U.S. embassies and consulates a priority on the processing of fiancé(e) visas and permanent residence visas (better known as “green cards”). The announcement reverses course from the previous administration, which had halted most green card applications filed abroad. The new directive seeks to reduce an enormous backlog of visa applications READ MORE READ MORE

Applicants for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) receive a work permit in the form of the Employment Authorization Document (EAD), which is subject to timely renewal. Owing to COVID-19, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is facing substantial delay in processing EAD applications. DACA recipients were in limbo, as the delay in processing threw them out of work. To remedy this situation, the USCIS, READ MORE READ MORE

The Biden administration announced that it will not strike the H-4 EAD (Employment Authorization Document) rule, which allows spouses of H-1B visa holders to work in the United States if they meet certain conditions. This is a great relief for almost 100,000 H-4 spouses. The United States Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) stated on February 10 that the proposed legislation (a ban on the H-4 EAD rule) READ MORE READ MORE

President Biden Ends Restrictions on Permanent Residence Visas On Wednesday, the Biden administration announced it was rescinding a Trump-era order halting the issuance of permanent residence visas to most family members of United States citizens and current permanent residents. The order barred anyone other than the spouse or minor child of a U.S. citizen from obtaining legal permanent residency through a family-based petition. The Trump administration, which READ MORE READ MORE

The Biden administration is keen on bringing meaningful immigration reforms; an immigration reform bill was introduced on February 18, 2021, Congress. And SESO Labor, a small California startup, has raised $4.5 million to ensure that farms have access to legal migrant farmworkers. Mike Guirguis, SESO’s founder, raised the amount over the summer from a few investors, including Founders Fund and NFX. Pete Flint, a founder of Trulia, READ MORE READ MORE