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The State Department announced that it has implemented the new C-4 and D-3 visa classifications for noncitizens traveling to join vessels engaged in foreign trade and lightering activities.
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Additional Information: The new visa classifications, proposed under the Energy Security and Lightering Independence Act of 2022, amend the C and D visa categories of the Immigration and Nationality Act. “This will end the need for individual grants of parole for members of these important crews to ensure they are able to properly transport vital energy supplies into and out of the U.S. without overburdening the administrative process,” said U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), who co-authored the 2022 bipartisan bill with U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas).
This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice Group.
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced it will open an international field office in Quito, Ecuador, on Sept. 10.
Additional Information: “Opening the Quito Field Office expands USCIS’ international presence and expertise in a critical location and is part of our commitment to the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to facilitate safe and orderly lawful pathways and meet our humanitarian mission,” said USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou. More information about the new field office is available here.
The State Department announced that the annual limit of EB-4 visas has been reached for fiscal year 2024.
Additional Information: EB-4 visas allow a wide variety of special immigrants, including religious workers, special immigrant juveniles, certain U.S. government employees, certain international organization retirees and certain international broadcasting employees, among others, to legally reside and work in the United States.
In this week’s episode, BAL’s Gabriel Castro and Kristi Ngo discuss a recent end-of-summer event they attended with a group of global mobility professionals – and understanding what global mobility means. Plus, the latest immigration news.
The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) within the Department of Labor announced it would delay implementing revised H-2A job order and application forms associated with the Farmworker Protection Rule until further notice.
Additional Information: The Farmworker Protection Rule is a final rule published by DOL in June intended to strengthen protections for temporary nonimmigrant agricultural workers, enhance the department’s capabilities to monitor program compliance and take necessary enforcement actions against program violators.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) announced it will fully decommission the legacy Permanent Online System on Dec. 1.
Additional Information: OFLC will continue processing applications that are still pending in the Permanent Online System after Nov. 30. Stakeholders who need to submit materials or request case action on such applications must do so via email sent to PLC.Help@dol.gov. Documents should be submitted as PDFs and named with the case number and title of attachment. Stakeholders should continue to check their email for correspondence related to these pending applications.
In this week’s episode, BAL’s Chad Li and Kyle McLaughlin discuss common questions about the PERM process and identify four main considerations employers should be aware of when navigating its complexities. Plus, the latest U.S. and global immigration news.
This podcast has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice Group.
The State Department announced that the annual limit of EB-1 visas has been reached for fiscal year 2024.
Additional Information: EB-1 visas allow individuals with extraordinary ability that have received national or international recognition, outstanding professors and researchers, and multinational executives and managers to legally reside in the United States and contribute across many industries, greatly benefitting the U.S. economy.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services updated its Policy Manual guidance on when nonimmigrant students may be eligible for Optional Practical Training (OPT) extensions in STEM fields.
Additional Information: Further details about this updated USCIS Policy Manual guidance are available here.
A federal judge in Texas temporarily blocked the Biden administration from approving parole requests under the Keeping Families Together program on Monday.
Additional Information: DHS officials stated that they would comply with the decision and stop approving cases but continue to accept applications while defending the program in court. More information and updates can be found on the USCIS Keeping Families Together website.