President's Promised Immigration Suspension Very Limited in Scope; Only Suspends Entry of Some Immigrant Visa Applicants for 60 Days

/
President's Promised Immigration Suspension Very Limited in Scope; Only Suspends Entry of Some Immigrant Visa Applicants for 60 Days

On April 22, 2020 President Trump signed a presidential proclamation suspending the entry of only a limited group of immigrant visa applicants to the US for 60 days. The proclamation is effective as of 11.59pm on April 23, 2020. Notably, the proclamation does not impact immigrants already in the US, or individuals or any nonimmigrant visa programs, including the H-1B, L-1, TN, E, O-1, P-1, F-1, J-1 and B visa programs.

Read More

USCIS Extends Temporary Office Closures Until May 3

/
USCIS Extends Temporary Office Closures Until May 3

USCIS has announced that routine face-to-face services will continue to be suspended all Field Offices, Asylum Offices and Application Support Centers (ASC) until at least May 3, 2020 to help mitigate the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

The suspension of in-person services at USCIS offices includes interviews, naturalization ceremonies and biometric collection appointments. However, USCIS will continue to provide emergency services during this time.

Read More

USCIS Completes H-1B Cap Electronic Registration Selection Process

/
USCIS Completes H-1B Cap Electronic Registration Selection Process

USCIS has completed the random lottery of all electronic registrations received during the initial period of the FY2021 H-1B cap. USCIS expects to notify successful petitioners by March 31, 2020. Once a petitioner receives notification that a registration has been selected, they can proceed to file the full H-1B petition on behalf of the selected beneficiary.

Read More

Coronavirus Updates: UK and Ireland Added to Travel Ban; US Consulates in India, Madrid, Paris and Dublin Cancel Visa Appointments

/
Coronavirus Updates: UK and Ireland Added to Travel Ban; US Consulates in India, Madrid, Paris and Dublin Cancel Visa Appointments

Coronavirus continues to impact international travel, with the UK and Ireland recently added to the US travel bans. Also, operations at US Consulates in numerous countries, including India, Spain, Ireland and France, continue to be affected by Coronavirus resulting in visa appointment cancellations and/or consular service reductions.

Read More

Ellis Porter Announces Free H-1B Cap Registration Service for Employers; Also, 12 Important Things to Know about the New H-1B Cap Registration Process

/
Ellis Porter Announces Free H-1B Cap Registration Service for Employers; Also, 12 Important Things to Know about the New H-1B Cap Registration Process

The new H-1B cap registration process is being implemented this year and USCIS has finally provided some additional guidance about the new process and how it works, but open questions remain about several key aspects of the new process.

Check out our list of 12 important things to know about the new H-1B cap registration process, and read about how Ellis Porter plans to manage the registration process, including our free H-1B cap registration service for employers.

Read More

Video Games and Visas for International Esports Athletes

/
Video Games and Visas for International Esports Athletes

The gaming industry is on a rise and a huge part of that is contributed to esports. Professional sports leagues and teams continue to enter the world of esports in hopes of finding new ways to gain a bigger fan base. As more leagues like NBA 2K and eMLS League search overseas for talent, foreign national esports athletes should be aware of what visas to explore should they be offered an opportunity to play in the United States.

Read More