It’s that time of year again, The Diversity Visa Lottery for fiscal year 2025 (“DV-2025”) will begin accepting registrations at 12 noon EDT October 4, 2023. The registration period for the DV-2025 will conclude on Tuesday, November 7, 2023 at 12:00 noon (EST). It is recommended that foreign nationals not wait until the end of the period to apply as heavy demand could cause delays on the website. Entries are only accepted electronically, and not through the US Postal Service. Keep in mind that “law allows only one entry per person during each registration period” so submitting multiple applications will result in disqualification, not better odds, and yes, “the Department of State uses sophisticated technology to detect multiple entries.”
Read moreUSCIS Implements Final Phase of Premium Processing Service Expansion, Including Option for New Petitions
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced it is implementing the final phase of its expansion of premium processing for Forms I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, in the EB-1 Multinational Executive and Manager and EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW) categories. This final phase is set to commence on January 30, 2023.
Read moreDiversity Visa Lottery for Fiscal Year 2024 (DV-2024)
It’s once again time for The Diversity Visa Lottery for fiscal year 2024 (“DV-2024”)! The online registration period for the DV-2024 began Wednesday, October 5, 2022, at 12:00 noon (EDT), and concludes on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, at 12:00 noon (EST). It is recommended that foreign nationals not wait until the end of the period to apply as heavy demand could cause delays on the website. Entries are only accepted electronically , they will not be accepted through the U.S. Postal Service. Keep in mind that submitting multiple applications will result in disqualification, not better chances, and yes, “the Department of State uses sophisticated technology to detect multiple entries.”
Read morePremium Processing for Pending EB-1 Multinational Executives or Managers and EB-2 NIW Petitions Set to Start
As part of its commitment to expand premium processing service, United Sates Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has announced it will begin to offer premium processing for certain petitioners who have a pending I-140 Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, under the EB-1 and EB-2 classifications.
Read moreUSCIS Plans to Expand Premium Processing Services
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) plans to “increase efficiency and reduce burdens to the overall legal immigration system” in order to reduce their extensive adjudication backlogs and increased processing times, by expanding the premium processing service to include additional form types.
Read moreDiversity Lottery for Fiscal Year 2023 (DV-2023)
Here we are again; it’s time for The Diversity Visa Lottery for fiscal year 2023 (“DV-2023”)! The online registration period for the DV-2023 Program began Wednesday, October 6, 2021, at 12:00 noon (EDT), and concludes on Tuesday, November 9, 2021, at 12:00 noon (EST). It is recommended that foreign nationals not wait until the end of the period to apply as heavy demand could cause delays on the website. Additionally, entries will not be accepted through the U.S. Postal Service. Submitting multiple applications will result in disqualification, and yes, “the Department of State uses sophisticated technology to detect multiple entries.”
Read moreDiversity Lottery for Fiscal Year 2021 (DV-2021)
It’s that time of year again! The Diversity Visa Lottery for fiscal year 2021 (DV-2021) is here. The online registration period for the DV-2021 Program begins on Wednesday, October 2, 2019 at 12:00 noon (EDT), and concludes on Tuesday, November 5, 2019 at 12:00 noon (EST). It is recommended that foreign nationals not wait until the end of the period to apply as heavy demand could cause delays on the website. Additionally, they should not submit multiple applications since doing so will result in disqualification.
Read moreThe Mercury News: “H-1B: U.S. employers say Canada’s immigration policies better, as tech booms north of border”
Canada’s more favorable immigration policies are attracting tech talent away from the US, according to a report by Envoy, which helps companies navigate the immigration and visa application process. In 2017 Toronto, North America’s fastest growing tech hub, added more tech jobs than the Bay Area, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. combined, and Ottawa, the nation’s capital, has more than 1,700 tech companies.
Read moreUSCIS: Revised Policy Guidance for the Validity Period of Form I-693, Medical Examination and Vaccination Record
US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced they are revising their policy concerning the validity period of Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, which is used to determine whether an applicant for an immigration benefit is inadmissible under the health-related grounds of inadmissibility. The updated policy, effective November 1, 2018, will require applicants to submit a Form I-693 that is signed by a civil surgeon no more than sixty days before filing the underlying application for an immigration benefit.
Read moreUSCIS: Update to Form I-797 Receipt Notices for Form I-751 and Form I-829
US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that as of June 11, 2018, petitioners who file Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, or Form I-829, Petition by Entrepreneur to Remove Conditions on Permanent Resident Status, will receive a Form I-797 receipt notice which can be presented with their Form I-551, Permanent Resident Card, as evidence of continued status for eighteen months past the expiration date on their Permanent Resident Card.
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