Washington, April 1 (IANS) The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said that it has received enough electronic registrations to meet the fiscal year 2027 H-1B visa cap, including the advanced degree exemption, triggering the next phase of filings starting April 1.The agency confirmed it has “selected enough beneficiaries with properly submitted registrations to reach the H-1B cap” and has notified petitioners whose beneficiaries were chosen. Only those with selected registrations…
Latest US Citizenship and Immigration Services News & Updates
Washington, March 4 (IANS) A top Republican senator raised concerns over alleged abuse of employment-based visa programmes, including the H-1B system and Optional Practical Training (OPT), prompting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to confirm that it is reviewing the student work programme.During a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing, Senator Eric Schmitt argued that the H-1B visa programme was increasingly being misused in ways that could disadvantage American workers.“For t…
Washington, Jan 24 (IANS) Three US federal courts have issued rulings this week questioning how immigration authorities detain noncitizens and handle immigration benefit cases, granting partial relief to Indian nationals or allowing their lawsuits to move forward.In Michigan, a federal judge ordered immigration authorities to give an Indian asylum seeker a bond hearing or release him from custody. The US District Court for the Western District of Michigan ruled that Harjot Singh, held by Immigra…
Washington, Jan 22 (IANS) A new US rule, which changes how H-1B work visas are chosen, could bring strong economic gains over the next 10 years, according to a government watchdog, but may be taking effect faster than the law allows.The Government Accountability Office (GAO) said the Department of Homeland Security’s new H-1B selection rule is expected to deliver economic benefits of more than $20 billion between 2026 and 2035. The rule is estimated to cost about $303 million to implement over…
Washington, Jan 19 (IANS) US federal judges in California have ordered immigration authorities to release two Indian nationals, ruling that their detention without hearings likely violated constitutional due process. The orders were issued this week by the US District Court for the Eastern District of California. In both cases, the court found that Immigration and Customs Enforcement failed to provide notice, hearings or lawful justification before holding the men in custody.In one case, Chief U…
Washington, Jan 14, (IANS) The US Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday announced issuing an interim final rule eliminating a long-standing requirement that forced many foreign religious workers to remain outside the United States for a full year before returning to their duties, a move expected to bring relief to faith-based institutions facing acute staffing shortages.The new rule removes the mandatory one-year foreign residency requirement for R-1 religious workers who reach the statutor…
Washington, Jan 10 (IANS) US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced an increase in fees for premium processing of several immigration benefits, including the H-1B visa, effective March 1.USCIS said the premium processing fee has been increased to reflect the amount of inflation from June 2023 through June 2025.The changes affect key employment-based and non-immigrant filings widely used by foreign professionals, including Indian nationals working or studying in the United States.Under th…
Washington, Dec 23 (IANS) US immigration authorities say they are tightening oversight of H-1B visas and other legal immigration programs, citing fraud investigations, new regulatory limits, and a broader enforcement push outlined in a year-end review released.The US Citizenship and Immigration Services said it has stepped up scrutiny of employment-based, student, and family-based immigration, including through its largest enforcement effort to date, Operation Twin Shield.The operation uncovered…