The priority dates of most employment-based green card categories have advanced in the US State Department’s August 2020 Visa Bulletin. This means that more foreign nationals will become eligible for United States lawful permanent residence this month.
On July 20, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) extended its interim policy allowing employers to inspect Form I-9 documents remotely due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This temporary flexibility policy was first announced in March 2020.
The US Department of State (DOS) has issued further exceptions to the presidential proclamations of June 22, 2020 and April 22, 2020, which limited the entry of certain foreign nationals into the United States. Limited categories of foreign nationals will be excluded from the proclamations, including
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has rescinded its recently announced policy that would have caused F and M student visa holders to lose their valid nonimmigrant status if they were enrolled in fully online courses for the Fall 2020 semester.
On July 6, 2020, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that F and M student visa holders will no longer be eligible for valid nonimmigrant status if they are enrolled in fully online courses for the fall 2020 semester.
The US State Department has completed the selection process for the fiscal year (FY) 2021 Diversity Visa lottery. Diversity Visa applicants should use their confirmation number, full name, and date of birth to verify their application status on the Diversity Visa Entrant Status Check website.
President Donald Trump’s June 22, 2020 presidential proclamation limits the entry of certain nonimmigrants into the United States starting on June 24, 2020 through December 31, 2020. The proclamation impacts individuals that were outside of the US on June 24, 2020 and did not already hold a valid US visa or travel document. Impacted visa categories include H, L, or J visa workers and their dependents.
On June 17, 2020, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) rescinded two long-standing policy memoranda for adjudicating certain H-1B petitions and issued new policy guidance. This new policy change reduces some of the evidentiary burdens on employers when filing H-1B petitions. The policy guidance is effective immediately and applies to all H-1B petitions, including pending petitions, appeals, and denials.
On June 22, 2020 President Trump issued a presidential proclamation extending the earlier April 2020 proclamation which suspends H-1, L-1, certain J visa holders, and their dependents who are outside of the United States from entering or seeking admission into the country between June 24, 2020 to December 31, 2020.
On Thursday, June 18, the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of upholding Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The court ruled that President Trump’s 2017 efforts to cancel DACA were “arbitrary and capricious,” because the administration did not clearly explain its policy justifications for revoking the program. However, the Trump Administration could overturn DACA policy in the future if they follow procedures correctly.
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