On Sept. 30, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed and the president signed H.R. 8337 to keep the U.S. government operational through Dec. 11, 2020. This action will maintain vital immigration
Continue Reading Congress Passes and the President Signs the Continuing Resolution Keeping Government and Vital Programs such as EB-5 and E-Verify Operational Thru Dec. 11, 2020 – New Premium Processing Directive
As we previously reported, USCIS Form I-944 has been the subject of ongoing litigation, with various USCIS stakeholders challenging the form’s continued use. ‘However, due to a recent Second
Continue Reading Court Again Allows Use of Form I-944
On Aug. 12, 2020, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals limited a nationwide injunction issued earlier by a lower court in Make the Road New York, et al. v. Cuccinelli, et al., where the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) issued a nation-wide injunction preventing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from continuing to require compliance with the public charge rule.
Continue Reading Court Limits Use of Form I-944
As part of USCIS’ updated Redeployment guidance released July 24, USCIS released a Q&A. The Q&A confirms the guidance from July 24, including the more questionable aspects of
Continue Reading USCIS Releases FAQ on Redeployment Guidance Updates
On July 24, 2020, USCIS issued a Policy Alert titled “Clarifying Guidance for Deployment of Capital in Employment-Based Fifth Preference (EB-5) Category.” The Policy Alert outlines those changes that USCIS
Continue Reading USCIS Issues New Redeployment Guidance
On July 21, 2020, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Ombudsman’s Office published an alert regarding card production delays. According to the alert, in June 2020, USCIS reduced the capacity to print secure documents, including Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) Cards and Employment Authorization Documents (EAD), after it ended a contract with a third-party card production facility. While USCIS intended to hire federal employees to replace the contractors, the current hiring freeze at USCIS has delayed production of the cards. As such, USCIS has not been producing the permanent resident cards and EAD cards in a timely manner, so some foreign nationals have been delayed in receiving these secure documents.
Continue Reading USCIS Card Production Delays & Obtaining I-551 Stamps as Temporary Proof of Status
Processing times for many EB-5 related petitions continue to vary. The updated processing times are as follow:
Continue Reading Update – Processing Times for EB-5 Related Petitions
The EB-5 Regional Center Program was set to expire on Nov. 21, 2019. On Nov. 18, Congress introduced a Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government and extend vital programs such as EB-5 through Dec. 20, 2019. Leaders hope to use the additional time to extend current operations and complete fiscal matters and other priorities before the holidays. There is an ongoing effort to include new EB-5 legislation in a legislative vehicle in December.
New EB-5 regulations published on July 24, 2019, as final will take effect Nov. 21, 2019. There is no additional phase-in for these regulatory changes. Some of the key changes listed below will immediately impact the EB-5 program:
Continue Reading EB-5 Update – New Regulations to Take Effect and Regional Center Program to be Extended Through Dec. 20, 2019
As a reminder to our readers, the Obama-era EB-5 Regional Center regulations – see July post for details – go into effect Nov. 21, 2019. USCIS has published a webpage
Continue Reading Washington EB-5 Update