Chris Prescott

Within a week of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) opening applications for its new Parole in Place program, a Federal Judge blocked the initiative in response to a federal lawsuit filed by Texas and 16 Republican-led states. This program was designed to support non-citizen spouses and stepchildren who entered the U.S. without proper admission...

We have updated our H-1B FAQs to provide you with the most current and accurate information regarding H-1Bs.  1. What is an H-1B and who is eligible to apply? An H-1B visa is a non-immigrant work visa that allows U.S. companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require specialized knowledge and a bachelor’s...

The Department of State Reciprocity Schedule is a crucial resource for anyone involved in the U.S. immigration process, whether you are petitioning for an immigrant relative, the Beneficiary in a petition, or filing for a non-immigrant status. This article shall provide details on the reciprocity schedule, explaining what it is, how it works, and why...

A new trend has emerged where USCIS is approving employment-based green cards even when the applicant’s priority date is not current. Normally, to receive a green card, there must be a visa number available, corresponding to the applicant’s priority date. According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), visa numbers are generally assigned at the...

Starting August 19, 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began accepting online applications for its new Parole in Place program, introduced under the “Keeping Families Together” initiative. This program is designed to assist non-citizen spouses and stepchildren who entered the U.S. without proper admission or parole. By granting temporary Parole in Place, these individuals...

This article initially set out to compare the pros and cons of filing an Immigrant Petition for a foreign national spouse (Form I-130) versus a fiancé(e) visa (Form I-129F). However, while reviewing the estimated processing times on the USCIS website, the path is no longer clear.  In general, fiancé(e) visas had a shorter processing time,...

The Foreign Labor Application Gateway, commonly known as FLAG, is the centralized hub for all immigration-related processes concerning employment-based applications, including PERM processing. FLAG serves as a comprehensive platform for submitting and managing prevailing wage requests, Labor Condition Applications (LCAs), and other essential immigration documentation.  FLAG recently updated its processing times and unfortunately, they remain...

In June we reported that the Biden administration had announced a parole-in-place program to help unite families.  This new initiative aimed to benefit those married to a U.S. Citizen who had entered without admission or parole and had continuously resided in the U.S. for at least 10 years as of June 17, 2024. Although precise...