The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act (RIA) of 2022 authorizes certain new investors to file a Form I-485 (Application for Adjustment of Status) along with a Form I-526 (Immigrant Petition by Standalone Investor) or Form I-526E (Immigrant Petition by Regional Center Investor). This is called concurrent filing, and to take advantage of it, there must...
Blog
USCIS recently introduced a final rule that details improvements made to the online filing of H-1B petitions. The rule focuses on establishing a beneficiary-focused selection process for employer registrations and codifies the FY 2025 registration period. As an effort to strengthen integrity and minimize the risk of fraud in the H-1B registration process, selections will...
USCIS just announced an increase in filing fees, the first hike since 2016. The agency claims that the current fees are not sufficient to cover the cost of operations, the expansion of humanitarian programs, federally mandated pay raises, and additional staffing requirements. Additionally, USCIS asserts that the enhanced filing fees will be allocated towards the...
Jan292024
The Mortgage Bankers Association estimates that nearly $1 trillion in multifamily CRE debt will mature by 2027. An historically large number of multifamily debt maturities is on the horizon, leading many borrowers seeking to extend time on their current loans waiting for better interest rates and loan terms, rather than refinancing their property at a...
The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act (RIA) of 2022 authorizes certain new investors to file a Form I-485 (Application for Adjustment of Status) along with a Form I-526 (Immigrant Petition by Standalone Investor) or Form I-526E (Immigrant Petition by Regional Center Investor). This is called concurrent filing, and to take advantage of it, there must...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is embracing modernization by introducing online filing for H-1B applications, marking a significant shift from the traditional paper-based submissions. This development promises to be a game changer, significantly reducing both the time and costs associated with the process. The announcement on January 12, 2024, unveiled USCIS’s commitment to...
The R-1 visa is a niche visa category and facilitates the temporary entry of ministers and non-ministers in religious vocations and occupations into the US for the purpose of performing religious work. Eligibility The employment must be with one of the following entities: (1) a non-profit religious organization in the US, (2) a religious organization...
On December 21, 2023, the Department of State (DOS) published a Federal Register notice announcing details regarding the domestic visa renewal pilot program, which allows applicants to renew their H-1B visas without needing to return to their home country. The pilot program will resume on January 29, 2024, and will accept applications until April 1,...