H1B Visa Lawyer Blog

May 16, 2025

MVP “Immigration Q & A Forum” – 5/16/25

MVP Law Group, P.A. makes available the information and materials in this forum for informational purposes only. The information is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice or any contractual obligations. Further, the use of this site, and the sending or receipt of this information, does not create an attorney-client relationship between us. Therefore, your communication with us through this forum will not be considered as privileged or confidential.

Are H4 and H4 EAD requests filed concurrently with H-1B extension petitions being processed and approved at the same time?

USCIS has indicated that it would stop the practice of adjudicating the H4 & H4 EAD petitions concurrently filed by dependents with the H-1B extension petition; however, in practice, we are still seeing cases approved together, or within a few days/weeks of each other.

May 15, 2025

DHS Terminating TPS for Afghanistan!

by Kellie N. Lego

On Monday, May 12th, Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan. The TPS designation for Afghanistan is set to expire May 20, 2025! The Secretary has decided that they do not qualify for TPS and she will terminate it as of July 12, 2025.

For more information, please review the USCIS News Release, “DHS Terminating Temporary Protected Status for Afghanistan“!

Background:

May 14, 2025

Visa Bulletin – June 2025

by Kellie N. Lego

The Department of State has released its latest Visa Bulletin.

Click the link to view the June 2025 Visa Bulletin

The monthly Visa Bulletin has changed. The bulletin now summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during the reported month for: “Application Final Action Dates” (consistent with prior Visa Bulletins) and “Dates for Filing Applications,” indicating when immigrant visa applicants should be notified to assemble and submit required documentation to the National Visa Center using Consular Processing (outside of the US) or file on their own with USCIS Form I-485 (within the US).

May 13, 2025

First Group of White South Africans lands in US under Trump Refugee Plan

by Kellie N. Lego

The first group of white South Africans refugees have landed in US! They are here under Trump new refugee program for members of South Africa’s Afrikaner minority which President Trump says are victims of “racial discrimination”!

South Africa’s Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola denied Trump statement and said, “there is no persecution of white Afrikaner South Africans”!

For more information, please review the BBC News Article, “First group of white South Africans lands in US under Trump refugee plan“.

May 12, 2025

MVP “Immigration Q & A Forum” – This Friday, May 16, 2025

by Kellie N. Lego

We wanted to find a new way to engage our reader base. Every other Friday, we will post the ten (10) best/most frequently asked questions received during the week from our h1bvisalawyerblog, Facebook, and Twitter readers. We will answer those questions and provide the Q&A on our H-1B Visa Lawyer Blog.

If you have a burning question, are seeking assistance with a difficult immigration related case, wish to discuss your views on Comprehensive Immigration Reform, DREAMers, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, priority dates, the monthly visa bulletin, adjustment applications, etc., please contact us by submitting your question/comment/viewpoint in our comment box provided on our H-1B Visa Lawyer Blog.

Our next “Q & A Forum” will take place this Friday, May 16, 2025. Act now and submit your questions!

May 9, 2025

2025 USCIS Forms Updates – 4/29 thru 4/30

by Kellie N. Lego

The USCIS Forms Updates web page lists their most recently updated forms. The list includes forms as they publish them and includes a brief explanation for the update.

There are (23) form updates from April 29th through April 30th! To view these form updates and any others, review the USCIS Web Page: Forms Updates!

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May 8, 2025

Update – Cap Reached for Additional Returning Worker H-2B Visas for the First Half of FY 2025

by Kellie N. Lego

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on Friday, January 10, 2025, that they have received enough petitions to reach the cap for the additional 20,716 H-2B visas made available for returning workers for the first half of fiscal year (FY) 2025! They will continue to accept petitions for H-2B workers for the other 20,000 additional visas which have been allotted for nationals of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti, Colombia, Ecuador, and Costa Rica.

For more information, please review the USCIS News Alert, “Cap Reached for Additional Returning Worker H-2B Visas for the First Half of FY 2025“

UPDATE – Federal Register (federalregister.gov) : Exercise of Time-Limited Authority To Increase the Numerical Limitation for FY 2025 for the H-2B Temporary Nonagricultural Worker Program and Portability Flexibility for H-2B Workers Seeking To Change Employers

May 7, 2025

Immigration News – Top News Stories – Self-Deportation

by Kellie N. Lego

List of some of the Top News Stories related to Trump’s Self-Deportation:

BBC News (bbc.com), 5/5/25, Article:

Trump offers illegal immigrants $1,000 to ‘self-deport’

May 6, 2025

Checking USCIS Processing Times Online

by Kellie N. Lego

You can now check USCIS processing times online at the USCIS web site. All you need to enter is your form number, and the office processing your case. USCIS has made processing times easier to understand and provide a more realistic date range.

Check Case Processing Times

The processing time range is how long it is taking for USCIS to process your type of case from the date they received it. USCIS processes cases in the order they receive them, and they normally update this information monthly. The estimated time range displayed is based on data captured over the last two months. Frequently Asked Questions About Processing Times

May 5, 2025

Analyzing Trump’s actions on immigration during his first 100 days – Video Interview

by Kellie N. Lego

This is a video and transcript of a PBS News Hour interview with David Bier, Director of Immigration Studies, Cato Institute about Trump’s actions on immigration during his first 100 days in office. The PBS News Hour White House Correspondent, Laura Barron-Lapex conducted a six-minute interview with Bier which gave some interesting insight into Trump’s actions.

For more details and to view the video, review this link, “Analyzing Trump’s actions on immigration during his first 100 days“.

Source of Information: