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Immigration News Briefs

Provided by Humera Subhani Email Provided by Humera Subhani
December 2019
Immigration News Briefs

Health insurance rule blocked
A federal court has blocked the Trump administration from implementing a policy that would require new immigrants to prove they have healthcare, would have U.S. health insurance within 30 days of their arrival, or have enough money to pay for “reasonably foreseeable medical costs.” This new healthcare requirement would primarily affect new immigrants looking to join family members in the U.S.

The court order, issued November 2 by U.S. District Judge Michael Simon in Oregon, temporarily barred the administration from applying the new policy for 28 days. Another hearing was scheduled for Nov. 22.
UPDATE: A U.S. judge in Oregon on Tuesday [November 26, 2019] granted a preliminary injunction blocking a Trump administration proclamation that would require immigrants to show proof of health insurance to get a visa. U.S. District Court Judge Michael Simon said in a written opinion that the proclamation could not take effect while a lawsuit challenging its constitutionality makes its way through the courts. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-immigration-donald-trump-rule-requiring-immigrants-prove-health-insurance-blocked-federal-judge-2019-11-27/

This requirement is part of a broader effort by President Trump to restrict immigrants’ ability to enter the country. In October, five separate federal courts blocked another Trump administration policy that would have required many of the same applicants to demonstrate that they would not become reliant on any public benefits should they be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. That rule would have also blocked immigrants already in the U.S. from gaining permanent residence if they had used public benefits or might in the future.

Processing fee increased
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that it is adjusting the fee to request premium processing for certain employment-based petitions.

Beginning on December 2, 2019, the premium processing fee increases to $1,440 from the current fee of $1,410 for Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, and Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker. USCIS last increased the fee in 2018.

Premium processing is an optional service for certain petitioners filing Forms I-129 or I-140 to request 15-day processing if they pay an extra fee in addition to the base filing fee and any other applicable fees.

Fee for H-1B visa registration
USCIS announced a final rule, effective December 9, that requires a $10 nonrefundable fee with each H-1B registration submitted by petitioning employers, once it implements the electronic registration system.

The H-1B program allows companies in the United States to temporarily employ foreign workers in occupations that require the application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and a bachelor’s degree or higher in the specific specialty, or its equivalent.

Petitioners seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions, including those eligible for the advanced degree exemption, will first register electronically with USCIS during a designated registration period.

APPLICATION FINAL ACTION DATES FOR ​December 2019

 

FAMILY

India

Pakistan/Bangladesh

1st

15May13

15May13

2A

Current

Current

2B

08Aug14

08Aug14

3rd

08Nov07

08Nov07

4th

01Nov04

01Feb07

 

 

EMPLOYMENT

India

Pakistan/Bangladesh

1st

01Jan15

15Jul18

2nd

15May09

Current

3rd

01Jan09

Current

Other

01Jan09

Current

4th

Current

Current

5th

01Jan18

Current1B

 


DATES FOR FILING VISA APPLICATIONS - ​December 2019

 

FAMILY

India

Pakistan/Bangladesh

1st

15Nov13

15Nov13

2A

01Oct19

01Oct19

2B

08Feb15

08Feb15

3rd

15May08

15May08

4th

01Jul05

22Jul07

 

 

EMPLOYMENT

India

Pakistan/Bangladesh

1st

15Mar17

Current

2nd

01Jul09

Current

3rd

01Feb10

Current

Other

01Feb10

Current

4th

Current

Current

5th

Current

Current1B

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin/2020/visa-bulletin-for-december-2019.html

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