Immigration News

Trump Era Standards for Asylum Applications Has Been Reversed

This month, the Biden administration overturned two Trump-era policies that limited asylum eligibility for domestic violence survivors and others.  US asylum law requires successful applicants to demonstrate that they are unable to return to their home countries due to a well-founded fear of persecution on account of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or their “membership in a particular social group.”  Under the Trump administration, the Attorney General reinterpreted the definition of “particular social group” in a way that had made it harder for asylum-seekers fleeing violence by private actors, including domestic partners and gang members, to qualify for protection in the US.  This welcome move by the Biden administration restores the “particular social group” definition and case law to what it had been before Trump took office.  The change is expected to make it easier for individuals fleeing gang violence, domestic violence, and other sexual violence to successfully obtain asylum protections in the United States.

USCIS designates Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS)

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced a new 18-month designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti. The effective date will be the date of publication of an upcoming Federal Register notice (FRN). This new TPS designation will enable Haitian nationals (and individuals without nationality who last resided in Haiti) residing in the United States as of May 21, 2021, to file initial applications for TPS, so long as they meet eligibility requirements.

Venezuelans are Eligible to Apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS)

On March 8, 2021, the Department of Homeland Security published a Federal Register notice announcing the designation of Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months effective March 9, 2021, through September 9, 2022.

Registration:
The 180-day registration period for eligible individuals to submit TPS applications begins March 9, 2021 and will remain in effect through September 5, 2021. Applicant will receive an Employment Authorization Document valid until September 9, 2022.

Requirements:
Applicants will need to demonstrate:
•  They are nationals of Venezuela or individuals having no nationality who last habitually resided in Venezuela;
• Continuous residence in the United States since March 8, 2021, and
• Good moral character

New Guidelines for I-765 Application for Employment Authorization for F-1 student visa holders

On February 26, 2021, USCIS announced flexibilities for certain foreign students affected by delayed receipt notices for Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. These flexibilities apply only to applications received on or after October 1, 2020, through May 1, 2021, inclusive.
USCIS has experienced delays at certain lockboxes in issuing receipt notices for Form I-765 for optional practical training (OPT) for F-1 students. These delays are a result of COVID-19 restrictions, a dramatic increase in filings of certain benefit requests, postal service volume and delays, and other external factors. While USCIS has made progress in addressing the problem, it is extending the following flexibilities to assist certain applicants for OPT impacted by the delays.
14-month OPT Period Flexibilities:

F-1 students may participate in up to 12 months of post-completion OPT, which must be completed within 14 months from the end of their program. Due to the delays at the lockbox, some applicants may only be eligible for a shortened period of OPT within that 14-month period. To allow F-1 students to complete the full period of requested OPT (up to 12 months), USCIS will allow the 14-month period to commence from the date of approval of the Form I-765 for applications for post-completion OPT.
USCIS will approve applications for post-completion OPT with validity dates reflecting the same amount of time originally recommended by the designated school official (DSO) from their school on the Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status.
F-1 students requesting post-completion OPT who receive an approval of Form I-765 for less than the full amount of OPT time requested (not to exceed 12 months) due to the requirement that the OPT be completed within 14 months of the program end date may request a correction of the EAD due to USCIS error. USCIS will issue a corrected EAD with a new end date, as requested, to cover the full amount of OPT time recommended in the original application.
Refiling Following Rejection:
Applicants for OPT must file the Form I-765 during certain timeframes. However, USCIS recognizes that due to the lockbox delays, some applicants who timely filed Form I-765 for OPT and whose applications were later rejected are unable to timely refile within the required application timeframes.
USCIS will accept a refiled Form I-765 for OPT and STEM OPT as filed on the original filing date if:

• The original, timely filed application was received on or after Oct. 1, 2020, through May 1, 2021, inclusive; and
• USCIS subsequently rejected it.
Refiled applications must be received by May 31, 2021, for USCIS to treat the application as though filed on the original received date.
Applicants refiling a Form I-765 for OPT or STEM OPT do not need to obtain a new Form I-20 with an updated OPT recommendation from the DSO, as long as they originally submitted an application for post-completion OPT within 30 days of the DSO’s recommendation or an application for STEM OPT within 60 days of the DSO’s recommendation as required by the regulations.
Applicants refiling an application should include a copy of the rejection notice to facilitate review of the case.

Missing or Deficient Signatures:
Applications with missing or deficient signatures are generally rejected at the lockbox. This policy remains unchanged. However, if the lockbox accepts a Form I-765 application for OPT or STEM OPT with a missing or deficient signature, USCIS will issue a Request for Evidence rather than deny the application, to give the applicant the opportunity to respond and provide the necessary signature or correct the deficiency.

President Biden Revokes Immigrant Visa Ban Effective Immediately

President Biden has revoked a Trump-era presidential proclamation that suspended the entry of certain immigrants until March 31. The revocation takes effect immediately and consulates are permitted to resume processing affected immigrant visa applications. However, due to reduced consular operations worldwide and increased demand, applicants are likely to see delays in appointment scheduling and adjudications for months to come. Further, many foreign nationals may need to qualify for exceptions to the regional COVID public health bans, which remain in place for travel from a number of countries.
The immigrant visa ban affected employment-based, family-based and Diversity Lottery immigrant visas, with limited exceptions for U.S. lawful permanent residents; spouses of U.S. citizens; children under 21 of U.S. citizens and prospective adoptees in the IR-4 or IH-4 visa classifications; foreign nationals seeking to enter on an immigrant visa as a healthcare professional, as well as their spouse and unmarried children under 21; applicants for EB-5 immigrant visas; and those whose entry would be in the U.S. national interest. Other than these categories, no immigrant visas were permitted to be issued under the ban.

Following President Biden’s revocation order, the State Department has issued guidance on how it will implement the rescission for applicants currently in the immigrant visa (IV) process and for those previously refused:
Not Yet Interviewed:  IV applicants who have not yet been interviewed or scheduled for an interview will have their applications processed according to existing COVID-19 consular operations frameworks, which could mean reduced visa services and prioritization of visa case types, depending on the post. Applicants may experience delays for these reasons.
Previously Refused:  IV applicants whose petitions remain valid and who were previously interviewed but refused visas due to the IV ban should wait for instructions from the U.S. embassy or consulate where they were interviewed. The Department of State has said it will reconsider these cases and will inform applicants if additional information is needed.
Diversity Visa (DV) 2020 Applicants:  Those holding diversity visas issued in 2020 that are still valid may seek entry to the United States immediately, despite the IV ban visa annotation. Individuals whose DV-2020 visas have expired may not be issued replacement visas. However, those who received diversity visas as a result of orders in the court case Gomez v. Trump may travel to the United States on an expired visa in compliance with the court order. The State Department warns, though, that the court order could still be changed or modified and therefore, these beneficiaries are encouraged to travel as soon as possible. 
Further, a national interest exception exists for DV applicants for the 2020 fiscal year who hold a valid immigrant visa and are subject to the regional COVID-19 public health bans.
Diversity Visa 2021 Applicants:  DV applicants for the 2021 fiscal year (DV-2021) should wait to be notified of the scheduling of an interview in accordance with the phased resumption of visa services framework.
Nevertheless, regional COVID public health bans remain in place for foreign nationals physically present in Brazil, China, Iran, Ireland, the Schengen Area, South Africa or the United Kingdom within 14 days of attempting entry to the United States. Spouses and children of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents are exempt from the regional bans on the basis of their family relationship, so applicants in these categories will not be subject to a regional ban. Other immigrant visa applicants who do not qualify for a separate exception from the regional bans, however, will need to apply for a national interest exception from the consulate in order to be issued a visa.
President Biden has left in place the nonimmigrant proclamation suspending the entry of foreign nationals in the H-1B, H-2B, L-1, and certain J-1 categories, as well as related categories for dependents, with exceptions. This ban is scheduled to expire on March 31, 2021; it is not expected to be extended.
Though U.S. consulates are no longer prohibited from issuing immigrant visas based on classification alone, consular operations worldwide remain reduced due to COVID-19 public health measures. Pent up visa demand exists due to these measures as well as from IV applications delayed or prevented by the travel ban, making visa application backlogs likely to continue. In addition, COVID regional public health bans remain in place and if applicable, must be overcome in order for a U.S. consulate to issue a visa. Applicants who are no longer subject to the immigrant ban may see their cases move forward, but should expect delays as consulates continue to phase in routine services and work through backlogs. Those previously refused under the IV ban should await further instruction from the U.S. consulate that handled their application.

First Circuit Court holds Broad Warrantless Border Phone Search Policy is Lawful

The First Circuit Court, which regulates immigration law in Massachusetts and thus Boston Logan airport, held that searches of cellphones and other electronics devices at the US border (the airport is considered to be a border) do not require a warrant or probable cause and can be used to search for contraband. This means that a traveler does not have an expectation of privacy for the content of their electronic devices, and thus, any information found of the devices can be used against the person in possession of the device.

H-1B VISA REGISTRATION & SELECTION PROCESS FOR FY2022

For the upcoming FY 2022 H-1B cap season, USCIS will continue its random, computerized H-1B cap lottery selection, as the agency has delayed to December 31 the effective date of a regulation that would replace it with a process that allocates H-1B visa numbers according to the Department of Labor’s wage level system.
USCIS will once again use an online registration system to conduct the H-1B cap selection.

USCIS will open the cap registration period on Tuesday, March 9, 2021 at noon EST. Employers can begin to draft and submit cap registrations at this time. The USCIS system will not accept drafts or registrations before March 9.
The registration period will close on Thursday, March 25, 2021 at noon EDT. All registrations for the FY 2022 cap must be submitted by this time. Late registrations will not be accepted.
Employers will be able to include up to 250 beneficiaries in a single registration submission. There is no limit on the number of registrations an employer can submit.

As in past years, USCIS is expected to receive far more H-1B cap registrations than needed to meet the annual quota of 85,000.
USCIS will conduct two lotteries to select enough beneficiaries to meet the 85,000 annual cap. The first lottery will include all registered beneficiaries and will select enough registrations to meet the regular cap of 65,000. The second lottery would include registered U.S. advanced-degree holders who were not chosen in the first lottery, and would select enough registrations to meet the advanced-degree cap exemption of 20,000.

USCIS plans to notify employers and immigration counsel of winning registrations by March 31, 2021.

DHS EXTENDS THE VALIDITY OF TPS AND TPS DOCUMENTATION FOR BENEFICIARIES FROM EL SALVADOR, HAITI, HONDURAS, NEPAL, NICARAGUA & SUDAN

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today announced a Federal Register notice extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and the validity of TPS-related documentation for beneficiaries under the TPS designations for El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan.

The notice automatically extends through Oct. 4, 2021, the validity of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs); Forms I-797, Notice of Action; and Forms I-94, Arrival/Departure Record (collectively, TPS-related documentation) for beneficiaries under the TPS designations for these six countries. The notice also sets forth procedures necessary for nationals of these six countries (or aliens having no nationality who last habitually resided in these countries) to apply for EADs if they wish.

This notice ensures continued compliance with the orders issued by the federal district courts in the Ramos v. Nielsen, Bhattarai v. Nielsen, and Saget v. Trump lawsuits that require DHS to maintain the TPS designations for El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan, as well as the TPS and TPS-related documentation for eligible affected beneficiaries.

     • The TPS designations for El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Sudan will remain in effect, as required by the Ramos district court order, so long as the preliminary injunction remains in effect. Although a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit vacated the injunction on Sept. 14, 2020, no directive has been issued to the district court, thus the injunction remains in effect.
     • The TPS designation for Haiti will remain in effect, as required by the preliminary injunction orders in both Ramos and Saget, so long as either of those preliminary injunctions remains in effect.
     • The TPS designations for Honduras and Nepal will remain in effect so long as the Bhattarai order staying proceedings and approving the parties’ stipulated agreements continues in effect.

Federal Court Rules Against the Elimination of OPT

Judge Reggie B. Walton of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia has issued a summary judgment order upholding the Department of Homeland Security’s post-graduate Optional Practical Training (OPT) programs. The ruling comes in response to a 2016 lawsuit filed by Washington Alliance of Technology Workers (WashTech), which claimed in part that the 2016 STEM OPT rule was issued in excess of DHS’s statutory authority.
A detailed decision outlining Judge Walton’s reasons for ruling in favor of DHS without a full trial will be issued within 60 days. The plaintiffs are expected to appeal.
The case is Washington Alliance of Tech Workers v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security et al. in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The district court’s decision is part of a years-long litigation effort spearheaded by WashTech in opposition to OPT programs for foreign graduates.
In 2014, the technology union lodged its first challenge, focusing on the 2008 STEM OPT rule, which provided 17-months of additional practical training to foreign graduates with degrees in science, technology, engineering and math. In that challenge, the district court ruled that DHS had the authority to create the STEM OPT program, but failed to meet its notice and comment obligations when it published the regulation in 2008. Though the court vacated the 2008 rule, it stayed its ruling in order to give DHS time to meets its rulemaking obligations and minimize hardship to F-1 students and employers.
DHS complied with the court's ruling by proposing the current STEM OPT regulation in 2016 and meeting its notice and comment obligations. The new rule, which took effect in May 2016, increased STEM OPT extensions from 17-months to 24-months.
Immediately after the current rule took effect, WashTech filed the latest lawsuit, which has been ongoing for over four years. Though the Trump Administration, which is critical of practical training programs, has defended the 2016 rule in court, the current litigation was bolstered by three trade associations which were permitted to intervene in the lawsuit. Through their filings, the National Association of Manufacturers, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Information Technology Industry Council provided a strong defense of the rule and its promulgation as well as details about how practical trainings programs benefit the U.S. educational system and economy.
The district court’s decision ensures the OPT and STEM OPT programs will remain in place for now. WashTech, however, is expected to appeal the ruling once the full written decision is issued by Judge Walton.
Outside of the litigation, there still remains some threat to practical training programs from the Trump administration. The administration’s Spring Regulatory Agenda reflects plans to propose further restrictions on the OPT and STEM OPT programs by the end of December. However, time is running short on the agency’s ability to finalize a rule by the end of President Trump’s term in office.