US Immigration News

Denial rates for US H1B visas have plummeted to an all-time low after new data emerged showing that 96% of the speciality occupation visas were approved in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021. The findings, published by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) – a policy research organization based in Arlington – revealed that the H1B visa rejection rate had dropped to an impressive 4%.

 

The CEO of the US Chamber of Commerce, Suzanne Clark, has said more immigration to the US is needed to ease inflation and tackle America’s labor shortages. Ms Clark has urged the Biden administration to ease US immigration policies in order to double the number of legal immigrants.

 

During a recent press conference, Ms Clark said: “We need more workers. We should welcome people who want to come here, go to school and stay. That is a place the government could be particularly helpful and we do believe it would be anti-inflationary.”

California is set to become the first state in America to achieve universal healthcare access under a new proposal outlined by Governor Gavin Newsom. As part of his state budget proposal, Newsom plans to give all low-income residents in California, regardless of US immigration status, access to the state’s Medicaid coverage.

 

New York City has granted hundreds of thousands of US employment-based visa (green card) holders and so-called Dreamers the right to vote in local elections in a landmark move. Republicans are now attempting to sue to block such rights for non-US citizens. If legal challenges fail, New York will become the largest US city to allow non-citizens to vote.

 

The US Department of State (DoS) has expanded interview waivers for the L1 visa, and other US visa categories, until the end of 2022. In an effort to tackle visa processing delays and backlogs, the DoS has authorized US consular officers worldwide to waive the in-person interview requirement for several US visa categories.

 

The controversial Trump-era, ‘Remain in Mexico’ US immigration policy has been expanded amid an appeal from the Biden administration to scrap the rule. Late last year, President Biden was forced to reinstate the policy after multiple courts ruled that it should be resurrected. The Remain in Mexico rule was reinstated in Texas but has now been expanded to San Diego.