US Immigration News

According to a section of the Biden Reconciliation Bill, released by the US House Judiciary Committee, those caught up in the decades-long wait to secure a US green card could jump the queue by paying a ‘super-fee’. However, the Bill makes no mention of plans to abolish country caps for US green cards or increase the annual quota of H1B visas.

 

By Sanwar Ali:

There were high hopes that when Biden was elected President that this would make it easier for both temporary and permanent migrants to gain entry to the US.

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it will extend deportation relief and US work permits for more than 300,000 nationals from six countries. Citizens of El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan will see their Temporary Protected Status (TPS) extended until December 31, 2022.

 

Organizations in the senior living and nursing sector have urged the US State Department to prioritize US visas for foreign-trained nurses and healthcare workers amid a staffing crisis. In a letter sent to the State Department on August 30, executives from 11 long-term care related associations called on government officials to reduce US visa delays.

 

Mexican President, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has sent a letter to US President Joe Biden, urging the White House to make it easier for Mexican migrants to obtain US work visas as the two countries attempt to tackle rising immigration levels.

 

According to Lopez Obrador, Mexicans who enrol in apprentice or work schemes should be given the opportunity to apply for temporary work visas lasting six months, enabling them to work in the US.

US immigration authorities have announced that they will publish details of an 18-month work permit scheme, which will be offered to ‘eligible’ citizens of Hong Kong, by the end of September. On August 5, President Joe Biden issued a memo allowing for Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for certain Hong Kong residents, plus the right to work for 18 months.