Immigration news

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it has reached its H2B visa cap for temporary non-agricultural workers for the first half of FY 2021. According to a press release issued by USCIS, November 16 was the final receipt date of new H2B visa applications requesting an employment start date before April 1, 2021.

 

The USCIS press release said: “Cap-subject H2B applications received after November 16 will be rejected.”

Bulgarian citizens will be able to enter the UK, visa free, for up to six months from 1 January, 2021, according to reports from the Bulgarian Embassy in London. UK visa free entry will allow Bulgarians to enter Britain repeatedly for tourism, attending meetings and conferences and short courses.  

However, visa free UK entry forbids permanent residence, employment and access to public funds.

Guidance issued by one of Britain’s highest, dedicated immigration courts banning in-person hearings amid the coronavirus pandemic has been deemed unlawful. The President of the Upper Tribunal for Immigration and Asylum Claims (UTIAC) had told the court that UK immigration appeals should be determined ‘based on the paperwork’ amid COVID-19.

 

US President-elect, Joe Biden, has nominated Cuban-American lawyer, Alejandro Mayorkas, to run the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a landmark mark move by the Democratic election winner. Mayorkas, who previously served as the DHS secretary under former US President Barack Obama, is among Biden’s first selection of Cabinet nominees.

 

Outgoing US President, Donald Trump, is planning to end US citizenship by birthright before he leaves office. Trump, who lost the US election to his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden – though he continues to refute the result - reportedly wants to strip US immigration rights from babies born to migrants in America.

 

Trump plans to sign an executive order that will ‘end birthright citizenship for years.’ However, several constitutional scholars claim that birthright citizenship is protected under the 14th Amendment.

News that EU citizens will have access to the five-year Tech Nation visa, has swiftly been followed by an announcement that applications for the Tech Nation visa have increased by nearly 50% in 2020. The surge in applications has been attributed to Britain’s booming tech sector, which continues to attract top talent from around the world.