Immigration Updates September 2023

Visa Bulletin

The US State Department released the October 2023 Visa Bulletin, which starts the 2024 Fiscal Year. Though priority dates will be current for all other countries in the EB-1 category beginning October 1, unfortunately EB-1 priority dates for citizens of India and China remain backlogged. We will continue to monitor the visa bulletin each month and notify clients when their priority dates become current.

Seal_of_the_United_States_Department_of_State

USCIS Releases EB-1 Guidance

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services recently updated Chapter 2 of the USCIS Policy Manual to include guidance clarifying how the Service evaluates the types of evidence to determine eligibility for extraordinary ability and outstanding professor or researcher EB-1 green cards.

The update provides additional information and describes examples of evidence that may satisfy the relevant evidentiary criteria or qualify as comparable evidence, as well as considerations for evaluating such evidence, with a focus on science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) fields.

The new guidance provides more clarity and transparency and should assist petitioners in submitting appropriate evidence that may establish the beneficiary’s eligibility.

The WGA Strike is over
but the SAG Strike Continues

The Hollywood Reporter reports that the WGA strike officially ended at 12:01pm on Wednesday, allowing 11,500 union members to go back to work - which is good news for writers applying for O-1's. The SAG strike continues, delaying issuance of advisory opinion letters needed for O-1 approval for film/TV actors. We will provide updates as we have them.

Thinking About Applying for an EB-1?

Now is a good time to consider applying for an EB-1 green card, as approval rates are higher than they’ve been since 2020. We invite O-1 visa holders, and any other visa holders who feel they may meet the EB-1 criteria, to schedule a consultation to discuss eligibility requirements. We will be happy to assess your case. If we feel you’re not yet ready to apply, we will advise on steps you can take to make your EB-1 case stronger.

Is it time to start thinking about renewing your O-1?

If your O-1 status is expiring within a year and you want to get started on the renewal so you don’t have to worry about it over the holidays, you can schedule a call to speak with one of our attorneys about your O-1 renewal.

Recent Approvals

Since our last update just a few weeks ago we’ve had O-1’s, P-1’s & EB-1 petitions approved for a photographer, multiple Founder/CEO’s, a band, an automotive designer, a cardiologist, and a director & producer from Russia, Greece, India, China, Nepal, Ukraine and Malaysia.

O-1 Visa Live Stream

Next month, Global Talent Immigration will be Live Streaming a Q&A on O-1 Visas and EB-1 Green Cards. The Q&A will feature Global Talent attorneys and case managers who will answer both basic and advanced questions about Extraordinary green cards and visas. We will send a notice when registration opens.