Five new steps the United States has taken to help immigrants

Key Aspects:

• The United States has implemented five integral steps to obtain visa and immigration services
• E and L dependent spouses need not apply for Employment Authorization Document (EAD Card) from now onwards
• 22 new fields of study have been added to the STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) program by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
• A premium process has been announced for 140 petitioners with pending petitions under the EB-1 and EB-2 categories

• The I-765 EAD and I-539 forms for change of status will resume during several phases of expansion

Overview:

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has introduced five new steps to acquire a visa, from premium processing to visa extensions for international students.

Main Features:

Over the past few months, the United States has implemented five integral steps to obtain visa and immigration services back to normal and eradicate backlogs post-pandemic.

The five new changes declared by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) are below, from premium processing to visa extensions for international students.

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Five new steps the USA implemented to help the immigrants

Step 1 - Work authorizations (For spouses of H, E, and L visa holders)

A new guide for work permits of H, E, and L spouses has been published.

• E and L dependent spouses need not apply for Employment Authorization Document (EAD Card) from now onwards
• Dependent spouses under H-4, E, or L will be qualified for an automatic extension of their currently existing employment authorizations and associated EADs if they properly file an application to reissue them before the expiry date and possess an unexpired Form I-94 that displays their existing status
• The automatic extension of their Employment Authorization Document (EAD Card) will resume until the end date on Form I-94 showing the status of validity, approval, or denial of the EAD renewal application, or 540 days from the expiration date of the previous EAD

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Step 2- J-1 visa extension

The recently graduated students of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) who want to begin academic training  not exceeding 30 days after completion of their studies related to STEM can now extend their J-1 visas with a validity of up to 36 months

22 new fields of study have been added to the STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) program by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Step 3- O-1 Visa guidelines

An expanded guideline for O-1 work visas has been published for people with exceptional abilities in specific fields like education, business, arts, athletics, sciences, or television production/motion picture.

With sustained national or international acclaim, or a record of excellent achievements in the television industry and motion picture, it is essential that the applicant displays extraordinary ability and must temporarily arrive in the United States to continue working in the area of outstanding ability.

The new guideline focuses on providing proof that has the same importance as that measurement to determine sustained recognition and acclaim if an applicant shows that a specific measure does not readily apply to their profession.

Step 4- Premium Processing (For EB-1 and EB-2 holders)

  A premium process has been announced for 140 petitioners with pending petitions under the EB-1 and EB-2 categories.

 The extension will function in the phases mentioned below :

• From June 1, 2022: Form I-907 requests for E13 multinational executive and manager petitions (received on or before January 1, 2021) will be accepted.
• July 1, 2022, onwards: Form I-907 requests for E21 NIW petitions (received on or before June 1, 2021, and E13 multinational executive and manager petitions received on or before March 1, 2021) will be taken into consideration.

The premium processing accessibility of additional Form I-140 employment petitions, I-765 EAD, and I-539 forms for change of status will resume during several phases of expansion.

Step-5 Extension Of Period Of Authorized Work

The applicants who have filed Form I-765 and are categorized under specific renewal for Employment Authorization authorize an automatic extension of their expiring employment authorization and EADs while their application is still pending. This involves employment, family, TPS, asylum, specialty, and diversity applicants.

This expands the authorized period of the applicants of work from 180 to 540 days. The USCIS expects this to help the immigrants avoid employment gaps because of pending EAD renewal applications. Planning to Migrate to the USA  from Australia? Get guidance from Y-Axis, the leading Overseas Consultant in Australia

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