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Immigration Update

Feb 6, 2023 | Immigration Updates

In this edition, find the latest news about U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS’s) clarification of physical presence guidance for asylees and refugees applying for adjustment of status, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP’s) proposal to require additional passenger air travel documents, and certain asylum becoming eligible to apply for work authorization online.

USCIS Clarifies Physical Presence Guidance for Asylees and Refugees Applying for Adjustment of Status

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has clarified that an asylee or refugee must have been physically present in the United States for one year when USCIS adjudicates the Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, rather than when the adjustment of status application is filed. This applies to all Form I-485 and Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, applications that were pending on February 2, 2023, and those filed on or after that date.

The guidance update also clarifies that asylee and refugee adjustment of status applicants previously admitted in J-1 or J-2 nonimmigrant status and otherwise subject to the two-year foreign residence requirement under Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) § 212(e) do not need to meet that two-year requirement (or obtain a waiver) to adjust their status under INA § 209.

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CBP Proposes Additional Passenger Travel Document Requirements for Air Carriers

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) proposes to amend its regulations to incorporate additional commercial air carrier requirements that would enable CBP to determine, before an aircraft’s departure from the United States or from a foreign port or place, whether each passenger is traveling with valid, authentic travel documents before the passenger boards the aircraft. The proposed regulations would also require commercial air carriers to transmit additional data elements through CBP’s Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) for all commercial aircraft passengers arriving, or intending to arrive, in the United States, “to support border operations and national security and safety.”

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Certain Asylum Applicants Can Now Apply for Work Authorization Online

Applicants for employment authorization under category (c)(8), Pending Asylum and Withholding of Removal Applicants and Applicants for Pending Asylum under the ABC Settlement Agreement, can now file Form I-765, Application for Work Authorization, online.

To apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) based on a pending asylum application under the (c)(8) eligibility category, the applicant may file Form I-765 150 days after filing the asylum application. The filing date is the date U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) receives a properly filed Form I-589, Application for Asylum and Withholding of Removal. The date can be found on the receipt notice.

To file the Form I-765 online, an applicant must first create a USCIS online account. There is no cost to create an account.

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The Biden Administration’s Early Days: Is Immigration Reform Taking Shape?

With the first 100 Days of the Biden Administration behind us, we can confidently say that there is a clear effort underway to improve opportunities for foreign born workers in the U.S. While we may not see comprehensive immigration reform — a highly sought-after goal among immigration lawyers and our clients for quite some time — the path so far has yielded significant progress towards a more efficient, predictable environment for HR leaders and their employees. First and foremost, reversals of some regulations instituted by the previous Administration have re-opened borders and opportunities. Biden quickly put a halt to the widespread ban on immigrant workers, which was originally introduced to prevent entry by those who it was thought presented a risk to the U.S. labor market. He also put a hold on changes to the H-1B lottery, including the controversial wage-based allocation system. Just as important, the new Administration chose not to restrict some visa types that were on the proverbial chopping block. These include H-4 EADs (for spouses of foreign workers) and STEM OPTs (for those studying in STEM fields), which were both threatened by proposed bans under the previous Administration. As for the bigger picture, the major reform […]

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Immigration Update

In this edition, find out more about how the DHS plans to continue travel restrictions at land border ports of entry with Mexico, DOJ and DOL reaching settlements with Facebook resolving claims of discrimination against U.S. workers, the USCIS implementing employment authorization for individuals covered by Deferred Enforced Departure for Hong Kong residents, and more. DHS Continues Travel Restrictions at Land Border Ports of Entry With Mexico The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it will continue to temporarily limit non-essential travel of individuals from Mexico into the United States at land ports of entry (POEs) along the U.S.-Mexico border until January 21, 2022. The limit does not apply to those who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, DHS said. Details: DHS notice, 86 Fed. Reg. 58216 (Oct. 21, 2021), https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-10-21/pdf/2021-23005.pdf Back to Top DOJ, DOL Reach Settlements With Facebook Resolving Claims of Discrimination Against U.S. Workers The Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Labor (DOL) released a joint statement on October 19, 2021, announcing separate settlement agreements with Facebook regarding its use of the permanent labor certification program (PERM). The DOJ settlement includes about $14 million in fines, along with additional […]

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