In a press release issued Friday, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it has extended the list of approved degree programs that qualify for the STEM optional practical training extension. STEM refers to designated degrees in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math, which qualify graduates for an extra 17 months of OPT [...]

USCIS has updated the count of cap eligible petitions for H-1B visas in the 2013 fiscal year. As of May 11, USCIS had received 36,700 out of 65,000 cap eligible petitions. USCIS also reported that it had received 14,800 petitions eligible for the Master’s cap exemption of 20,000 visas. For more information, please visit the [...]

The Department of State has confirmed with officials from the American Immigration Lawyers Association that the employment based second preference visa limit has been reached for the 2012 fiscal year for immigrants chargeable to India or Mainland China. This means that no further visa numbers are available and no visas will be issued to members [...]

USCIS’ policy of tolling unlawful presence while an application is pending protects applicants from being forced to abandon pending applications upon the expiration of their status. Due to equitable tolling, applicants may remain in the U.S. legally for the duration of the application process, even after their previously approved status has expired.

Secure Communities is a government program instituted by the Department of Homeland Security that encourages interaction between state and local authorities, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in order to increase the efficacy of immigration enforcement and dedicate the highest priority to criminal aliens who pose the largest threat to public safety. DHS hopes that the program will optimize ICE’s use of the limited funds appropriated each year for immigration purposes.