NEWS

An additional eight degrees are added to the list as qualifying fields of study for F-1 visa holders looking for work in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) added the fields of study to the STEM Designated Degree Program List, expanding options for eligibility to apply for a 24-month extension through the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program.

A Texas federal judge denied a request to delay the bench trial in Texas' challenge to the Biden administration's parole program for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans. The request questions whether a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling affects Texas' standing in the case.

A group of information technology workers is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to review a district court ruling upholding the policy of allowing spouses of H-1B visa holders employment authorization. The basis of their complaint is the U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not have the authority to create the policy.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a new path to citizenship for qualifying individuals from select Central American counties and Columbia. The program starts on July 10, 2023, and gives eligible migrants from Columbia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras the option to enter the U.S. via air and receive government work permits if the individuals’ relatives are already in the U.S. with legal status and have filed a visa application for them.

Regardless of their immigration status, immigrants in Illinois will soon have the ability to apply for a standard driver’s license to be used for identification. The Governor of Illinois, J.B. Pritzker, signed a law phasing out the “Temporary Visitor Driver’s License” (TVDL) currently available for noncitizens in the state. The new law goes into effect on July 1, 2024.

Canada is creating a streamlined work permit process for U.S.-based H-1B specialty occupation visa holders. As of July 16th, 2023, U.S. H1-B visa holders and their accompanying immediate family members will be eligible to apply to enter Canada.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that both Texas and Louisiana do not possess the necessary standing to challenge President Biden's efforts in prioritizing national security threats and other criteria for immigration arrests and deportations.

Anticipation grows as many eagerly await updates on the Welcome Corps Program. ILBSG is closely monitoring all updates associated with the Welcome Corps Program to update all ILBSG's clients interested.

Encouraging illegal immigration to the United States is a federal crime per the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court agreed with the U.S. Justice Department in the reversal of a lower court’s ruling that the law is unconstitutional as it limits freedom of speech under the First Amendment.

The first group of refugees to be privately sponsored through the Welcome Corps program arrived in the U.S. on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. The goal is to support over 5,000 refugees with sponsorship through Welcome Corps.