Immigration News: October Visa Bulletin Brings Surprises
Legalpad (Deel Immigration)
Deel's in-house immigration support gets you worldwide visas hassle-free, enabling work from 30+ countries.
Hello Reader,
The visa bulletin is live for the month of October, with mixed results for employment visas. Second, the United Kingdom is expecting to increase visa fees across the board to maintain its immigration system. Lastly, a new report by CATO highlights the disparity of Indian Nationals in the backlog.
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Immigration Updates ??
???October Visa Bulletin Brings Surprises
There is good news and bad news for the visa bulletin . EB-1 priority dates for India have advanced by an incredible seven years, but it's important to note that there is still some ground to cover as it remains three years behind its previous date (February 2022). On a positive note, EB-2 dates for India leaped forward by an impressive one-and-a-half years. And that's not all! Thanks to the rise in family-based applications, applicants can expect less competition for employment-based green cards in FY 2024.?
Lastly, starting in October, USCIS will accept adjustment of status applications based on the Dates for Filing chart. This means that foreign nationals who wish to file an employment-based adjustment of status application next month must have a priority date earlier than the Date for Filing listed below for their preference category and country. This is a fantastic opportunity for those looking to secure their status in the U.S.?
???? UK Expected To Increase Visa Fees
Get ready for some changes! Starting July 2023, the UK has announced changes to pricing . Brace yourself for a 15% increase in the cost of most work and visit visas. But that's not all. Priority visas, study visas, and certificates of sponsorship will have an increase of at least 20%! According to the government, these adjustments are necessary to ensure a sustainable immigration and nationality system.?
The additional income from fees will contribute to vital services and even help prioritize public sector pay rises. Employers with foreign nationals should be mindful of the effect of such fee increases on their budget assessments.
???? Indian Nationals Experience a 134-Year Waiting Period for Green Cards
According to a recent analysis by the Cato Institute, over 400,000 Indian workers in the U.S. are facing an astonishing 134-year wait for an employment-based green card. This staggering backlog is a result of the U.S. government's annual cap of 140,000 employment-based visas and the 7% per-country limit, which has led to a total of 1.8 million cases waiting to be processed. Out of these cases, a staggering 1.1 million are from India alone.
In March 2023, there were 80,324 employment-based petitions in backlog, comprising 171,635 applicants, including spouses and minor children. Additionally, a staggering 1.3 million people were placed on a waiting list, while 289,000 individuals were in the process of adjusting their status. Some employment-based immigrants were also waiting for their visas to be processed at consulates and embassies abroad, although the exact number of these cases has not been disclosed by the State Department. It is worth noting that there may be some overlap in the backlog due to multiple petitions filed on behalf of the same person, as highlighted by the Cato Institute.
Immigrant Entrepreneur Toolkit ??
Opening a U.S. bank account as an immigrant is one of the most important steps for establishing a foothold in the country. The U.S. is a fairly easy country to open a bank account in as a non-citizen. However, there are a few extra and alternative steps you need to take.=
The EB1B visa is an advantageous visa compared to similar employment-based options because it provides a quicker path to a?green card. The EB1B allows applicants to skip the lengthy?PERM?labor certification process, which typically takes a few years. The EB1B can be filed with?premium processing , which speeds up the processing time. In addition, an EB1B approval puts applicants into the 1st preference category for green card filings, which is the quickest path to a green card.
Whether you’re an HR professional, business owner, or self-appointed trivia master, this quiz will challenge your understanding of US payroll and employment laws and demonstrate just how complex—and strange—they can be.?Test your knowledge, and start the quiz!
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