Week: August 12 - 16, 2024

In this week's newsletter, USCIS announced it will start accepting requests for Keeping Families Together Aug. 19 using a new electronic form, the H-2B cap count is updated for the first half of the 2025 fiscal year and the latest global immigration news.

In this week's BAL Immigration Report, Senior Counsel Tiffany Derentz provides an update on the U.S. Department of State’s domestic visa renewal pilot program.

Visit BAL.com/news for the latest news and don’t forget to subscribe to the BAL Newsletter .

U.S. news

• United States | Update on H-2B cap count for first half of FY 2025

As of August 12, there are 9,120 pending or approved H-2B petitions filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services of the 33,000 available for the first half of the 2025 fiscal year.

• United States | Keeping Families Together Form I-131F available Aug. 19

USCIS will begin accepting requests for parole in place Aug. 19 using the new electronic Form I-131F as part of Keeping Families Together.

• The BAL Immigration Report | Episode 86

In our latest episode, BAL’s Tiffany Derentz provides an update on the U.S. Department of State’s domestic visa renewal pilot program.

Global news

• United Kingdom | Increase to minimum income threshold for family visas on hold
• France | Impact of new immigration law
• Bulgaria | National Visa Information System
• India | Visa-on-arrival policy expanded
• United Arab Emirates | Health insurance for tourist visas
• Singapore | Certain Student’s Pass holders now eligible for permanent residence
• Singapore | Salary benchmark update released
• Malaysia | Document requirements for PVP applications
• Kazakhstan | Foreign worker quota applications now accepted

BAL in the press

• LAW360 | 5 Immigration Policy Developments of 2024: A Midyear Report | Behind a paywall
• LAW360 | Top Immigration Policies To Watch In the 2nd Half of 2024 | Behind a paywall