Immigration Road Logo
Immigration News - November and December of 2017

12/18/2017: USCIS Issues Clarifying Guidance on NAFTA TN Status Eligibility for Economists

This policy update clarifies that professional economists requesting TN status must engage primarily in activities consistent with the profession of an economist. Individuals who work primarily in other occupations related to the field of economics — such as financial analysts, marketing analysts, and market research analysts — are not eligible for classification as a TN economist. - USCIS

12/14/2017: January 2018 Visa Bulletin Released

The Department of State has released the Visa Bulletin for January 2018. The table below shows "Final Action (Approval)" cut-off dates and movement from the previous month, for all major employment-based categories. To see filing cut-off dates or family-sponsored categories please go to the Visa Bulletin page linked above. For historical data, predictions and more information please refer to our Visa Bulletin Toolbox.

Chargeability Preference Cut-off Date (Y-M-D) Movement (Days)
China Second (EB2) 2013-08-08 38
India Second (EB2) 2008-11-22 21
ROW Third (EB3) C Current
China Third (EB3) 2014-04-15 38
India Third (EB3) 2006-11-01 17
Mexico Third (EB3) C Current
Philippines Third (EB3) 2016-02-15 31

12/06/2017: Senate confirms Kirstjen Nielsen to lead Homeland Security

The Senate voted Tuesday to confirm Kirstjen M. Nielsen as the next secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, installing a close confidant of White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly to lead the federal agency responsible for carrying out many of President Trump’s most ambitious domestic policy plans. - Washington Post

12/05/2017: Senate Republicans Introduce A ‘Pro-American’ DACA Fix

President Donald Trump has called on Congress to find a legislative fix for the roughly 800,000 illegal immigrants protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The White House additionally laid out a 70-point immigration plan that featured a litany of wishes including implementing a merit-based immigration system, the hiring of 10,000 additional Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and border wall funding. - Daily Caller

Republican Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley’s SECURE Act largely fulfills these goals and has the backing of Senate leadership as Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn is a co-sponsor of the legislation.

11/30/2017: Winter 2017 SEVP InFocus Webinar

Join the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) for the Winter 2017 SEVP InFocus Webinar on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017, from 2 to 3 p.m. EST. During this webinar, SEVP representatives will discuss the latest program news and updates for designated school officials (DSOs), including best practices for campus emergency preparedness. The webinar will also feature a special segment with SEVP field representatives, who will share Field Representative Unit updates and best practices for interacting with them. This webinar is designed for DSOs and those with an interest in the latest news and trends affecting F and M international students in the United States. - USCIS

December 14, 2017; Time 2:00 - 3:00 PM EST

11/20/2017: Green Card Tracker Updated with Data as of October 2017

green card tracker

USCIS published the pending I-485 inventory with data as of October 2017. We have now updated the green card tracker with the latest information. The I-485 tracker includes data from USCIS' pending I-485 inventory as well as DOS' pending consular processing cases.

11/13/2017: December 2017 Visa Bulletin Released: Not Much Movement for EB Categories

The Department of State has released the Visa Bulletin for December 2017. The table below shows "Final Action (Approval)" cut-off dates and movement from the previous month, for all major employment-based categories. To see filing cut-off dates or family-sponsored categories please go to the Visa Bulletin page linked above. For historical data, predictions and more information please refer to our Visa Bulletin Toolbox.

Chargeability Preference Cut-off Date (Y-M-D) Movement (Days)
China Second (EB2) 2013-07-01 16
India Second (EB2) 2008-11-01 8
ROW Third (EB3) C Current
China Third (EB3) 2014-03-08 35
India Third (EB3) 2006-10-15 0
Mexico Third (EB3) C Current
Philippines Third (EB3) 2016-01-15 0

Return to Immigration News

Easy Tools