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Canadian officials announced an intake cap on international student permit applications for a period of two years. Key Points: • The cap is expected to provide approximately 360,000 approved study permits in 2024, a decrease of 35% from 2023. • The temporary measure will be in place for
The White House Office of Management and Budget has finished its review of a final rule to raise U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services filing fees. • The text of the rule, including the final fee levels, is not yet available, but OMB review is the last step in the regulatory process
The Labor Department has posted updated processing times for permanent labor certification (PERM) applications and prevailing wage determination requests. PERM Processing: As of Dec. 31, the department was adjudicating applications filed in January 2023 and earlier, conducting audit reviews on applications filed in December 2022 and
The U.K. Parliament officially approved a new law increasing immigration health surcharge fees, effective Feb. 6. Key Points: As BAL previously reported, the increases were announced in July and were originally expected to come into force on Jan. 16. The surcharge
The Mexican government requires companies that employ foreign nationals to update their corporate registration certificate after filing their taxes each year. Key Points: Companies employing foreign workers must update their CRC with the National Immigration Institute (INM) no later than April 30. The tax filing deadline is March 31; the corporate
The French government has launched a new Olympic consulate system to process visa applications for the Olympic and Paralympic games in 2024. Key Points: Nearly 70,000 participants are expected to apply for visas in connection with the Paris games, in addition to visitors seeking tourist visas. French authorities have begun operating
Qatari government officials announced that the validity period for Hayya cards has been extended until Feb. 24. Key Points: The last entry date will be Feb. 10. The extension applies to World Cup Hayya entry visas or entry visas approved through the online platform. The visas
The Romanian government has published its annual quota for workers from outside the European Union, European Economic Area and Switzerland. Key Points: Romanian authorities issued 100,000 work authorization quota spots for 2024 for non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals, which is the same amount set in 2022 and 2023. Foreign nationals who are not EU/EEA/Swiss
A final regulation to “modernize” the H-1B visa program is under review at the White House Office of Management and Budget. Key Points: The text of the rule is not yet available, but OMB review is the final step in the regulatory process before publication. It
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced Friday it has received enough petitions to reach a cap on H-2B visas for returning workers with start dates in the first half of the 2024 fiscal year. Key Points: In November, the Department of Homeland Security and Department of
Japan authorities announced individual procedures will be in effect for foreign nationals impacted by the Noto Peninsula earthquake. Key Points: The Immigration Services Agency will provide special measures for residence applications for foreigners who have overstayed and are unable to apply at their regional immigration bureau according to original procedures. Individuals
Immigration New Zealand announced the extension of the 90-day trial period to all employers except accredited employers using the Accredited Employer Work Visa. Key Points: As previously reported, immigration officials recently eliminated the 90-day trial period in employment agreements for accredited
Chinese officials announced that its embassies and consulates in the United States will simplify document requirements for U.S. nationals applying for a tourist L-visa. Key Points: U.S. visa applicants will no longer be required to submit proof of certain travel details, including a round-trip air ticket,
The Indonesian government transitioned to a new e-visa website for all future visa applications. Key Points: The previous electronic visa application system service has transferred to a new website. The new platform is designed to simplify the visa application process and attract more tourists and business
New Zealand announced that applicants for permanent resident visas will be able to submit applications electronically by the end of January 2024. Key Points: Applicants for permanent resident visas, second or subsequent resident visas and variation of travel conditions of a resident visas currently must submit
H-1B and H-2 modernization, fee hikes and changes to the green card process top the Biden administration’s regulatory priorities on employment-based immigration, according to the semiannual regulatory agenda published this week. The administration also indicated it would propose regulatory changes related to certain nonimmigrants, including those who lose their
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced it will soon launch online organizational accounts and electronic filing for H-1B petitioners. Key Points: USCIS said it would launch organizational accounts next month for both non-cap filings and fiscal year (FY) 2025 cap season filings that will allow
The U.S. State Department released the February Visa Bulletin, showing no movement in Dates for Filing in key employment-based categories. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced it would use the Dates for Filing chart to determine employment-based filing eligibility. Dates for
A final H-1B rule is under White House review. The Supreme Court hears a pair of cases that could significantly affect immigration. And a look at the impact of immigration filing
Michelle Funk, Delya Ghosh, Tiffany Derentz, Martin Robles-Avila, Eileen Lohmann and Matt Dillinger contributed to this article. If the first few weeks of the year are an indication, it will be hard to miss immigration in the headlines in 2024. Already, it has emerged