This is big! Our very first newsletter.

December 17, 2022

This is big! Our very first newsletter, designed to bring the latest in immigration news, updates, announcements, and more, right into your inbox. Let's dive right in.

What we have in store for you this week:

  • Green card backlog woes continue

  • Automatic renewal of green cards

  • Visa wait times reach 936 days

  • Quick bites

  • Zeno corner

  • iMemes

GREEN CARD BACKLOG WOES CONTINUE

The Equal Access to Green Cards for Legal Employment Act (EAGLE Act), which aimed to remove per-country caps on employment-based green cards and increase the cap on family-based visas, has been pulled from the floor of the House of Representatives amid opposition from immigration hawks and lawmakers from both parties. The Act had support from tech companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Intel, who argued that the per-country caps were "unfair" and contributed to the backlog of applications. Opponents raised concerns about national security and the potential exploitation of the Act by the Chinese government. read more ->

AUTOMATIC RENEWAL OF GREEN CARDS

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced an update to its policy manual which will automatically extend the validity of green cards for holders applying for naturalization. This change will take effect on December 12, 2022 and will allow lawful permanent residents applying for naturalization to receive an automatic green card extension, regardless of whether they file Form I-90. The update is intended to improve efficiency by reducing the number of Alien Documentation, Identification and Telecommunications stamps and Form I-90 filings. read more ->

VISA WAIT TIMES REACH 936 DAYS

Indian travelers are facing significant delays in obtaining visas to visit the US, with wait times at the American Embassy in New Delhi reaching 936 days in December 2022. The delays are having a major impact on tourism to the US, with many Indians choosing to visit other countries instead. The issue is also affecting would-be visitors from other countries. The US State Department has acknowledged the difficulties being experienced and has implemented initiatives to speed up the visa interview process, including hiring new staff and expanding the interview waiver process for some temporary workers, students and academic exchange visitors. However, critics argue that these measures are insufficient and that the US is losing out on millions of dollars in tourism revenue as a result. read more ->

Quick Bites

Elon Musk Agrees That Immigration Reforms Are Needed

Zeno Corner

We spoke to Mandy Feuerbacher, a former visa officer, about common mistakes people make in U.S. visa interviews. This is a must listen. Video Podcast

Soundarya Balasubramani, author of "Unshackled", shared tips to help H1B visa holders start companies or work towards a green card. Five books were given away to attendees. Video Podcast

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iMemes

The Zeno (immigrant) Life is stressful but some humor couldn't hurt. Here are some memes we shared this week and perhaps we are going a bit overboard - but it's just too much fun. The last one is our favorite! What about you?

That's a wrap for this week. What did we do well? What didn't we? Write to us at [email protected] to give us feedback. 

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