April Visa Bulletin Notes Movement in Many Employment-Based Categories
The Department of State’s Visa Bulletin for April 2019 notes that Final Action Date movement in many employment-based preference categories continues to be greater than might ordinarily be expected. This is anticipated to continue for at least the next few months.
The Department explained that this movement is a direct result of fewer applicants proceeding to final action on their cases at consular posts abroad and at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services offices. Once large numbers of applicants begin to have their cases brought to final action, final action date movements will necessarily slow or stop, the bulletin says. Moreover, in some categories, final action date retrogression is a possibility if demand levels are excessive. Therefore, the recent rates of final action date advances will not continue indefinitely, but the bulletin notes that “it is not possible to say at present when they will end.”
The April 2019 Visa Bulletin is at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visabulletin/2019/visa-bulletin-for-april-2019.html.
***
Trump Administration Announces Extension of Liberian DED ‘Wind-Down’ Period, EADs
On March 28, 2019, President Trump issued a memorandum extending the wind-down period for Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for certain eligible Liberians for an additional 12 months, through March 30, 2020. During this time, such individuals may remain in the United States. President Trump also directed the Department of Homeland Security to provide for continued work authorization for Liberian DED beneficiaries.
The Trump administration also announced that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will publish a notice in the Federal Register with information on the six-month automatic extension, through September 27, 2019, of employment authorization documents (EADs) currently held by eligible Liberians under DED and instructions on how they can obtain EADs for the remainder of the DED wind-down period.
For more information, see https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/deferred-enforced-departure/dedgranted-country-liberia/ded-granted-country-liberia.
Disclaimer: This newsletter is provided as a public service and not intended to establish an attorney client relationship. Any reliance on information contained herein is taken at your own risk.