News in Brief

The following additional items may be of interest to our readers:

USCIS Begins Premium Processing for H-1B Cap-Subject Petitions: On June 10, USCIS resumed premium processing for all remaining FY2020 H-1B cap-subject petitions. Petitioners may file a Request for Premium Processing Service, with the USCIS service center processing their petition on that date. USCIS will not use prepaid mailers between 6/10/19 and 6/24/19.

E-1 and E-2 Visas Available to New Zealand Nationals: Effective June 10, eligible New Zealand nationals can apply for E-1 and E-2 nonimmigrant visas at the U.S. Consulate in Auckland. The embassy advises that generally it takes 10 business days for an officer to review the case, but during peak times, it can take as long as three weeks.

Nearly 100 People Indicted in Large-Scale Houston-based Marriage Fraud Conspiracy: ICE announced that 50 people are in law enforcement custody after a federal grand jury returned a 206-count indictment criminally charging 96 people for their alleged roles in a large-scale marriage fraud scheme.

Update on Travel Ban and the Courts: On May 2, a federal district court in Maryland denied the government’s motion to dismiss the plaintiffs challenges to the 9/24/17 Presidential Proclamation, finding that the plaintiffs had put forward factual allegations sufficient to show that the 9/24/17 proclamation is not rationally related to legitimate national security and information-sharing justifications and is instead grounded in the illegitimate and unconstitutional purpose of disadvantaging Muslims.

Update on TPS for Nationals from Honduras and Nepal: In its May 10 notice, USCIS advises that DHS will not terminate TPS for Honduras or Nepal pending final disposition of the appeal in Ramos v. Nielsen. The notice further announces that DHS is extending the validity of TPS-related documentation for Nepalese TPS beneficiaries through 3/24/20. The TPS designation for Honduras remains in effect through 1/5/20.

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