Visa Interview Waiver Program Expanded to Some Mexican Nationals

On June 29, 2012, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico announced that beginning July 1, 2012, an expanded visa renewal program will allow more Mexican citizens and residents to apply for nonimmigrant visa extensions without attending an additional interview at a U.S. consulate. Prior to this time, most visas that had been expired for less than 12 months could only be renewed with an interview at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Under the new program, applicants may apply for a visa renewal if the current visa expired within 48 months or less of the renewal application. Additional details and qualification requirements for the new interview waiver program can be found on the websites of U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico .

Pennsylvania Mandates E-Verify for Public Works

Contractors and Subcontractors

As of Jan. 1, 2013, the State of Pennsylvania will require public works contractors and their subcontractors to participate in the E-Verify program. For more on E-Verify, see the DHS website .

E-Verify Releases Self-Assessment Guides

On July 16, 2012, USCIS released Self-Assessment Guides for users of E-Verify. The guides include checklists and other tools to assist companies with compliance after enrollment in the E-verify program. Guides are available for either Direct Access E-Verify Users or Web Services E-Verify Users. The guides can be found on the USCIS website:

http://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USDHSCIS-49c5ef .

Visa Priority Dates – August Visa Bulletin and Retrogression

The August Visa Bulletin has been posted. Visas for employment-based second preference cases (EB2) for individuals born in India and China are unavailable for the remainder of the government fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2012. Clark Hill has learned that beginning with the October 2012, visa bulletin, EB2 for those individuals included in the "worldwide" limit is likely to become current. Clark Hill also learned that EB2 for individuals born in India and China will likely move from unavailable to August or September 2007, and will not likely move forward from that date for the first two quarters of Fiscal Year 2013. For a summary of priority dates, retrogression, and how these dates impact U.S. green card processing, please visit the Clark Hill website .