H1B on backburner as Biden focuses on 470,000 pending immigrant visa cases

[snoww]

Processing of non immigrant visas, including H1B cases are taking a backseat for now as the Joe Biden administration turns its attention to more than 470,000 immigrant visa cases currently pending in US consulates across the globe - a 7x year on year uptick in this category since January 2020, according to latest data from US government.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas was non committal on whether Trump era bans on H1B (which expire March 31) would be lifted or how the Biden administration plans to proceed. "You know, I don't really -- I hate to end the questioning on a question, the answer to which I am not certain," he said at a White House briefing Monday. "Individuals fleeing persecution" is high priority, Mayorkas explained.

Pointing to the US job market meltdown during the pandemic, former President Donald Trump had frozen permanent residency for immigrants and halted temporary work visas for skilled workers, managers and au pairs in the H-1B, H-4, H-2B, L-1 and J categories.

On February 24, the Biden administration issued a proclamation revoking the Trump ban that blocked individuals from entering the United States on immigrant visas but did not lift the freeze on H-1B, J-1, and L-1 visas, which remain in effect and are set to expire on March 31.

In two separate briefings on Monday, the Biden administration made it clear that non immigrant visa cases are not the priority right now.

"We have prioritized the processing of immigrant visas. Full stop," said Julie Stufft, Consular Affairs Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services. Stufft said the US will continue to prioritize immigrant visas for spouses and children of US citizens. Restrictions remain in place on visa issuance and entry into the United States for people from China, Iran, Brazil, UK, Ireland, South Africa, and 26 countries of the Schengen area but exceptions are made for spouses and children of US citizens and legal permanent residents.

At this time, more than 90 percent of America's 136 immigrant visa processing posts are processing "some immigrant visa services" while the remainder are only able to deliver emergency services. Only 43 of 233 nonimmigrant visa processing posts are processing routine nonimmigrants, all the others are only doing emergency services.

[snoww]

@Iriswest 

Dems rest of the 7 months lo full year family numbers cover sesela vunnaru kada. 

[RunRaajaRun123]

I really don’t see any benefit from dems to h1 or EB based people.

[jawaani_jaaneman]

Dems are samsarapaksham type...

[quickgun_murugun]

16 minutes ago, RunRaajaRun123 said:

I really don’t see any benefit from dems to h1 or EB based people.

That’s always the case with Dems 

[Ryzen_renoir]

It has always been the policy of democrats because most of the non immigrant visa holders rarely vote . 

The ones coming through immigrant visa tend to vote overwhelmingly in favour of democrats , atleast the first generation .

 

[pahelwan]

Manchigayindi maa thatha ni anavsaranga badnaam chesiri kada 

[argadorn]

It’s getting worse ... yup ... enko 6 months lo clean sweeep ... 

[r2d2]

Don’t expect any major changes..

[Iriswest]

6 hours ago, snoww said:

@Iriswest 

Dems rest of the 7 months lo full year family numbers cover sesela vunnaru kada. 

Spouses and children of US citizen are not counted against the 226k cap kada? They are always current anukunta right? I never knew how FB immigration works.

[beerboy17]

@Iriswestdo you think this can affect the spill over ?

[chicagoafdb]

Looks DOS will work overtime and help family reunification..90 percent working with in a week..good work ethics. I Like current admin empathy..

 

[phatposts]

44 minutes ago, Iriswest said:

Spouses and children of US citizen are not counted against the 226k cap kada? They are always current anukunta right? I never knew how FB immigration works.

Thats what DHS says. But USCIS does not follow that. Chala kalam gaa avtunna gola idi

[Lakhan]

9 hours ago, RunRaajaRun123 said:

I really don’t see any benefit from dems to h1 or EB based people.

 

5 hours ago, argadorn said:

It’s getting worse ... yup ... enko 6 months lo clean sweeep ... 

 

5 hours ago, r2d2 said:

Don’t expect any major changes..

[ARYA]

@Rendu @r2d2 chusara uncles parrot ki cheppinattu cheppa vinnaraa