News in Brief

USCIS Extends Premium Processing to E-3 Nonimmigrant Visa Petitions:  Effective February 24, petitioners filing a nonimmigrant visa petition requesting a change or extension of status to E-3 classification will have the option to request premium processing service for their petition. The E-3 visa classification applies only to nationals of Australia who are coming to the United States solely to perform services in a specialty occupation.

Recent Actions Preserve Validity of FY2020 Diversity Visas: Two recent actions – one by the DOS and the other by a district court – provide relief for the approximately 7,000 diversity visa (DV) winners unable to enter the United States due to the suspension on entry under a Presidential Proclamation.

EADs for DED Liberians Extended: DHS announced that DED-related EADs with a printed expiration date of 3/30/20 or 1/10/21 for eligible Liberians have automatically been extended through 6/30/22.

DED for Venezuelans: Before leaving office, President Trump issued a memorandum directing the DHS and DOS Secretaries to take action to defer, with certain exceptions, for 18 months the removal of any Venezuelan national, or individual without nationality who last habitually resided in Venezuela, who is present in the U.S. as of 1/20/21.

TPS Extended for Syria: DHS announced the extension of Syria’s TPS designation for 18 months. Current beneficiaries under Syria’s TPS designation are eligible to re-register. Syrians who entered the U.S. after 8/1/16 and otherwise eligible may also register.