As reflected in the April 2023 Visa Bulletin, final action and application filing dates for Employment-Based Fourth Preference (EB-4) immigrant visa applicants from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras are now provided in the column headed “All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed.” This change is necessary to bring EB-4 visa number allocation into compliance with U.S. immigration law.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/employment-based-fourth-preference-eb4-announcement.html

The Newport Beach, California-based company offers comprehensive market insights with downloadable Excel data files and historical time series for effective rent, rent growth, and occupancy data. The reports cover eight sectors, including apartments, industrial, office, strip centers, malls, self-storage, senior housing, and single-family rentals.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2023/12/14/hot-housing-real-estate-markets-2024/71905910007/

USCIS is increasing the fees for certain visa applications. In contrast to other federal agencies, USCIS relies heavily on the fees associated with various immigration processes for its funding. For more information:

https://fronterasdesk.org/content/1869966/uscis-announces-increases-several-immigration-and-work-applications

Sanctuary has emerged as the most viable option for migrants to secure a prolonged stay in the U.S. However, the underfunded immigration system faces challenges in keeping pace, resulting in prolonged case delays lasting for years. For more information

USCIS announces final rule to enhance integrity and reduce fraud in H-1B registration, preventing gaming of the system and ensuring equal selection chances for all beneficiaries, regardless of submitted registrations. For more information:

https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/uscis-announces-strengthened-integrity-measures-for-h-1b-program

As migrants arrive in the U.S., advocates and liberal politicians demand increased access to work permits. For more information

https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2024/0119/Unpacking-the-debate-over-migrant-work-permits

The U.S. economy is bidding farewell to past recession fears with a growth of 3.3% in the fourth quarter. For more information

https://www.ft.com/content/05c88898-7573-426f-b656-5c76e3a51bfc

On Monday, the divided Supreme Court allowed Border Patrol to resume cutting the razor wire installed by Texas on a section of the U.S. border. For more information:

https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-immigration-texas-razor-wire-9daef6bd316211b6633ece718e505187

Immigration fee update (1615-AC68), covering temporary and permanent work visas, has cleared White House review, the final step before publication. For more information:

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/final-rule-to-update-immigration-fees-clears-white-house-review

USCIS changed rules: If someone’s late applying to stay in the U.S., USCIS might understand if it’s due to unexpected issues beyond their control. For more information:

https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/uscis-updates-guidance-on-untimely-filed-extension-of-stay-and-change-of-status-requests