U.S. Immigration Updates- Week of August 14, 2023
Department of State Releases September 2023 Visa Bulletin
The Department of State’s (DOS) Visa Bulletin for September includes Diversity Visa 2024 (DV-2024) lottery results, availability of employment-based visas during September, and determination of the numerical limit on immigrants for fiscal year (FY) 2023.
Diversity Visa Lottery Results
The bulletin notes that the Kentucky Consular Center in Williamsburg, Kentucky, has registered and notified the selectees who are eligible to participate in the DV-2024 program. Entrants registered for the DV-2024 program were selected at random from 22,185,619 qualified entries. The selectee numbers for each country are listed in the bulletin.
During the visa interview, principal applicants must provide proof of a high school education or its equivalent, or two years of work experience in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience within the past five years. “Those selected will need to act on their immigrant visa applications quickly,” the bulletin advises. Approximately 143,000 prospective applicants (selectees and their spouses and children) have been registered. Once the total 55,000 visa numbers have been used, the program for fiscal year 2024 will end. Selectees who do not receive visas or status by September 30, 2024, will derive no further benefit from their DV-2024 registration, the bulletin says.
DOS said that the dates for the DV-2025 program registration period will be widely publicized in the coming months.
Availability of Employment-Based Visas
The bulletin explains that employment-based number use by both U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and DOS has been steady during this fiscal year. As a result, most employment-based preference category limits and/or the overall employment-based preference limit for FY 2023 are expected to be reached during September. If the annual limit is reached, the preference category will immediately become unavailable.
Determination of Numerical Limit on Immigrants
DOS has determined that the employment preference numerical limit for FY 2023 is 197,091. For FY 2023, the per-country limit is 29,616. The dependent area annual limit is 2%, or 8,462.
SOURCE: Department of State: Visa Bulletin for September 2023
USCIS Reminds Employers About New I-9 Alternative Procedure
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reminded employers that the new version of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, is now available for use. The new version incorporates an alternative procedure for E-Verify employers to remotely examine employee documents. Other changes include shortening the form to one page and reducing the instructions to eight pages.
Employers can use the form immediately, USCIS said. The Form I-9 dated “10/19/2019” may continue to be used through October 31, 2023. The version date can be found at the lower left corner of the form. Beginning November 1, 2023, only the new Form I-9 dated “08/01/23” may be used.
SOURCE: USCIS: USCIS alert