Immigration Updates: August 2024
August 30, 2024Federal Court Imposes Temporary Halt on Parole Approvals for New PIP Initiative
A federal court in Texas has implemented a temporary 14-day administrative suspension on the approvals of parole under the new Parole in Place (PIP) program. This program, designed for certain undocumented spouses and stepchildren of U.S. citizens, is currently under scrutiny.
During this period, applicants can still submit Form I-131F for parole in place applications to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). However, the Eastern District Court of Texas’s administrative stay—initiated after 16 U.S. states filed a lawsuit challenging the program—means that USCIS cannot approve any PIP applications during this stay. The program, also known as the “Keeping Families Together” initiative by the Biden Administration, faces continued legal contention as the case proceeds.
USCIS Publishes Results for the Second Round of FY 2025 H-1B Lottery Selections
USCIS has provided updated information regarding the second round of the H-1B cap lottery for Fiscal Year 2025. An additional 13,607 unique beneficiaries were selected in this second round, which brings the total to 127,624 unique beneficiaries chosen from roughly 442,000 registrants this year. With this additional selection, the overall lottery selection rate has risen to approximately 29%, up from about 26% following the first round.