Immigration Update

Immigration News and Analysis
for Clients and Friends of Borene Law Firm


December 2022
Almost 1 Million Adult Immigrants Became New U.S. Citizens During Fiscal Year 2022

During the 12 month period ending September 30, 2022, 967,400 adults became naturalized U.S. citizens. This is the third highest total of new citizens in a single year ever. Only 1998 and 2006 had higher totals. Most legal immigrants must first qualify as Lawful Permanent Residents (aka "green card" holders) and then wait 5 years before they are eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship.
New Waves of Tech Layoffs by Microsoft, Twitter, Amazon, Meta, Door Dash and other High Tech Employers May Force Thousands of H-1 Temporary Workers to Find New Sponsors within 60 Days or Leave the U.S.

A recent spike in layoffs of IT professionals by major U.S. high tech employers has hit foreign workers from India especially hard. More than 146,000 tech workers have been laid off already this year, including 51,000 in November. Many of the affected workers are in the U.S. on employer-sponsored H-1 temporary work visas which may require them to find new H-1 employer sponsors or leave the U.S. within 60 days.
Legal Permanent Visas in FY 2022 Restored to Pre-Pandemic Levels - Approvals More than Double from the Last Year of Trump-era

In December, the U.S. State Department reported issuance of more than 493,000 Immigrant Visas for Permanent Residents for the Fiscal Year ended September 30, 2022. This is more than twice the 240,526 issued in FY 2020, the last year of Trump-era visa restrictions and the first year of COVID travel restrictions. The State Department's goal is to "make visa processing better than it was pre-pandemic." Most of the new Permanent Residents (aka "green card" holders) were legally sponsored by U.S. relatives or U.S. employers.
Scott Borene named 2022
Lawyer of the Year
in Immigration Law, Minneapolis by
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Tip of the Month

Effective December 23, 2022, anyone applying for Adjustment of Status to Lawful Permanent Resident Status (aka "green card") must use only the new 12/23/2022 edition of Form I-145.

On December 13, 2022, USCIS issued a notice that only the 12/23/2022 edition of Form I-485 can be used after 12/22/2022. As of 12/23/2022, use of the old version of the form dated 7/15/2022 will result in rejection of the I-485 filing.


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For the latest Official Processing Times from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services for Visa Petitions and Immigration Applications

For the latest information from the U.S. Department of State on Immigrant Visa “Green Card” Quota Backlog (Priority) Dates
Borene Law Firm In the News
Borene Law Firm rated "AV Preeminent" in 2022 - "the highest possible Peer Review Rating in legal ability and ethical standards" for the 27th consecutive year from "the gold standard in attorney ratings" - The Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, All Editions, 1994 - present.
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Scott Borene was selected to chair the North American Expert Immigration Panel at the 10th Biennial IBA Global Immigration Conference in London. Scott Borene has chaired the U.S. expert panel at every IBA Global Immigration Conference for the past 20 years (2003-2022).

George Maxwell was the expert speaker on the topic of "Immigration Options for Ukrainians" for a Ukrainian Women's Group on May 11, 2022

Jeanne Kildow was an expert speaker on "Employment-Based Immigration Preference Categories"
at the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) National Annual Conference
Scott Borene chaired the Expert Immigration Panel on
 "Global Work Visas" at the 2022 Minnesota State Bar Association's International Business Law Institute.
Copyright Borene Law Firm, P. A., 2022
 Immigration Update is a publication of:
Borene Law Firm
U.S. & Global Immigration
3950 IDS Center
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402
United States of America
Phone: 612.321.0082
The information in this Immigration Update should not be considered specific legal advice; it is intended for informational purposes only. Anyone seeking specific legal advice should contact an appropriately experienced lawyer for a confidential, personalized consultation.