Latest news with #USCIS
The Age
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
US visa denial forces Australian musical comedy duo to postpone start of world tour
The world tour of popular Australian musical comedy duo TwoSet Violin has been thrown into question after one of the members' US visa application was denied two months before their tour was to begin. Brett Yang and Eddy Chen, TwoSet Violin's founding members, were scheduled to perform shows in Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles in July. Both performers applied for an O-1B visa, which applies to individuals with an extraordinary ability in the arts. Chen's visa application was quickly accepted. However, Yang learnt his application, which he says was 'exactly the same' as Chen's, was denied on May 15. Before receiving the denial, Yang was asked for further evidence. However, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) later denied his application after deeming his additional evidence as unsatisfactory. Chen's application, on the other hand, was approved immediately and he was not required to provide further evidence. As a result, the performers have postponed their first five shows. The remaining US performances – set to include Chicago, Dallas and Boston in September – remain up in the air as their agency, KD Schmid, works through Yang's second visa application. The USCIS said as a matter of practice, it generally does not discuss the details of individual immigration cases. Yang says the rejection was particularly baffling given he has successfully applied for US visas in the past, including for TwoSet Violin's previous two world tours (in 2017-18 and 2023). Notably, they travelled under different visas for their previous tours, not O-1B visas. But because of their growing profile and success, they are using an agency for this tour and applied for the visa for those with an extraordinary ability in the arts. 'It's pretty stressful because there are multiple parties involved,' Yang says. 'It hurts fans quite a lot – people buy tickets, fly to different cities, book accommodations … But we also had orchestras involved and our agency. I wish we could understand the reason [the application was denied] better because I just spent around $6000 on it.' TwoSet Violin officially formed in 2014. Yang and Chen, both of whom worked at two of Australia's leading orchestras at the time, began uploading YouTube videos of themselves playing the violin while cracking jokes. Their mission was simple: to make classical music more accessible and welcoming. This included showcasing their outstanding musical skills while hula-hooping or wearing Apple Vision Pro headsets, or while wearing wigs and impersonating some of history's greatest classical musicians. Today, their YouTube channel has over 4.3 million subscribers and their TikTok account has over 1.2 million followers. They were even named the 'greatest string-based content creators of our time' by the London Symphony Orchestra.
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
US visa denial forces Australian musical comedy duo to postpone start of world tour
The world tour of popular Australian musical comedy duo TwoSet Violin has been thrown into question after one of the members' US visa application was denied two months before their tour was to begin. Brett Yang and Eddy Chen, TwoSet Violin's founding members, were scheduled to perform shows in Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles in July. Both performers applied for an O-1B visa, which applies to individuals with an extraordinary ability in the arts. Chen's visa application was quickly accepted. However, Yang learnt his application, which he says was 'exactly the same' as Chen's, was denied on May 15. Before receiving the denial, Yang was asked for further evidence. However, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) later denied his application after deeming his additional evidence as unsatisfactory. Chen's application, on the other hand, was approved immediately and he was not required to provide further evidence. As a result, the performers have postponed their first five shows. The remaining US performances – set to include Chicago, Dallas and Boston in September – remain up in the air as their agency, KD Schmid, works through Yang's second visa application. The USCIS said as a matter of practice, it generally does not discuss the details of individual immigration cases. Yang says the rejection was particularly baffling given he has successfully applied for US visas in the past, including for TwoSet Violin's previous two world tours (in 2017-18 and 2023). Notably, they travelled under different visas for their previous tours, not O-1B visas. But because of their growing profile and success, they are using an agency for this tour and applied for the visa for those with an extraordinary ability in the arts. 'It's pretty stressful because there are multiple parties involved,' Yang says. 'It hurts fans quite a lot – people buy tickets, fly to different cities, book accommodations … But we also had orchestras involved and our agency. I wish we could understand the reason [the application was denied] better because I just spent around $6000 on it.' TwoSet Violin officially formed in 2014. Yang and Chen, both of whom worked at two of Australia's leading orchestras at the time, began uploading YouTube videos of themselves playing the violin while cracking jokes. Their mission was simple: to make classical music more accessible and welcoming. This included showcasing their outstanding musical skills while hula-hooping or wearing Apple Vision Pro headsets, or while wearing wigs and impersonating some of history's greatest classical musicians. Today, their YouTube channel has over 4.3 million subscribers and their TikTok account has over 1.2 million followers. They were even named the 'greatest string-based content creators of our time' by the London Symphony Orchestra.
Time Business News
2 days ago
- Business
- Time Business News
The Fast Track to a Green Card: Who Should Apply for the EB1 Visa?
Not all immigration paths to the U.S. are created equal. For highly accomplished individuals, the EB1 visa offers a fast, flexible, and prestigious route to permanent residency — often bypassing long wait times and complicated labor certification processes. But the EB1 category is also one of the most scrutinized. Only applicants who meet the strict EB1 visa requirements — and can prove it with strong documentation — will qualify. Let's explore who this visa is for, why it's so desirable, and what you need to succeed. The EB1 is designed for individuals at the top of their professional field. It includes three subcategories: EB1-A : Individuals with extraordinary ability in fields like science, art, education, business, or athletics : Individuals with extraordinary ability in fields like science, art, education, business, or athletics EB1-B : Outstanding professors and researchers with international recognition : Outstanding professors and researchers with international recognition EB1-C: Multinational executives or managers transferred to a U.S. office Each subcategory has different eligibility paths, but all share the benefit of faster green card processing due to high visa priority. To qualify for EB1-A, for example, applicants must demonstrate sustained acclaim in their field and meet at least 3 out of 10 criteria established by USCIS. These might include: Winning major national or international awards Having original contributions recognized in their industry Authorship of scholarly articles or media appearances Commanding a high salary compared to peers A full list of EB1 visa requirements — including what qualifies as 'extraordinary ability' — can be found in Kulen Law Firm's step-by-step guide. Faster priority dates and green card availability and green card availability No job offer needed for EB1-A cases for EB1-A cases Self-petition option , meaning you don't need employer sponsorship , meaning you don't need employer sponsorship Family benefits : Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 also receive green cards : Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 also receive green cards No PERM labor certification required For world-class professionals, academics, and executives, the EB1 visa is a golden ticket to the U.S. immigration system. But approval depends heavily on how well you present your qualifications. To maximize your chances, it's essential to align your background with the full EB1 visa requirements and work with a legal team experienced in high-achievement immigration filings. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
US immigration backlog tops 11 million as Trump slows USCIS processing
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) processed fewer immigration cases and recorded a backlog surge in the second quarter of FY2025 (January–March), according to new data published on the agency's portal. This is the first major dataset released since the Trump administration returned to office. USCIS completed 2.7 million cases during the quarter—down 18 per cent compared to the same period in FY2024, when it had processed 3.3 million cases. From the previous quarter alone, completions dropped by 12 per cent. Meanwhile, pending cases climbed by 1.6 million, pushing the total backlog to a record 11.3 million. The last time pending cases came close to this number was over a decade ago. More than 34,000 cases unopened For the first time in over a year, the agency recorded a non-zero 'frontlog'—cases that are yet to be opened or assigned. As of the end of Q2, over 34,000 such cases were pending at the front of the pipeline. The data showed that this slowdown is already affecting key immigration services. < Form I-129, used for employment-based temporary visas including H-1B and L-1, saw a 25 per cent increase in median processing time quarter-on-quarter, and an 80 per cent rise compared to Q2 FY2024. < Form I-90, used to replace green cards, saw the sharpest jump: from a median wait time of 0.8 months to over 8 months—a 938 per cent increase within just one quarter. < Form I-765, for work permits, had its own crunch. Initial applications pending rose by 87 per cent since Q1. The total number of pending I-765s (including renewals and replacements) crossed 2 million, nearly doubling from under 1.2 million. The net backlog—cases delayed beyond USCIS standards for Form I-765 alone went up by nearly 181 per cent. One category, however, moved faster. The net backlog of I-129s dropped by nearly 75 per cent from the previous quarter, although the number of individuals under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme continued to decline, falling by over 8,000. 'We will pine for a functioning system' Charles Kuck, founding partner at immigration law firm Kuck Baxter in Atlanta, said the shift was expected. 'The Trump administration has told USCIS to slow down processing of cases. Predictably, the system has quickly developed massive backlogs. By the end of 2028, we will pine for the days of a functioning legal immigration system because it will effectively not exist by the end of the Trump term,' Kuck told Newsweek. He added that the growth in backlog was '100 per cent predictable' given the new approach. 'Starting with the staff reductions ordered at the USCIS (which is funded by user fees, not tax dollars). Followed by seeking 'volunteers' from USCIS to assist ICE in enforcement efforts. Which then leads to the administration's effort to find fraud in every application, slowing down processing times,' said Kuck.
Newsweek
3 days ago
- General
- Newsweek
Green Card Holders Face Major Immigration Backlog: What to Know
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The U.S. immigration system has faced growing strain, with a backlog of pending applications reaching an all-time high of 11.3 million, according to data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The slowdown in processing and rising delays have left millions of applicants in a state of legal and personal limbo, and green card replacement delays have added to the frustration. Form I‑90 processing times have increased dramatically, now taking more than eight months to complete. Despite this surge in wait times, experts say green card holders should not panic. "While it may be surprising, from a legal and practical perspective, the sharp increase in Form I-90 processing times is not of concern. There is already a policy fix in place," Morgan Bailey, a partner at Mayer Brown and former senior official at the Department of Homeland Security, told Newsweek. An information packet and an American flag are placed on a chair before the start of a naturalization ceremony at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Miami Field Office, Friday, August 17, 2018, in Miami.... An information packet and an American flag are placed on a chair before the start of a naturalization ceremony at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Miami Field Office, Friday, August 17, 2018, in Miami. More Wilfredo Lee/AP When a lawful permanent resident files a Form I‑90 to renew an expiring green card, USCIS immediately issues a receipt notice, which automatically extends the validity of the expired card for 48 months. "Presenting the expired green card alongside the receipt notice is legally equivalent to having an unexpired green card. The receipt notice itself includes language explaining that it extends the green card, so there should not be confusion on the part of employers, airlines, or others. "An expired green card does not mean an expired status." USCIS has long acknowledged that it prioritizes applications that impact an individual's immigration status more directly, diverting resources away from lower-risk tasks like card renewals. Still, for the millions caught in the backlog, the key is understanding that status remains intact, and the paperwork, though delayed, does not affect the right to live and work in the U.S. If green card holders need to prove their status to employers, airlines, or immigration officers while waiting for their new card, the receipt notice plus the expired card is fully valid. Those without either document can request an ADIT (I‑551) stamp at a local USCIS office, which serves as temporary proof of permanent residency for work, travel, or reentry to the country. "This is somewhat similar to a US citizen whose status remains unchanged even if they don't have a valid passport. We can think of it like an expired passport—you are still a citizen," Bailey said. While the backlog highlights wider strains in the immigration system, experts stress that understanding the protections in place can help green card holders avoid unnecessary worry—and stay legally covered until their new card arrives. "The filing of the Form I-90 does not actually confer an immigration benefit—it simply updates the physical proof of the individual's status. Permanent resident status doesn't expire, even if the card does—and is only lost through formal government action," Bailey said. The Trump administration has revoked visas and green cards of foreign students that they have alleged are connected to pro-Hamas activities. This includes participating in campus protests and distributing materials, such as flyers. The moves come amid an aggressive deportation agenda after President Donald Trump directed his administration to remove millions of undocumented immigrants as part of a hard line mass removal policy. Beyond targeting those without legal status, immigrants with valid visas and green cards have also faced detention under the government's sweeping enforcement operations. Newsweek has documented numerous cases involving green-card holders and applicants being caught up in the immigration raids.
