The four U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) regional offices have issued updated processing times. The general trend seems to be slightly faster processing times for most employment-based case types. As the economy has struggled, fewer petitions have been filed. This has enabled USCIS to move cases faster through the process to final adjudication. As the economy begins to improve and the volume of employment-based sponsorship increases, USCIS will need to maintain proper staffing levels to avoid having processing times backslide.

The United Kingdom has announced that all U.K. visa applications will be subject to higher visa fees, although some are only rising slightly while others are rising significantly. These new fee rates took effect on April 6th: · Tier 1 visas for investors/entrepreneurs increased £15 to £690. · Tier 2 visas for skilled workers increased by £5 to £270. · 5-year multiple entry visas went up £20 to £420. · 10-year visas increased £110 to £610. · Tier 4 student visas increased £54 to £199.

On Friday, April 9th just before midnight, an unknown assailant tossed an explosive device over the wall surrounding the U.S. Consulate in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. The bomb caused some structural damage to the building, but no employees were injured. Mexican officials in Mexico City said they were reviewing evidence, including security camera video surveillance recordings. This attack is another link in an alarming chain of violence against U.S. targets in Mexico. Last month, a group conspired against U.S. consular workers in Ciudad Juarez who had been attending an engagement together. Gunmen followed and killed three individuals who had left the gathering, also injuring several of their children who were accompanying them. The U.S. Department of State has issued an updated travel warning for citizens of the United States in Mexico. The warning was issued to alert travelers to the risks in northern territories of Mexico. It also noted that drug cartels have retaliated violently against individuals who speak out against them or whom they otherwise view as a threat to their organizations. The State Department has also authorized approximately 100 family members of employees of the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juarez to depart Mexico for the United States amid concerns of increased security risk.