I’m a firm believer that information is the key to financial freedom. On the Stilt Blog, I write about the complex topics — like finance, immigration, and technology — to help immigrants make the most of their lives in the U.S. Our content and brand have been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and more.
See all posts Frank GogolCOVID-19 Resources and Information for Visa Holders and Non-Citizens
Updated on April 10, 2024
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As the COVID-19 situation develops worldwide, there’s a lot of information to sift through. Here at Stilt, we’re dedicated to helping immigrants and visa holders in the U.S. during this crisis.
Below, you will find a number of resources curated and developed by Stilt to collect the relevant and necessary information during this pandemic. There is also more general information regarding immigration services below that.
Stilt Resources by Immigration Status and Visa Type
Below is a collection of the currently available blog posts and other resources Stilt has curated over the course of the COVID-19 outbreak. Resources are grouped by visa/status type. Click on a link to learn more about that topic.
Bookmark this page and check back frequently for the most updated COVID-19-related information for visa holders and non-citizens.
General COVID-19 Resources
- Budgeting During COVID-19
- COVID-19 Financial Relief Resources
- COVID-19 Travel Ban
- Emergency Travel During COVID-19
- COVID-19 Testing and Visa Holders
- AILA Lawsuit Against USCIS and DHS
- How COVID-19 will Affect Voting for New Citizens
- How to Get a Visitor Visa Extension During COVID-19
H1B COVID-19 Resources
- What to Do if You’re Laid Off Because of COVID-19
- COVID-19 Health Insurance Options for H1B Visa Holders
- Stimulus Checks for H1B Visa Holders
F1 COVID-19 Resources
- COVID-19 Effect on F1 Visa Holders
- COVID-19 Health Insurance Options for F1 Visa Holders
- Distance Learning for International Students
DACA COVID-19 Resources
Other COVID-19 Updates and Resources for Visa Holders
There’s a lot of important information about how COVID-19 is affecting visa holders. Below, you will find some of the most pertinent information regarding applications, processing, and other immigration-related items.
Immigration-Related Offices
USCIS
The office of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has currently suspended operations for its public-facing operations, including:
- biometrics appointments
- oath ceremonies for naturalization
- interviews for immigration benefits
- InfoPass appointments
This stoppage of services will be in place until at least May 4, 2020.
In the meantime, USCIS will continue to adjudicate paper-based applications, though it is too early to tell what the impact of COVID-19 will be on USCIS processing times.
Applicants and petitioners with scheduled appointments should expect to receive notification from their local USCIS field office. If you had an InfoPass or other appointments, you must reschedule your appointment when field offices reopen.
Asylum interviews will automatically be canceled and rescheduled, at which time asylum applicants will receive a new interview notice with the new time, date and location of the interview.
The National Visa Center
The National Visa Center, which processes immigrant visa applications, is operational, thought with reduced staff and limited ability to operate, so delays should be expected.
Visas and Forms
I-9 Employment Verification
As a result of COVID-19, many U.S. employers have transitioned to temporary remote operations. In response, DHS is currently not requiring employers to physically review employee identification and employment authorization documents for the I-9 form.
Said employers may now inspect the Form I-9 Section 2 documents remotely and obtain, inspect, and retain copies of the documents, within three business days for purposes of completing Section 2 of the Form I-9, when normal operations resume.”
2024 H1B Lottery
The 2020 H1B lottery is expected to occur as scheduled in early April.
E2 Investor Visas
The Trump administration has shown interest in increasing the number of available investor visas from 10,000 to 75,000. Further, investment amounts may be decreased to $450,000 and $900,000, but Congress much pass these changes in order for them to be legal.
I-140 and I-129 Premium Processing
On March 20, 2020, USCIS announced the temporary suspension of premium processing service for all Form I-129 and I-140 petitions until further notice.
Final Thoughts
Bookmark and check back to this page often for more COVID-19 updates for immigrants in the U.S. The situation is developing and changing daily. For up-to-the-minute updates, you can follow Stilt on Twitter.
Frank Gogol
I’m a firm believer that information is the key to financial freedom. On the Stilt Blog, I write about the complex topics — like finance, immigration, and technology — to help immigrants make the most of their lives in the U.S. Our content and brand have been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and more.