USCIS

Introduction

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it extended an accommodation for H-2A workers in the sheepherding industry to transition to the three-year limitation of stay requirements. USCIS will require H-2A sheepherders who have reached their maximum three-year period of stay to depart the United States by Aug. 16, 2012. These sheepherders must then remain outside the country for at least three months before petitioning for H-2A classification again.

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has established an expedited process for reviewing and correcting decisions resulting from certain administrative errors. This process enables customers to request an expedited review of their case and correction of the decision where data entry and/or an administrative error resulted in a denial or rejection of their petition or application.

Introduction

These Questions & Answers address the automatic extension of F-1 student status in the United States for certain students with pending or approved H-1B petitions (indicating a request for change of status from F-1 to H-1B) for an employment start date of October 1, 2012 under the Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 H-1B cap.

Questions & Answers

Q1. What is “Cap-Gap”?

Introduction

The following Q and As explain the proposed provisional unlawful presence waiver process.

Background

Proposal would reduce time that U.S. citizens are separated from immediate relatives

WASHINGTON - On April 2, 2012, USCIS will issue Form I-797C, Notice of Action, with a new look and feel. We will print the Form I-797C on plain bond paper. This change is estimated to save the agency about $1.1 million per year.

Eligible Syrian nationals in the United States may begin the application process

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services sent this bulletin at 03/27/2012 06:07 PM EDT

Dear Stakeholder,

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a notice in the Federal Register inviting public comment on a revised Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. Employers must complete Form I-9 for all newly-hired employees to verify their identity and authorization to work in the United States. The public is invited to comment on the revisions until May 29, 2012.