USCIS

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Earlier known as INS. USCIS is responsible for providing immigration benefits to applicants. Homepage http://wwww.uscis.gov

DHS proposes changes related to on-the-job training program for STEM students

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)  proposed changes to its regulations that would strengthen and enhance the process for foreign students with science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) degrees from a U.S. college or university to get practical training experience in the United States.  The enhancement of this regulation was announced as a part of President Obama’s November Executive Actions. 

I-140, I-485 Workload Transfers and a Change in the Direct Filing Address for Certain Form I-140 Petitions Submitted Together with Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing

To improve efficiency, USCIS recently rebalanced the workload distribution of certain Form I-140 petitions and employment-based Form I-485 applications between the Texas Service Center and the Nebraska Service Center.  Unless you are submitting a Form I-907 together with a Form I-140 petition for a worksite in one of the states listed below, please continue to file your forms as indicated on the form instructions and at:

USCIS Uses Secure Laminates on Certain Forms

On Oct. 5, 2015, USCIS began applying secure laminates to certain secure forms that authorize travel to the United States. The affected forms are:

  • Form I-797F, Transportation Letter, and
  • Form I-512L, Parole Authorization Letter.  

The secure, transparent laminates provide an extra layer of fraud protection and authenticity. They contain state-of-the-art technology to deter counterfeiting, prevent tampering and allow for quick and accurate authentication by frontline inspectors in the field.

USCIS Announces P.L. 111-230 Expiration and H-1B/L-1 Employers No Longer Need to Pay the Special Fees

H-1B and L-1 petitions filed on or after Oct. 1, 2015, should not include the additional fee that was previously required by Section 402 of Public Law 111-230, as amended by Public Law 111-347, for certain H-1B and L-1 petitions. The additional fee required by Public Law 111-230, as amended, expired on Sept. 30, 2015.

DHS to Create Filipino WWII Veterans Parole Program

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is creating a parole program to allow certain family members of Filipino and Filipino-American World War II veterans to receive parole to come to the United States.  This parole program was announced in November 2014 by President Obama and Secretary Johnson as part of the executive actions on immigration and is detailed in the White House report, Modernizing and Streamlining Our Legal Immi

USCIS Guidance on Payment of N-400 Application Fee with a Credit Card

You may pay for your N-400, Application for Naturalization, using a credit card. There is no additional fee to pay with your credit card. The N-400 is the only form that can be paid for by credit card using the G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transaction

Acceptable Credit Cards

You may use Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. You may also use gift cards with Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover logos.