Latest News

Visa Bulletin for April 2015

This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during April. Consular officers are required to report to the Department of State documentarily qualified applicants for numerically limited visas; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Department of Homeland Security reports applicants for adjustment of status.

USCIS Releases First Practice Manual for the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO)

The Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) conducts administrative review of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officers’ decisions regarding immigration benefit requests in order to promote consistency and accuracy in the interpretation of immigration law and policy.  We have appellate jurisdiction over approximately fifty different types of immigration applications and petitions.      

The AAO Practice Manual describes rules, procedures, and recommendations for practice before the AAO.  It is organized into seven chapters, including:

USCIS Final Rule of Decisions and Documents Evidencing Lawful Status, Effective Jan. 27, 2015

The final rule, Notices of Decisions and Documents Evidencing Lawful Status, published on Oct. 29, 2014, is effective today, Jan. 27, 2015. This rule amends regulations governing when USCIS will:

  • correspond with,
  • issue a notice of decision to, or
  • provide documents to

an applicant, petitioner, or requester, and/or an attorney of record or accredited representative.

OFLC Implements Search FAQs feature on Frequently Asked Questions and Answers Page

The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) has updated the FAQ page of its official website with a new keyword search function, Search FAQs. Users may now search the FAQ page by using a single keyword or exact phrase to identify items in the FAQ database that correspond to keywords or characters specified by the user. A Tip sheet has been developed to assist with use of the Search FAQs tool. To access the FAQs page and Search FAQs Tip Sheet, click here.