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The Board of Immigration Appeals was closed February 5-11, 2010, due to extreme weather conditions in the Washington, DC, area. On this occasion, the Board will apply a temporary "grace period" for the following filings:

(1) the filing was due on any date from Friday, February 5, 2010, to Thursday, February 18, 2010, and

(2) the filing was received on or before February 19, 2010.

The grace period will apply automatically. No request or documentation is required.

Temporary Agricultural Employment of H-2A Aliens in the United States. The Department has published in the Federal Register a Final Rule amending the regulations governing the labor certification process for the temporary agricultural employment of H-2A aliens in the United States, codified at 20 CFR part 655, and enforcement of employer obligations under the H-2A program, codified at 29 CFR Part 501. The new regulations will go into effect on March 15, 2010.

USCIS issues memo to provided guidance on the processing and adjudicating of Form I-129 filed on behalf of H-1B "specialty occupation" and H-2B "temporary nonagricultural" workers.

USCIS issues memo to provided guidance on the processing and adjudicating of Form I-129 filed on behalf of H-1B "specialty occupation" and H-2B "temporary nonagricultural" workers.

[Federal Register: February 9, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 26)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 6321-6330]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09fe10-12]

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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

22 CFR Part 22

[Public Notice: 6887]

RIN 1400-AC58

Schedule of Fees for Consular Services, Department of State and Overseas Embassies and Consulates

AGENCY: Bureau of Consular Affairs, State.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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E Visa company registrations -  It is advisable for “E” visa companies to update “registration” files at post every year although there is no specific regulation. 
 

Following-to-Join for adjustment cases - An applicant who is the principal alien and whose spouse or child now needs to follow to join can now continue to deal directly with posts in paths:

Visa Bulletin for March 2010 released.

USCIS published informational videos on "Haitian TPS: How to Register"

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) provides additional guidance regarding the Employ American Workers Act (EAWA) to employers seeking to file H-1B petitions. 

Introduction

Workers in H-1B and H-2B classifications who are admitted to perform labor and services in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and Guam are exempt from the H-1B cap and H-2B cap from November 28, 2009 to December 31, 2014.  The Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 (CNRA), Public Law 110-229, provides a special exemption to the statutory numerical limitations (or “caps”) for temporary workers in H nonimmigrant classifications mentioned in Section 214(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).