As of August 28, 2009, approximately 45,100 H-1B cap-subject petitions and approximately 20,000 petitions qualifying for the advanced degree cap exemption had been filed. USCIS will continue to accept both cap-subject petitions and advanced degree petitions until a sufficient number of H-1B petitions have been received to reach the statutory limits, taking into account the fact that some of these petitions may be denied, revoked, or withdrawn.
USCIS will accept the I-693 medical exam form with the 06/05/08 revision date, in spite of the 08/31/09 expiration date. This will continue till OMB approves the revised form.
An advance copy of technical changes contains a correction to the H-2B labor certification process. To be published in the Federal Register September 3, 2009.
The Final Rule re-engineers the application filing and review process by centralizing processing and by enabling employers to conduct pre-filing recruitment of United States (U.S.) workers.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is reminding federal contractors and subcontractors that effective Sept. 8, 2009, they will be required to use the E-Verify system to verify their employees’ eligibility to work in the United States. In July, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano strengthened employment eligibility verification by announcing the Administration’s support for the regulation that will award federal contracts only to employers who use E-Verify to check employee work authorization.
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) would like to clarify to associations and their members certain regulatory requirements for filing petitions for H-2B classification on behalf of foreign workers. We are issuing this clarification so that the public can be better informed of filing requirements and avoid unnecessary denials of individual petitions that may be otherwise approvable. We have noticed a particular type of filing error in many H-2B petitions filed by certain associations on behalf of their members.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued guidance on requesting deferred action for surviving spouses of U.S. citizens who died before the second anniversary of their marriage. Surviving spouses qualify for this temporary program if they were married to, but not legally separated from, their U.S. citizen spouse at the time of that spouse's death; did not remarry; and are currently residing in the United States.
A USCIS memo to CIS Ombudsman responding to his recommendation states that USCIS establish more uniform filing and review procedures for motions to reopen and reconsider among field offices and service centers as well as improve communication of those procedures to customers and stakeholders.
Here is a document USDOL (Wage and Hour Division) is using to send to employees. This outlines the factors USDOL is most interested in when investigating an employer.
[Federal Register: August 28, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 166)]
[Notices]
[Page 44375-44376]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28au09-65]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Agency Information Collection Activities: Form I-485 and Supplements A and E, Revision of a Currently Approved Information Collection; Comment Request
[Federal Register: August 28, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 166)]
[Notices]
[Page 44376-44377]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28au09-66]
---------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Agency Information Collection Activities: Form I-600/I-600A, Revision of a Currently Approved Information Collection; Comment Request