Latest News

USCIS Reaches FY 2019 H-1B Cap

USCIS has reached the congressionally-mandated 65,000 H-1B visa cap for fiscal year 2019. USCIS has also received a sufficient number of H-1B petitions to meet the 20,000 visa U.S. advanced degree exemption, known as the master’s cap.

The agency will reject and return filing fees for all unselected cap-subject petitions that are not prohibited multiple filings.

Following Court Ruling, DeVos Orders Further Review of 2016 ACICS Petition

April 03, 2018

Washington

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos today ordered further review of the 2016 petition for recognition by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS). The review is a direct result of action by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia remanding the case to the Secretary.

“As the court ordered, we will fairly consider all of the facts presented and make an appropriate determination on ACICS’s petition,” said DeVos.

Undeliverable Permanent Resident and Employment Authorization Cards and Travel Documents to be Destroyed After 60 Days

Starting April 2, USCIS will destroy Permanent Resident Cards, Employment Authorization Cards and Travel Documents returned as undeliverable by the U.S. Postal Service after 60 business days if USCIS is not contacted by the document’s intended recipient to provide the correct address.

USCIS encourages applicants to report a change of address within 10 days of relocation using the procedures outlined at uscis.gov/addresschange.

USCIS and CBP to Implement Form I-129 Pilot Program for Canadian L-1 Nonimmigrants

From April 30, 2018, to Oct. 31, 2018, the USCIS California Service Center (CSC) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Blaine, Washington, port of entry (POE) will implement a joint agency pilot program for Canadian citizens seeking L-1 nonimmigrant status under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This pilot is designed to facilitate the adjudication and admission process of Canadians traveling to the U.S. as L-1 nonimmigrants.

USCIS Updates Webpage to Share More Accurate Processing Times

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) launched a pilot to test a redesigned processing times webpage that displays the data for all forms in an easier-to-read format and also tests a new way of collecting data and calculating the processing times for some forms.

The pilot will test four forms using a new automated methodology for calculating processing times. The four forms are:

SEVP Announces the SEVP Portal

On March 23, 2018, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) will launch the SEVP Portal for F-1 students participating in post-completion optional practical training (OPT) and M-1 students participating in practical training.

The portal will allow these F-1 and M-1 students to report personal and employer information directly to SEVP. Through the portal, these students will be able to:

H-1B Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Cap Season

The H-1B program allows companies in the United States to temporarily employ foreign workers in occupations that require the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and a bachelor’s degree or higher in the specific specialty, or its equivalent.  H-1B specialty occupations may include fields such as science, engineering and information technology.  For more information , visit