E-Verify Outage and New Features

E-Verify, the free system that allows employers to confirm the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States, will be unavailable from April 20 at 9 p.m. until April 22 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern, while USCIS implements system enhancements. For more information on how the outage will affect the creation of E-Verify cases see the fact sheet on USCIS website.

USCIS Policy Manual on Acquisition of U.S. Citizenship for Children Born Outside the United States and Out of Wedlock

The USCIS Policy Manual has been updated to clarify certain requirements for acquisition of U.S. citizenship for children born outside the United States and out of wedlock under sections 301 and 309 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The Policy Alert is available here:

Visa Waiver Program and ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization)

The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) enables nationals of 36 participating countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business (visitor [B] visa purposes only) for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. The program was established in 1986 with the objective of eliminating unnecessary barriers to travel, stimulating the tourism industry, and permitting the Department of State to focus consular resources in other areas. VWP eligible travelers may apply for a visa, if they prefer to do so.

Nonimmigrant Visas

Workload Transfer Updates - I-601A Applications

USCIS sometimes transfers cases between the five service centers in order to balance workload and promote timely processing. 

USCIS on April 16, 2018 transferred some of the Form I-601A, Application for Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver from the Nebraska Service Center to the Potomac Service Center.

For more details on Workload Transfer Updates please visit this link: https://www.uscis.gov/workload-transfers

April 12, 2018, Recording of Free Community Conference Call (Every Other Thursday)

Immigration.com

Immigration Law

Substantial transcription for video

Discussion Topics: - AOS status through EB3 category - E2 Visa (Visa for Australian Citizens only) with spouse on E2D (E2 Dependent) with work not allowed - Dependant EAD (C36) - NOID in H1B-Extension - carrying green card while going to office, shopping, library etc.

U.S. Consulate General in Mumbai will be the New Interview Location for Immediate Relative Cases

Important Notice:  Effective April 1, 2018, the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi will no longer process IR5, IR1, IR2, CR1, or CR2 visas.  The U.S. Consulate General in Mumbai will be your interview location if you are in process for an IR5 ( parent of a U.S. citizen), IR1/CR1 visa (spouse of a U.S. citizen) or IR2/CR2 visa (unmarried minor child of a U.S. citizen), AND your interview is scheduled on or after April 1, 2018.  Your letter from the National Visa Center will specify the location of your interview, along with further details about interview preparation.

USCIS Will Conduct a Lottery for CW-1 Petitions for Fiscal Year 2019

USCIS has received petitions for more than the number of visas available for fiscal year (FY) 2019 for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)-Only Transitional Worker (CW-1) program. The cap for CW-1 visas for FY 2019 is 4,999.

As a result, USCIS will be conducting a lottery to ensure that it does not exceed the CW-1 cap. USCIS will randomly select petitions received between April 2, 2018 and April 13, 2018. If USCIS receives your petition after April 13, it will be rejected and will not be considered for this lottery.