PERM Processing Times (as of 08/31/2018)
As of September 4, 2018, USCIS transferred some of the following cases from the Vermont Service Center to the Potomac Service Center and the Nebraska Service Center:
For more information, see Workload Transfer Updates page.
On Sep. 10, USCIS changed the filing location for Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence. This form was previously filed at the California and Vermont service centers. Now, petitioners must send Form I-751 to a USCIS Lockbox facility. However, the California, Nebraska, Vermont, and Texas service centers will be the adjudicating offices. When filing at a Lockbox facility, petitioners have the option to pay the fee with a money order, personal check, cashier’s check, or credit card.
Visa Bulletin For October 2018
Number 22
Volume X
Washington, D.C
A. STATUTORY NUMBERS
Sept 13 Conference Call, Topics of Discussion
Travelling outside the US when H1 is pending, but already have a valid H1 and stamping, SEP-11-2018 USCIS PREMIUM STOPPAGE / NO MORE RFE'S ON OR AFTER SEP-11-2018
On Sept. 6, 2018, the CIS Ombudsman (CISOMB)1 held a stakeholder teleconference to discuss the USCIS “Issuance of Certain RFEs and NOIDs” policy memorandum (PM) that was issued on July 13, 2018. USCIS representatives provided an overview of the memorandum and addressed many questions submitted in advance by the CISOMB. The updated policy went into effect on September 11, 2018. Below is the link of the summary of the PM and the advance questions and answers from the teleconference.
USCIS Case Status Online09/13/2018 12:00 AM EDTAgency Information Collection Activities; Extension, Without Change, of a Currently Approved Collection: USCIS Case Status OnlineMedical Certification for Disability Exception09/13/2018 12:00 AM EDTAgency Information Collection Activities; Extension, Without Change, of a Currently Approved Collection: Medical Certification for Disability Exception
Effective immediately, USCIS will begin accepting copies of negative consultation letters directly from labor unions relating to a current or future O nonimmigrant visa petition request. O-1 and O-2 nonimmigrant visas are available to individuals with extraordinary ability in science, education, business, athletics, or the arts, and individuals with extraordinary achievement in the motion picture or television industry, and certain essential support personnel. A consultation letter from a U.S.
WASHINGTON— U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced the agency will celebrate Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, observed on Sept. 17, with over 260 naturalization ceremonies across the country from Sept. 14 to 23 as part of this year’s celebration of Constitution Week.
USCIS is sending text and email messages between Sept. 17 and Sept. 20, 2018, about filing Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card online. If you are a lawful permanent resident and your Green Card has expired or is about to expire, or if you need to replace it for another reason, you may file Form I-90 online. Go to the Form I-90 page on the USCIS website to begin your online application process.
USCIS has published a revised version of Form G-28, Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative, with an edition date of 09/17/18. This revised version removes the geographic requirement for sending an original notice to a U.S. address for attorneys and representatives that had been added to the 05/05/16 and 05/23/18 versions of the form.
USCIS is proposing to revise our Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver, to remove the receipt of means-tested benefits from the eligibility criteria. A means-tested benefit is a public benefit where eligibility for the benefit, the amount of the benefit, or both, is based on an individual’s income level. Eligibility for these benefits can vary from state to state, depending on the state’s income level guidelines.
F-1 students who have an H-1B petition that remains pending on Oct. 1, 2018, risk accruing unlawful presence if they continue to work on or after Oct. 1 (unless otherwise authorized to continue employment), as their “cap-gap” work authorization is only valid through Sept. 30.
The dates reflect the month and year in which applications were filed (request date) or submission date of the appeal request for Redeterminations or Center Director Review. The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) encourages employers to request a prevailing wage determination for the H-2B program at least 60 days before the date the determination is needed. For various reasons, OFLC may be completing the processing of applications filed prior to the month posted.
We assisted in responding to an RFE questioning the employer’s educational requirements for an E-3 (Specialty Occupation Workers from Australia) Petition filed for a software developer position. USCIS sought clarification as to how the position could be a specialty occupation where the employer required a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in business, information systems, computer science or equivalent with related experience.
We successfully assisted a new client in filing an E-2 visa extension. The applicant was a national of a treaty country and was the 100% shareholder of the U.S. enterprise. Through extensive documentation, including contracts, invoices, financial statements, and detailed explanations of the evidence, we were able to show that the U.S. enterprise was a real and operating enterprise, and that the applicant had made a substantial, qualifying investment in the enterprise and put his personal investment at risk.
We successfully assisted the client company, an online retail business, in filing an L-1A “new office” petition to enable the beneficiary to join the U.S. subsidiary temporarily as Chief Executive Officer to lead the development and formulation of the U.S. Entity’s short and long-term strategy. While in the U.S. Beneficiary will continue to setup the business’s U.S. office and a warehouse facility, hire a U.S. team and lead the development of sales and marketing strategies.
We assisted in responding to an RFE questioning the employer’s educational requirements for an E-3 (Specialty Occupation Workers from Australia) Petition filed for a software developer position. USCIS sought clarification as to how the position could be a specialty occupation where the employer required a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in business, information systems, computer science or equivalent with related experience.
Number 63
Volume X
Washington, D.C
A. STATUTORY NUMBERS
This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during March for: “Final Action Dates” and “Dates for Filing Applications,” indicating when immigrant visa applicants should be notified to assemble and submit required documentation to the National Visa Center.
Discussion Topics, February 17, 2022
FAQ's: Left while Extension pending. B-1/B-2 visa inspection at the airport by the CBP and repercussions || Interfiling || Interfiling and AC21 Portability || Interfiling, Returning to Old Employer
Release Date
02/18/2022
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services encourages eligible applicants to consider requesting to transfer the underlying basis of their adjustment of status application to the first (priority workers) or second (noncitizens in professions with advanced degrees or with exceptional ability) employment-based preference categories, because there is an exceptionally high number of employment-based immigrant visas available in these categories during this fiscal year (October 2021 through September 2022).
Published by: The Economic Times: February 21, 2022
Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:
“This would be tremendously beneficial to people who have been waiting for many, many years. We are hoping a lot of people can get their green cards under the EB2 category if they move fast,” said Rajiv S Khanna, Managing Attorney at Immigration.com.
For more on this news please see the attachment.