U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced the launch of our Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Immigration Records SysTem (FIRST), which will eventually allow users to submit, manage, and receive FOIA requests entirely online. Before this change, USCIS only accepted FOIA requests by mail, fax, and email, and requesters typically received their documents on a compact disc by mail.
Can I keep the notarized copy of my green card instead of original green card? Because I think it’s risky to carry GC all the time and have fear of it getting lost. cost and wait time for replacing GC is very high.
When I will travel out of town or government buildings I can take my GC with me. But for other day to day routine travel can I keep my GC safe at home ? What is the maximum penalty I have to pay if random checked by immigration officer (very unlikely) I provide my driving license and notarized copy of GC? Is it very serious offense ? Have you seen people getting into immigration(USCIS) trouble for not carrying original GC?
Do we have to do police complaint if GC is lost? If yes then can you please explain the procedure, and forms to fill.
Note: This is a verbatim transcript of the referenced audio/video media delivered as oral communication, and, therefore, may not conform to written grammatical or syntactical form.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced the start of a six-month testing period of Incident Driven Video Recording System (IDVRS) in operational environments.
On April 15, 2018, USCIS used a computer-generated random selection process to select enough petitions to meet the fiscal year (FY) 2019 cap of 4,999 for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)-Only Transitional Worker (CW-1) program.
My spouse and I are staying in the USA since last 10 years on work visa H-1B. We have our second daughter born in 2016 who is facing neurological disability which requires long term care and constant therapies. The current scenario is my husband's H-1B has denied and couldn't get back to the USA. I am here in the USA with my both kids on B2 Visa. My both kids are US Citizens. Is there any legislation which can provide legal stay to the parent of a child with disability in the USA?
Video Transcript
The answer is "No". You can stay on a tourist visa. There are no special visas or green card for such situations. More...
Note: This is a verbatim transcript of the referenced audio/video media delivered as oral communication, and, therefore, may not conform to written grammatical or syntactical form.
Release Date
WASHINGTON—Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to adjust certain immigration and naturalization benefit request fees. The new fees would allow USCIS to more fully recover its operating costs, reestablish and maintain timely case processing, and prevent the accumulation of future case backlogs. USCIS receives approximately 96 percent of its funding from filing fees, not from congressional appropriations.
USCIS recently updated the following USCIS form(s):
01/04/2023 01:59 PM EST
USCIS recently updated the following form.
Form I-134, Declaration of Financial Support
01/04/2023 09:24 AM EST
Release Date
USCIS has published Form I-956K, Registration for Direct and Third-Party Promoters. The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 added the requirement for direct and third-party promoters to register with USCIS.
Discussion Topics
FAQ: Effect of typos on immigration documents || Concerns about EB-1C Green Card Portability || Who is required to pay for an EB-1C Green Card? || Can too many parking tickets affect Green Card or Citizenship process? ||
The CIS Ombudsman’s Webinar Series:
Interagency Engagement on International Student Issues
Thursday, August 25, 2022
1 - 2:15 p.m. EDT
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) provided these answers to stakeholder questions gathered from the webinar.
.......................................................................................................
Question 1. Maintaining F-1 status
Question 2. Reinstatement
Question 3. OPT
Question 4. Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization
Question 5. Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE)
Question 6. Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)
Question 7. Change of Address
Question 8. Other
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Maintaining F-1 status
Q1. Can a student under Optional Practical Training (OPT) travel out of the country for a few days (less than five days) without notifying the designated school official (DSO) or employer or do they need permission to travel?
Number 74
Volume X
Washington, D.C
A. STATUTORY NUMBERS
This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during February 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.
Form Type | Case Type | Completed 0-180 Days | Quarterly Completions |
---|---|---|---|
Cumulative total of all completions | 69.69% | 848 | |
I-129CW | Petition for CNMI Nonimmigrant Transitional Worker | 66.67% | 3 |
I-129F | Petition for Fiancée | 100% | 14 |
Release Date
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is implementing the final phase of the premium processing expansion for Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, under the EB-1 and EB-2 classifications.
Processing Queue | Priority Date |
---|---|
Analyst Review | April 2022 |
Audit Review | January 2022 |
Reconsideration Request to the CO | June 2022 |
I have a query about the employment status of the H1B resource coming from India. Once the resource reaches the US, from what day they can start working? I understand that once they reach the U.S. they need to apply for SSN first. So the question is can they start working in full employment capacity even before they get SSN?
.
Excerpt from the SSA (Social Security Administration) website:
"We don’t require you to have an SSN before you start work. However, the Internal Revenue Service requires employers to use your SSN to report your wages.
While you wait for your SSN, your employer can use a letter from us stating you applied for a number. Your immigration documents can prove your authorization to work in the United States".
Find more information online at www.ssa.gov/employer/hiring.htm
This article is part of the continuing series of interviews between The Practical Lawyer Editorial Board Member Rajiv S. Khanna and leading practitioners across the country, designed to provide personal and professional insights into various areas of the law.
Read more by clicking the pdf attachment.
One of my friends has just completed a master's (F1 Visa) in Dec 2022 and has traveled to India (outside the USA). However, he hadn't noticed that the EAD card had incorrect DOB (date of birth). Would he have any issues while entering back to the USA? Will he have issues returning to the USA, how can he ensure that his DOB issue in EAD is sorted out?
You could send in a request to the USCIS for correction of the typographical error by taking a screenshot. Attach it with the rest of the documents and now you have enough proof to show who you are. Also, typographical error depends upon who made the error and in which context it's being raised. Sometimes it is just an easy fix and complicated at times. Let your lawyers help you with that decision in this case. I think if you have a screenshot of a requested correction you should be fine.
How does EB-1C portability work?
I also have a question about the EB1C portability of the priority date. Say, If I have I-140 approved under EB1C and have a particular priority date. For some reason, if I need to or want to change employers and I do not qualify for EB1C with other employers. My new employer can file I-140 under EB-2, or I can file EB-2 NIW myself. I have both options. The question is whether I can use the priority date of the earlier approved I-140 petition under EB1C to the new employer's EB-2 petition and file AOS.
Sure. EB-1/EB-2/EB-3 all of them can be ported.
Who pays for the I-140 filing fee? Employer or Employee? Do federal regulations mandate payment by the employer? Who pays the attorney fees for the I-140 form per federal regulations? Is it mandatory to be paid by the employer? Who pays for the I-1485 filing fee per federal regulations? Employer or Employee? Any federal mandate I need to know? Who pays for I-485 attorney fees per federal regulations? Is anything mandated in federal regulations?
Generally speaking for L-1/EB-1C there are no requirements of any kind that say that the employer has to pay. The employee can pay for I-140 and I-485.
Release Date
Changes Strengthen Efforts to Hold Unscrupulous Employers Accountable
First of all I just want to thank you to Rajiv, Vijay and everyone else in the office that has been with me throughout the journey. They have been very professional, efficient and reliable. Rajiv has been so quick in replying emails to me every time I have any questions and I really appreciate it. Sometimes unexpected situations came up and the way Rajiv addressed and handled such issues made me feel extremely grateful that he was there. His calm spirit and the way he talks just make me feel like there are no existing problems, just situations, which can always be fixed. I remember when I asked my sister why she chose this law firm (she introduced Rajiv’s law firm to me), she said that when she first met with Rajiv, he just gave her this vibe that everything will be alright and that he seemed really kind (and he is), compared to other lawyers that she has met before.
I also would like to thank you Vijay from the bottom of my heart because Vijay has been extremely patient and nice to me. I have been working with Vijay since the beginning of my application and he has always been there for me whenever I need. Even though I bugged him a million times via phones/emails, he is still very patient and kind to me and helps guiding me with all the GC paperwork. So thank you Vijay for your complete support during this journey.
My timeline for the EB3 Green Card is as followed:
Jan 24 - Filing I-140 & I-485 concurrently (I-140 is premium processing)
Jan 26 – Application received
Feb 7 – I-140 approval notice
Feb 19 - Fingerprint notice
Feb 28 – Fingerprint Appointment
Mar 28 – EAD/AP card approved
April 20 – Interview notice
May 21 – Interview day
May 24 – Case was approved
Again, thank you so much to Rajiv, Vijay and everyone who has been handling my case from the start to finish. You guys are the best and I would highly recommend Rajiv and his team without any hesitation in regards to any immigration cases.