The following chart shows the changes that have been made to the Country Reciprocity Tables since the last publication.
Also, additional items may have been added to DOS homepage reflecting the various clearances that are required for some nationality groups, certain Presidential Proclamations affecting visa issuance, and the "Temporary Reciprocity Schedule" that is used for newly-independent countries, or when deemed necessary.
USCIS recently updated the following form(s):
Update to Form I-929, Petition for Qualifying Family Member of a U-1 Nonimmigrant05/01/2017 02:00 PM EDT
New edition dated 04/13/17. You may also file using the 12/23/16 edition.
For more information, please visit Forms Updates page.
Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly announced the official launch of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement Office (VOICE). The VOICE office will assist victims of crimes committed by criminal aliens.
ICE built the VOICE office in response to the Executive Order entitled Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States, which directed DHS to create an office to support victims of crimes committed by criminal aliens.
USCIS announced on May 3, 2017, that it has completed data entry of all fiscal year 2018 H-1B cap-subject petitions selected in our computer-generated random process. USCIS will now begin returning all H-1B cap-subject petitions that were not selected. Due to the high volume of filings, USCIS is unable to provide a definite time frame for returning these petitions. USCIS asks petitioners not to inquire about the status of submitted cap-subject petitions until they receive a receipt notice or an unselected petition is returned.
Number 6
Volume X
Washington, D.C
A. STATUTORY NUMBERS
This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during June 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.
TAMPA, Fla. — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) assisted in an investigation that led to U.S. District Judge Charlene E. Honeywell sentencing Rosa Cingari to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison and Domenico Cingari to 8 years and 1 month in federal prison for conspiracy, making false statements in immigration applications and petitions, and mail fraud. The Court also ordered the Cingaris to forfeit real property located at 130 West Park Street in Lakeland, which was used to facilitate the offenses.
If USCIS determines that there are more immigrant visas available for a fiscal year than there are known applicants for such visas, we will state on this page that you may use the Dates for Filing Visa Applications chart. Otherwise, we will indicate on this page that you must use the Application Final Action Dates chart to determine when you may file your adjustment of status application.
PERM Processing Times (as of 4/30/2017)
Discussion Topics, Thursday, 18 May 2017:
FAQ: Is it legal to work for a foreign based company in the USA? || Changing employers after I-140 approval; impact on H-1, green card, H-4 EAD, etc. || Physicians (FMG) NIW, AC21 portability, teaching to clinical position || Impact of a misdemeanor under Trump EO || Extending H-1/H-4EAD; working while extension pending || Filing green card through multiple categories or employers and/or family simultaneously || Activities permitted under H-4 EAD.
Other: Losing H-4 status when using EAD under I-485 || Can a child enroll in school under G-4 visa? || Acquiring Canadian nationality || Changing H-1 visa after changing employers during 60 days grace period|| H-1B changing employers while transfer or extension is pending || Taking a 6-month break on H-1, H-1 quota || L-1 to F-1 change of status || Adoption under US laws || Getting paid on 1099 || H-1B amendment when company acquired, etc.
| Visitor | Student | Work | Green Card | Citizen |
| B-1 | F-1 | H-1B | Employment Based | |
| B-2 | J-1 | L-1 | Family Based | |
| Visa Waiver Program and ESTA | M-1 | J-1 | Diversity VisaLottery | |
Release Date: May 22, 2017
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010
WASHINGTON—U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released today the Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Entry/Exit Overstay Report. The report provides data on departures and overstays, by country, for foreign visitors to the United States who entered as nonimmigrant visitors through an air or sea Port of Entry (POE) and were expected to depart in FY16.
Release Date: May 22, 2017
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010
WASHINGTON—Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly today announced his decision to extend—for an additional six months—the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Haiti. This extension is effective July 23, 2017 through January 22, 2018.
Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly has extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for eligible nationals of Haiti (and eligible individuals without nationality who last habitually resided in Haiti) through Jan. 22, 2018. After consulting with the appropriate U.S. government agencies and reviewing country conditions, Secretary Kelly has determined that a limited, six-month extension is warranted.
As of May 25, 2017, USCIS has received a sufficient number of petitions to reach the maximum possible numerical limit (the “cap”) of workers who may be issued CNMI-Only Transitional Worker (CW-1) visas or otherwise provided with CW-1 status for fiscal year (FY) 2018. Although the FY 2018 cap has not been set, it is required by statute to be less than the 12,998 workers set for FY 2017.
I filed the application form for EAD with the help of our lawyer in the Atlanta office on January 8, 2004. Two months later we got the Notice of Action from Missouri office with two dates - Received Date: January 8, 2004 and Notice Date: March 8, 2004, which was a little bit confusing.
My EAD renewal (at VSC) had been pending for more than 110 days, so I decided to go to the CIS office in Bloomington, MN to get an interim EAD.On Jan 22, 04 the temperature was -10F with the windchill of -30F. I arrived at the CIS office at 7.25 AM. The office was already open. Inside, there were already 50 or so people in the line. The security officer gave me a ticket. After waiting in the line for an hour, I finally reached the security gate and went to the waiting room. It was 8.40 AM.
I got my Interim EAD card based on OPT.
I went to the Bloomington USCIS office (MN) around 4:20 am on Jan 7, 2004. As the weather was cold there were not many people. Somebody made a list and I was the fiteenth person.
Around 6 a.m, we made a line based on the list.
The office opened at 6:30 am.
The officer there started work at 7am. She asked me the reason why I was there and gave me a ticket. I got a ticket and went to another office.
Just wanted to share me and my wife's experience in at the Memphis Sub-Office on January 5, 2004. The Memphis office is severely backlogged currently in regards to AOS and EAD applications. We filed the I-765 for my wife on September 10th and hadn't heard anything. After corresponding with our congressional representative, we were told to travel to Memphis (a 350 mile trip) on any Monday to receive an interim EAD. We traveled to Memphis on Sunday to be ready first thing in the morning. Sunday night we decided to check out the office and went to the front door.