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 AAO Processing Times as of April 1, 2012.

American Indians born in Canada (with at least 50% American Indian blood) cannot be denied admission to the United States. However, a record of admission for permanent residence will be created if an American Indian born in Canada wishes to reside permanently in the United States.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is publishing a proposed rule that could save U.S. businesses more than $23 million over the next 10 years by establishing an advance registration process for U.S. employers seeking to file H-1B petitions for foreign workers in specialty occupations. The proposed electronic system would minimize administrative burdens and expenses related to the H-1B petition process—including reducing the need for employers to submit petitions for which visas would not be available under the statutory visa cap.

Beginning April 1, 2011 all Change of Address, (Form AR-11) and Alien’s Change of Address, (Form AR-11 SR) will change filing location to this address. 

DHS/USCIS
Harrisonburg File Storage Facility
Attn:  AR-11
1344 Pleasants Drive
Harrisonburg, VA 22801

Change of address forms mailed to the old location will be forwarded to the new filing location for 45 days beginning April 1, 2011 until May 16, 2011.

On February 8, USCIS posted a notification regarding the delay in processing approximately 36,000 immediate relative petitions that were transferred from the California Service Center to the Texas Service Center. In that notification, we advised that some cases were transferred back to our California Service Center to take advantage of currently available resources.  We also committed to providing you with updates on our progress.

The Department has published a notice in the Federal Register on March 1, 2011 that announces the 2011 Adverse Effect Wage Rates, Allowable Charges for Agricultural Workers' Meals, and Maximum Travel Subsistence Reimbursement for use in the H-2A program. This notice provides (1) the 2011 AEWRs for employers seeking H-2A workers; (2) the allowable maximum amount for 2011 that employers may charge their H-2A workers for providing them with three meals a day; and (3) the maximum travel subsistence reimbursement which a worker with receipts may claim in 2011.

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that some existing Salvadoran Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries will receive interim Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) during the continued processing of their re-registration applications. USCIS mailed approximately 4,500 EADs, to be delivered no later than March 9, 2011, to Salvadorans who have not yet received a final action on their re-registration applications.

WASHINGTON - U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced it will permanently close its field office in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on March 31, 2011. 

As of March 25, applications and petitions previously accepted by the USCIS Ho Chi Minh City Field Office may be filed with the U.S. Department of State Consular Section there. Where authorized, the Consular Section will assume responsibility for processing certain cases.

[Federal Register: March 7, 2011 (Volume 76, Number 44)]
[Rules and Regulations]              
[Page 12269-12271]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07mr11-1]                        


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Rules and Regulations

Effective March 7, 2011, new H&L category visa appointments are no longer available at the U.S. Consulate General in Mumbai. H&L visa appointments may be scheduled in New Delhi, Chennai, or Hyderabad through VFS. More information is found here.

WASHINGTON— As part of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Blue Campaign to combat human trafficking, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will permit victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation and others who have filed civil action against their employer and held A-3 and G-5 visas to remain and work legally in the U.S. while their civil cases are pending.

This advisory is for Japanese and other foreign nationals from the Pacific stranded in the United States due to the earthquakes and tsunami devastation in the Pacific. If you have exceeded or are about to exceed your authorized stay in the U.S. you may be permitted up to an additional 30 days to depart.

Visitors traveling under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP):