Guestbook Entry for Cyrus Janumala, United States
Name
Cyrus Janumala
Country
United States
State
VA
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H-1 and L-1 Visa Petition Filing Fees Increased – Ongoing Updates if Needed
12 January 2016
This is the latest release from USCIS. I think they are misreading the fees requirement. The law seemed to require higher fees only for L-1 employee counts (see my highlighted comments below under 19 December 2015 entry). The current USCIS release counts both L-1 and H-1 employees even for H-1 filing fees. We will wait and see if this clarified
Chennai Consular Fees - Important Notice on Blanket L-1 fee
Effective Monday December 21, 2015, per the Fiscal Year 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act, the U.S. Consulate in Chennai will begin collecting an additional (U.S. dollar) $4,500 per application for all new Blanket L-1 applications.
L-1A Approval for Functional Manager
An L-1A visa can be obtained for an international manager or executive who manages other professionals or who manages an important function of the organization (“functional manager”). Historically, it has been difficult to obtain L-1A for functional managers. USCIS is more esily convinced where professional employees are being managed.
Status
L-1A approved for functional manager
Nonimmigrant Visas
Update to Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence
USCIS published an update to Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence. The new edition is dated 11/23/15.
Starting 02/29/16, USCIS will accept only the 11/23/15 edition. USCIS will not accept editions dated 04/13/13 or earlier after that date. The edition date can be found at the bottom of every page on the form and instructions.
USCIS Approves 10,000 U Visas for 7th Straight Fiscal Year
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has approved the statutory maximum of 10,000 petitions for U-1 nonimmigrant status (U visas) for fiscal year 2016. This marks the seventh straight year that USCIS has reached the statutory maximum since it began issuing U visas in 2009.
Workload Transfer from the Vermont Service Center to the California Service Center and Nebraska Service Center
USCIS recently began transferring certain casework from the Vermont Service Center (VSC) to the California Service Center (CSC) and Nebraska Service Center (NSC) to balance workloads. The CSC will now process Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status.
The Proposed I-140 EAD Rule - Continually Updated
This entry is now old law. The new law is at http://www.immigration.com/blogs/i-140-ead-regulations-effective-17-jan…
Note: Updated all of the regulations comments on 31 December 2015. I will keep adding, as needed.
Customers Must Mail Form I-290B for Form N-600 or Form N-600K to the Chicago Lockbox
Starting January 1, 2016, customers who wish to file Form I-290B, Notice of Motion or Appeal, in response to a decision on their Form N-600 or N-600K must mail their Form I-290B to the Chicago Lockbox. USCIS will no longer accept these forms at local field offices.
Customers should mail their Form I-290B for Form N-600 or N-600K to:
AAO Processing Times as of December 1, 2015
| FORM NUMBER |
CASE TYPE |
TIME |
|---|---|---|
| I-129CW | CNMI-Only Nonimmigrant Transitional Worker | 6 months or less |
|
I-129F |
Petition for Fiancée |
6 months or less |
|
I-129 H1B |
Nonimmigrant Specialty Occupation Worker |
6 months or less |
Agency
Immigration Law
Rajiv's Comments in the News - H-1B denial rates decline: USCIS data
Published by: The Economic Times - Date: September 01, 2021
Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:
Rajiv's Article - USCIS Ombudsman: A solution to difficult immigration cases
Published by: The Economic Times - Date: September 02, 2021
Synopsis
The USCIS ombudsman's office is housed within the Department of Homeland Security but watches over the USCIS independently. You can open a case with them online. They are often successful where the USCIS bureaucracy fails because they can function as a neutral mediator.
For more on this article please see the attachment below.
Sept 2, 2021 Free US Immigration Community Conference Call with Rajiv (Every Other Thursday)
Agency
Nonimmigrant Visas
Discussion Topics, Thursday, September 02, 2021
Lockbox Filing Location Updates
PERM Processing Times (as of 08/31/2021)
| Processing Queue | Priority Date |
|---|---|
| Analyst Review | April 2021 |
| Audit Review | October 2020 |
| Reconsideration Request to the CO | April 2021 |
Green Card
Immigration Law
AAO Processing Times (April - June 2021)
| Form Type | Case Type | Completed 0-180 Days | Quarterly Completions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumulative total of all completions | 43.43% | 1,043 | |
| I-129CW | Petition for CNMI Nonimmigrant Transitional Worker | 100% | 2 |
| I-129E2 | CNMI Treaty Investor | 100% | 3 |
| I-129F | Petition for Fiancée |
Immigration Law
H-1B Approval for an Operations Research Analyst
We were approached by an employer in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry to respond to an RFE (Request for Evidence) for an Operations Research Analyst. The RFE indicated that the job duties were vague, and did not allow the USCIS to ascertain the minimum requirements for the position, or determine whether it constituted a specialty occupation.
Nonimmigrant Visas
Profession/Occupation
H-1B Approval for a computer and information systems manager
We assisted in the filing of an H-1B petition for a newly established company in the healthcare industry for a computer and information systems manager. We received a request for evidence (RFE), asking for details about the employer and questioning the employee’s qualifications. Oddly, the RFE specifically questioned the credentials of the professor, who had assessed the employee’s educational background and experiential qualifications.
Nonimmigrant Visas
Profession/Occupation
I-130 and I-485 approval for the second husband of a green card holder, who obtained her own green card through marriage
In this case, the petitioning green card holder filed forms I-130 and I-485 for her second husband, whom she had been married to for less than five years since obtaining her lawful permanent resident status based on her first marriage, which was to a U.S. citizen. That marriage ended in a divorce.
Agency
Green Card
Successful response to a Form I-485 RFE related to events that occurred over a decade ago
We responded to a Form I-485 Request for Evidence to prove that approximately a decade ago the permanent residency applicant had, in fact, attended two U.S. universities as he had claimed in previously approved petitions. Both universities had been certified by ICE under its Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) during the applicant’s attendance.
Nonimmigrant Visas
Green Card
DHS Continues Temporary Protected Status Designations for El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua and Sudan
Release Date
09/09/2021
WASHINGTON—The Department of Homeland Security has announced the automatic extension of TPS designations for El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan. TPS beneficiaries from these six countries will retain their status, provided they continue to meet all the individual requirements for TPS eligibility. The automatic extension of TPS-related documentation includes Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) through Dec. 31, 2022.
Lockbox Filing Location Updates
H-1B Approval for a computer and information systems manager
We assisted in the filing of an H-1B petition for a newly established company in the healthcare industry for a computer and information systems manager. We received a request for evidence (RFE), asking for details about the employer and questioning the employee’s qualifications. Oddly, the RFE specifically questioned the credentials of the professor, who had assessed the employee’s educational background and experiential qualifications.