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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are extending the joint agency pilot program for Canadian citizens seeking L-1 nonimmigrant status under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) through April 30, 2019. Earlier this year, the USCIS California Service Center (CSC) and the CBP Blaine, Washington, port of entry (POE) announced this pilot program which was scheduled to run from April 30, 2018, through Oct.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is continuing to implement the June 28, 2018, Policy Memorandum (PM), Updated Guidance for the Referral of Cases and Issuance of Notices to Appear (NTAs) in Cases Involving Inadmissible and Deportable Aliens (PDF, 140 KB).

Are you seeking to adjust your status and become a U.S. permanent resident under a family-sponsored or employment-based preference immigrant visa? If you have not yet had a relative or employer file an immigrant visa petition on your behalf, please learn more about the Adjustment of Status Filing Process.

On Nov. 15, the Public Engagement Division (PED) held a stakeholder teleconference to discuss the USCIS Updated Guidance for the Referral of Cases and Issuance of Notices to Appear (NTAs) in Cases Involving Inadmissible and Deportable Aliens policy memorandum (PM) that was issued on June 28. USCIS representatives provided an overview of the memorandum, shared an update on the continued implementation of the PM, and addressed many questions submitted in advance.

USCIS has published a policy memorandum (PDF, 121 KB) (PM) clarifying the requirement that a qualifying organization employ a principal L-1 beneficiary abroad for one continuous year out of the three years before the time of petition filing (“one-year foreign employment requirement”).

Updated USCIS form(s):

Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant06/09/2020 09:15 AM EDTStarting Jan 4, 2021, USCIS will only accept the 06/09/20 edition. Until then, you can use the 04/12/18 and 12/23/16 editions. You can find the edition date at the bottom of the page on the form and instructions.For more information, please visit Forms Updates page.

These dates reflect the month and year in which cases were filed and are currently being adjudicated. The Reconsideration Request to the CO date reflects the month and year in which cases that are currently being reviewed were appealed.  

Please visit this page for PERM Processing Times (as of 10/31/2020)

Published by : The Economic Times - Date: November 09, 2020  

Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv on the article:

“On the green card side, Mr Biden has expressly stated that he wants to remove the percountry quota. This change can also be introduced relatively quickly and the benefits could manifest within a year potentially,” said Rajiv S Khanna, Managing Attorney at immigration.com.

For more details please see the attachment below.

Release Date 11/13/2020

WASHINGTON — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced today plans to implement a revised version of the naturalization civics test. The agency first announced plans to revise the civics test in July 2019.

Release Date 11/13/2020

USCIS is clarifying existing guidance on the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) in the USCIS Policy Manual to address:

Release Date 11/17/2020

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is updating existing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual regarding the exercise of the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security’s discretion in adjudications of adjustment of status applications.

Release Date 11/17/2020

Rule will encourage these aliens to depart the country

Release Date 11/18/2020

On Nov. 18, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services updated policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify the circumstances when USCIS would find applicants ineligible for naturalization  because they were not lawfully admitted for permanent residence. 

Release Date 11/18/2020

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has received enough petitions to reach the congressionally mandated cap on H-2B visas for temporary nonagricultural workers for the first half of fiscal year 2021. Nov. 16 was the final receipt date for new cap-subject H-2B worker petitions requesting an employment start date before April 1, 2021. USCIS will reject new cap-subject H-2B petitions received after Nov. 16, that request an employment start date before April 1, 2021.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced an extension of the flexibility in complying with requirements related to Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, due to COVID-19.