Release Date: June 29, 2017
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010
WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Departments of State and Justice, will begin the implementation of certain travel restriction provisions in the President’s Executive Order: Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States at 8 pm EDT today.
WASHINGTON—U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced today the expansion of Global Entry eligibility to citizens of India. Global Entry, a CBP Trusted Traveler Program, allows for expedited clearance of pre-approved, low-risk travelers. Indian citizens can begin applying for Global Entry through the Global Online Enrollment System (GOES) website. India becomes the 11th country overall whose citizens are eligible to enroll in Global Entry.
Number 8
Volume X
Washington, D.C
A. STATUTORY NUMBERS
This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during August 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.
Discussion Topics, Thursday 13 July 2017:
FAQ: Evidence or documents created after the filing of a petition || H-4 EAD when an I-140 is revoked after 180 days || Can a green card be started on F-1 status? || New regulations, effect on layoff after I-140 approval || Reentry permit to preserve green card and extensions || I-94 given for a shorter duration at the airport than the petition approval date ||
Other: Deportation for crimes || Changing status after marriage in the USA || Revocation of I-140 after 180 days || Effect of minor violations on immigration status || Filing H-1 amendment, etc. || Removal of condition, Form I-751 || Multiple I-94 issued || Changing status when a change of status petition is pending || PERM - effect of variation in job description/requirements || Getting a copy of I-140 by filing FOIA with USCIS || Applying for change of status to H-1 || Calculating deadlines for RFE response falling on holidays || Changing status from H-1 to F-1, etc.
USCIS will release the latest Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, on July 17. Employers will be able to use this revised version or continue using Form I-9 with a revision date of 11/14/16 N through Sept.
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.
USCIS released a revised version of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, on July 17. Instructions for how to download Form I-9 are available on the Form I-9 page. Employers can use this revised version or continue using Form I-9 with a revision date of 11/14/16 N through Sept. 17. On Sept. 18, employers must use the revised form with a revision date of 07/17/17 N.
On June 26, 2017, the United States Supreme Court issued an order agreeing to hear the Administration’s appeals of two rulings by Federal Appeals Courts regarding Executive Order 13780 and partially granting the government’s request to stay the lower courts’ injunctions. We will keep those traveling to the United States and partners in the travel industry informed as we implement the order in a professional, organized, and timely way.
USCIS announced on July 19, that it has returned all fiscal year 2018 H-1B cap-subject petitions that were not selected in our computer-generated random selection process. USCIS previously announced on May 3, that it completed data entry of all selected cap-subject petitions.
The deadline for eligible nationals of Haiti (and people without nationality who last habitually resided in Haiti) to re-register for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is Monday, July 24, 2017. The limited 6-month extension of the TPS designation for Haiti runs from July 23, 2017, through Jan. 22, 2018.
Foreign visitors to the U.S. arriving via air or sea no longer need to complete paper Customs and Border Protection Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record or Form I-94W Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver Arrival/Departure Record. Those who need to prove their legal-visitor status—to employers, schools/universities or government agencies—can access their CBP arrival/departure record information online.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will resume premium processing for certain cap-exempt H-1B petitions effective immediately. The H-1B visa has an annual cap of 65,000 visas each fiscal year. Additionally, there is an annual “master’s cap” of 20,000 petitions filed for beneficiaries with a U.S. master’s degree or higher.
Premium processing will resume for petitions that may be exempt from the cap if the H-1B petitioner is:
* An institution of higher education;
* A nonprofit related to or affiliated with an institution of higher education; or
USCIS recently updated the following USCIS form(s):
Update to Form N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document
07/24/2017 12:00 AM EDT
New edition dated 06/13/17. Starting 09/22/2017, we will only accept the 06/13/17 edition. Until then, you can use the 12/23/16 edition.
Grants will support citizenship preparation services for lawful permanent residents
Lawful permanent residents who file the online Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card, without assistance from an attorney or accredited representative, can now file their form and upload evidence entirely on a mobile device. The redesign of the online Form I-90 also allows lawful permanent residents to navigate the site more easily, making the process of renewing or replacing Green Cards more convenient.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to specify that every naturalization applicant must provide biometrics regardless of age, unless the applicant qualifies for a fingerprint waiver due to certain medical conditions.
For detail information, please read attached document.
Discussion Topics, Thursday 27 July 2017:
FAQ: Does H-4 require a prior USCIS approval for visa stamping? ||I-485 applicant holding multiple jobs on EAD
I got my EB1A approved and am in the process of filing my I765 and I485 concurrently, since my date for EB1A is current, but unfortunately I got laid off now,so what is my option? Can I file a compelling Circumstances EAD and continue working once my Compelling circumstances EAD is approved and convert to GC EAD once GC EAD is approved? Or file a B2 visa and once GC EAD approval comes, can I work? Can kids go to school during my Compelling circumstances EAD approval after the grace period?
If you have an approved EB-1A and your priority date is current, you can file I-485 without needing a specific job, as long as you intend to continue working in your field. A Compelling Circumstances EAD is not an option since it is only available when dates are not current. Consult your lawyer, but you should be able to proceed with your I-485 filing.
1. If NIW I485 is rejected. Can we refile I485, or need to start a new NIW case from I-140 stage?
2. NIW I485 is rejected. If I refile the new NIW and it is approved, can the previous NIW's priority date be used for this new NIW's AOS?
3. How will the Trump administration affect NIW I485 cases? Would you suggest any precautions?
4. Can petitioner file multiple NIWs simultaneously with different endeavors?
If your NIW I-485 is rejected but your I-140 is still pending or approved, you can refile the I-485 without starting a new NIW case. However, consult your lawyer for any case-specific nuances.
If you file a new NIW and it gets approved, you can use the priority date from a previous NIW only if the prior I-140 was approved.
As for multiple NIW filings for different endeavors, it is theoretically possible but may weaken your case by making it appear unfocused.
We recommend that the H-1B lottery registration process should be planned and initiated now to ensure that it is ready to be submitted once the registrations open from noon Eastern on March 7, 2025 through noon Eastern on March 24, 2025. During this period, prospective petitioners and representatives must use a USCIS online account to register each beneficiary electronically for the selection process and pay the associated registration fee for each beneficiary.