This page provides you with the most recent processing times for petitions and applications submitted to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS).
Pursuant to 22 CFR 4 1.1 12 and 8 CFR 214.1 automatic revalidation applies to expired nonimmigrant visas of aliens who have been out of the U. S. for thirty days or less in contiguous territory (Canada and Mexico).
USCIS announced an updated number of filings for H-1B petitions for the fiscal year 2010 program. USCIS has received approximately 42,000 H-1B petitions counting toward the Congressionally-mandated 65,000 cap. The agency continues to accept petitions subject to the general cap.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigrations Services (USCIS) published a Federal Register notice on April 28, 2009 that changed the filing location and filing instructions for the Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (Form I-90). The revised filing instructions require applicants to submit supporting documentation with their applications. Prior to this change, applicants were instructed to bring their supporting documentation to their biometrics appointments. The notice also revises the Direct Mail address for the Form I-90.
This guidance provides you with some key requirements you must fulfill to apply for an H-1B Visa. For each requirement, USCIS has included forms of evidence that you may submit to meet the requirement and other tips to help you prepare your petition.
For more visit this USCIS link: Understanding H-1B Requirements
The new change to the PERM CMS will allow submission of electronic documentation beginning on and after 4/15/17 as announced by DOL.
Please use this User Guide which is designed for employers and attorneys/agents, describes the fundamentals of the Web-based system, including registering, logging in, preparing PERM application, and managing your user account.
From Rajiv: To identify employers who are abusing the H-1B visas, USCIS will now target for investigation three specific types of H-1B employers: unverifiable, H-1B dependent and consultants working at client sites.
Note From Rajiv:
There is nothing new in this memo that we have not encountered before. What USCIS has said in this memo is that the IT title “Programmer” is not necessarily a job that requires a degree AND further a degree in specific discipline. If we claim otherwise, we have to prove our case. We have to do that in many, many cases anyway. Like I noted earlier, this is not new.
Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs
Monday, April 3, 2017
WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced multiple measures to further deter and detect H-1B visa fraud and abuse. The H-1B visa program should help U.S. companies recruit highly-skilled foreign nationals when there is a shortage of qualified workers in the country. Yet, too many American workers who are as qualified, willing, and deserving to work in these fields have been ignored or unfairly disadvantaged. Protecting American workers by combating fraud in employment-based immigration programs is a priority for USCIS.
USCIS recently updated the following form:
For more information, please visit Forms Updates page.
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced plans to protect U.S. workers from H-1B program discrimination by providing greater transparency and oversight.
Release Date: April 5, 2017
342 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member McCaskill, and distinguished Members of the Committee:
It is a great honor and privilege to appear before you today to discuss the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) crucial missions of protecting the homeland and securing our nation’s borders. During the past 45 years, I have been privileged to serve this nation as both an enlisted Marine and an officer. I am humbled to once again answer the call to serve, this time with the men and women of DHS.
On April 17, 2017, the Potomac Service Center (PSC) will begin handling corrections to Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) that were issued by the PSC that may have incorrect information due to USCIS error. Previously customers were instructed to send EAD’s issued by the PSC to the Nebraska Service Center to be corrected.
How to Request an EAD Correction
USCIS recently updated the following form:
For more information, please visit Forms Updates page.
Release Date: April 7, 2017
WASHINGTON - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has reached the congressionally mandated 65,000 visa H-1B cap for fiscal year 2018. USCIS has also received a sufficient number of H-1B petitions to meet the 20,000 visa U.S. advanced degree exemption, also known as the master’s cap.
The agency will reject and return filing fees for all unselected cap-subject petitions that are not duplicate filings.