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Guestbook Entry for Sudhakar Madduri , United States
Guestbook Entry for Praveen Kotha , United States
Guestbook Entry for Abdel-Moneim Attia , United States
Guestbook Entry for Nagarjuna Rao Chakka , United States
Guestbook Entry for Mangal Nagarkar, United States
Major H-1B Victory for the IT (and Consulting) Industry Against the USCIS - ITSERVE ALLIANCE, INC. Lawsuit
On 10 March 2020, a Washington DC Federal Court overturned the USCIS highly restrictive
standards applied to the consulting industry. This decision has a major positive impact on the IT
industry.
Judge Rosemary M. Collyer held that the USCIS must not administer justice through random
memoranda and must, if it wishes to change the regulations, do so through a formal process. In
fact, the USCIS seems to have illegally targeted the IT industry (“special treatment”):
USCIS Expands Flexibility for Responding to USCIS Requests
In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that it adopted measures to assist applicants and petitioners who are responding to certain Requests for Evidence (RFE) and Notices of Intent to Deny (NOID). This alert clarifies that this flexibility also applies to certain Notices of Intent to Revoke (NOIR) and Notices of Intent to Terminate (NOIT) regional investment centers, as well as certain filing date requirements for Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion.
USCIS to Continue Processing Applications for Employment Authorization Extension Requests Despite Application Support Center Closures
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced that it will reuse previously submitted biometrics in order to process valid Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, extension requests due to the temporary closure of Application Support Centers (ASC) to the public in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This announcement is consistent with existing USCIS authorities regarding the agency’s ability to reuse previously submitted biometrics.
H-1B Initial Electronic Registration Selection Process Completed
USCIS has received enough electronic registrations during the initial period to reach the FY 2021 H-1B numerical allocations (H-1B cap). USCIS randomly selected from among the registrations properly submitted. USCIS intends to notify petitioners with selected registrations no later than March 31, 2020, that they are eligible to file an H-1B cap-subject petition for the beneficiary named in the applicable selected registration.
Registrants’ online accounts will now show one of the following statuses for each registration (that is, for each beneficiary registered):
USCIS Announces Flexibility for Requests for Evidence, Notices of Intent to Deny
In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that it is adopting a measure to assist applicants and petitioners who are responding to requests for evidence (RFEs) and notices of intent to deny (NOIDs) dated between March 1 and May 1, 2020.
USCIS Announces Temporary Suspension of Premium Processing for All I-129 and I-140 Petitions Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic
Alert: While premium processing is suspended, petitioners may submit a request to expedite their petition if it meets the criteria on the Expedite Criteria webpage. It is the petitioner’s responsibility to demonstrate that they meet at least one of the expedite criteria. All expedite requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and requests granted at the discretion of USCIS office leadership.
USCIS Announces Flexibility in Submitting Required Signatures During COVID-19 National Emergency
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced that, due to the ongoing COVID-19 National Emergency announced by President Trump on March 13, 2020, USCIS will accept all benefit forms and documents with reproduced original signatures, including the Form I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker, for submissions dated March 21, 2020, and beyond.
March 5, 2020 Recording of Free Community Conference Call (Every Other Thursday)
Immigration Law
Green Card
Discussion Topics, Thursday, 5 March 2020
FAQ: Denial of a tourist/visitors/B visa 214(b) ||citizenship/naturalization trips of more than six months abroad || Time of stay and definition of a manager/executive employee for L-1A and EB-1C ||Transfer of H-1B while extension is pending ||What to do after an H-1B (or L-1) denial? ||Work duration and damages contracts under H-1B ||I do not have my final degree/diploma certificate/what should I do?
OTHER: Scheduling green card interview in a third country consulate || multiple H-4 extensions simultaneously ||AR-11 change of address filing, etc.,
March 19, Recording of Free Community Conference Call (Every Other Thursday)
Nonimmigrant Visas
Green Card
Discussion Topics, Thursday, 19 March 2020
FAQ: EB-1C - What if my priority date does not become current before my L1A expiry? Should I file an H1B for safety? If I do, will I get moved from EB1 to EB2 ? Should my wife try for H1B ? Is there any maximum number of tries for H1B? If neither me nor my wife manage to get a H1B visa in the next 3 years, is it ok to exit the country and come back when EB1 priority date becomes current ? What visa will I come back with? || Loss of job/laid off during Covid/coronavirus times
OTHER: Moving from a cap exempt H-1B, extension etc. || Apply for an H-1B extension while another MTR is pending || Rejoining old employer after withdrawn I-140 || 60 days grace period for H-1B || Travel during EAD/AP renewal || H-1B transfer or AC21?
I'm lucky to be alive
On Thursday around 7:15AM, when I was two blocks away from immigration office in Atlanta for my Naturalization interview, I had a car accident. A black Suburban hit my car and ran away, my car spun out about 5 times, air bags were deployed, but thanks God I didn't suffer any physical damage. My Interview had been scheduled for 8:20AM
Citizenship and Naturalization
Post Naturalization Interview
I filed my N400 on 25 oct 2011 when completed 4years 9 months of my Legal residency. FP was done on 14 Nov2011. Naturalization interview was on 21 Dec 2011 at San Jose . The officer was extremely nice and cordial. I had an issue of 182 days in one trip and total 846 days away from USA, total 6trips. As advised by Rajiv, I enclosed a letter with N400 about visiting India to see my aged mother yearly who passed away this year and explained the over stay due to my younger brother daughter's marriage as Host after my father's death.
Citizenship and Naturalization
DHS Announces Privacy Principles For Beyond The Border
Release Date: June 28, 2012
For Immediate Release
DHS Office of Public Affairs; Contact: 202-282-8010
DOJ Office of Public Affairs; Contact: 202-514-2007
USCIS Fact Sheet on Benefits of ELIS System
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is moving from a paper-based model to a secure, online environment. On May 22, we launched the foundational release of our new system, named the USCIS Electronic Immigration System (USCIS ELIS).
The Benefits
USCIS ELIS is a streamlined online account-based system that enhances customer service and the quality of our processes by enabling USCIS to access all relevant information about a customer. These improvements result in more complete, accurate and timely responses to customer requests.
DOS Special Advisor for Guatemala Adoptions Cases
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
July 2, 2012
Special Advisor for Children’s Issues Ambassador Susan Jacobs is visiting Guatemala from July 1-3 as part of a Congressional Delegation led by Senator Mary Landrieu. The delegation, which includes officials from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), is meeting with Guatemalan officials to discuss progress in resolving the remaining intercountry adoption transition cases.
Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman 2012 Annual Report
On June 25, 2012, Acting Ombudsman Debra Rogers submitted the 2012 Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman's Annual Report to Congress.
In her opening message, Acting Ombudsman Rogers writes:
The USCIS Electronic Immigration System’s(ELIS) First 1,000 Cases
Posted by Alejandro Mayorkas, Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Every day, USCIS receives thousands of paper applications for immigration benefits - more than 6 million each year. For generations, we have received, reviewed, shipped, and stored paper applications and files throughout our agency. This paper-based process consumes a great deal of resources and employee time.
USCIS Unable to Resume Processing Adoptions from Montenegro
On July 1, 2012, Montenegro became a party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention). However, the Department of State (DOS) has determined that Montenegro does not yet have a fully functional Convention process in place. DOS consular officers are unable to certify that adoption decrees or custody orders obtained in Montenegro for a child habitually resident in Montenegro have been issued in compliance with the Hague Adoption Convention. Without this certification, U.S.
USCIS Releases Questions and Answers on EB-5 Economic Methodologies
On June 22, 2012, USCIS hosted a public engagement featuring two economists who work on the EB-5 Immigrant Investor program. Following that engagement, some stakeholders sought clarification as to certain points raised by the economists. USCIS is now pleased to provide clarification as to two of the primary questions raised.
EB-5 Projects Involving Hotel or Resort Development