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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
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.
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
USCIS Processing Time as of 08/10/2017
USCIS generally process cases in the order they receive them. The link below provides you an estimate of how much time the office handling your case currently takes to process your type of application, petition, or request.
Compelling Circumstances EAD
We recently filed an application for an EAD based on compelling circumstances for a client with a major medical concern. The applicant was on an H-1B status. We provided a petition to USCIS outlining the applicant’s medical history and the ongoing treatment that showed the progression of his illness, which limited his ability to perform his job duties. He was initially placed on short-term disability but as the condition progressed, it was necessary for applicant to be placed on long-term disability.
Green Card
Compelling Circumstances EAD
The regulations enacted by the USCIS on 17 January 2017 have created a new class of employment authorization - "Compelling Circumstances EAD." This is available to those people whose I-140 is approved and priority dates are not yet current.
Outline of Compelling Circumstances EAD Regs
Green Card
Sample Cases of Compelling Circumstances EAD
Health Grounds
This is a compelling circumstances EAD approved in appx. 100 days in July 2017 based upon health grounds.See: http://www.immigration.com/sample-cases/%5Bcompelling-circumstances-ead…
FAQs on the Executive Order – Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the U.S.
Executive Order on Visas
As of June 29, 2017, we began implementing the Executive Order at our embassies and consulates abroad in compliance with the Supreme Court’s decision and in accordance with the Presidential Memorandum issued on June 14, 2017. Our implementation is in full compliance with the Supreme Court’s decision.
Update to Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status
USCIS recently updated the following form(s):
Update to Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status08/04/2017 12:00 AM EDTNew edition dated 12/23/16. A new edition of this form is coming soon. In the meantime, you may file using the 12/23/16 or 02/20/14 editions. For more information, please visit Forms Updates page.
PERM Processing Times (as of 6/30/2017)
PERM Processing Times (as of 6/30/2017)
Green Card
Immigration Law
Visa Bulletin - September 2017
Number 9
Volume X
Washington, D.C
A. STATUTORY NUMBERS
This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during September 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.
Agency
Green Card
CBP Deploys Biometric Exit Technology to Houston’s International Airport
HOUSTON — U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced today the deployment of facial recognition biometric exit technology to William P. Hobby International Airport (HOU) in Houston for select flights from HOU. The deployment builds upon a June 2016 pilot at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport using facial recognition.