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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
Frequently asked questions answered in The Economic Times NRI Helpdesk by Rajiv : What are the risks involved in renewing F1 visa in another country?
Published by: The Economic Times: August 01, 2022
Question: I have been in the U.S since 2017, and my F1 visa expires this month due to the 5 year validity period.
Answer: First of all, unless you are traveling, you do not have to renew your visa. If the visa expires while you're still completing your course, it's absolutely no problem.
Read more by clicking the link below or the pdf attachment.
USCIS Updates Interpretation of “Under Honorable Conditions” for Military Naturalization
Release Date
08/02/2022
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is publishing an update to its Policy Manual to clarify that a current or former service member who received an uncharacterized discharge may be eligible for naturalization under sections 328 and 329 of the Immigration and Naturalization Act (INA).
Lockbox Filing Location Updates
USCIS recently updated the lockbox filing location information for the following form(s). Please see the “Where to File” section of the webpage for your form.
PERM Processing Times (as of 7/31/2022)
| Processing Queue | Priority Date |
|---|---|
| Analyst Review | December 2021 |
| Audit Review | October 2021 |
| Reconsideration Request to the CO | March 2022 |
Agency
Green Card
Immigration Law
Recording of Aug 4, 2022, Free US Immigration Community Conference Call with Rajiv (Every Other Thursday)
Nonimmigrant Visas
Green Card
Discussion Topics
FAQs: Changing profession after receiving Employment Based Green Card || Eligibility for the EB-1A extraordinary ability category || The H-1B remainder option: Calculating recapture of H-1B unused time ||
Visa Bulletin For September 2022
Number 69
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
Immigration Law
Recording of August 18, 2022 Free US Immigration Community Conference Call with Rajiv S. Khanna
Immigration.com
Agency
Nonimmigrant Visas
Green Card
Discussion Topics, Aug 18, 2022
FAQs: Change of employers after H-1B is approved and before October 1; the number of pay stubs required; revocation of H-1B before October 1 || I-140 was approved and then revoked in 2011. Can I keep my priority date and also apply for I-485? What is the deadline for filing I-485? || Impact of alternate wage survey for H-1B LCA; the success rates of H-1B extensions; AC21 rule when the company is bought by a successor-in-interest
Rajiv's Comments in the News - A second H-1B cap lottery for fiscal 2023 is unlikely
Published by: The Times Of India: August 22, 2022
Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:
According to Rajiv S Khanna, Managing Attorney at Immigration.com, “There may not be a second H-1B lottery this year. The USCIS has electronically issued several ‘non-selection’ notices, which is a step taken only when there will be no more lotteries.”
For more on this news please see the attachment.
USCIS Reaches Fiscal Year 2023 H-1B Cap
Release Date
08/23/2022
USCIS has received a sufficient number of petitions needed to reach the congressionally mandated 65,000 H-1B visa regular cap and the 20,000 H-1B visa U.S. advanced degree exemption, known as the master’s cap, for fiscal year (FY) 2023.
USCIS has completed sending non-selection notifications to registrants’ online accounts. The status for registrations properly submitted for the FY 2023 H-1B numerical allocations, but that were not selected, will now show: