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Until further notice, employers should continue using Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. This current version of the form continues to be effective even after the Office of Management and Budget control number expiration date of March 31, 2016, has passed. USCIS will provide updated information about the new version of Form I-9 as it becomes available.

The Analyst Review and Audit dates posted on iCERT reflect the month and year in which cases were filed that are now being adjudicated at the Atlanta National Processing Center. The Reconsideration Request to the CO dates posted on iCERT reflect the month and year in which cases that are now being reviewed at the Atlanta National Processing Center were appealed.  

PERM Processing Times (as of 08/15/2016)  

Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson has redesignated Syria for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and extended the existing TPS designation for the country from Oct. 1, 2016, through March 31, 2018. This allows eligible nationals of Syria (or persons without nationality who last habitually resided in Syria) to register or re-register for TPS in accordance with the Federal Register notice published today.

If you currently have a 17-month STEM OPT extension, you may apply to add 7 months to your STEM OPT period. If you want to apply for this 7-month extension, you must properly file your Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization (with the required fee and signature) on or before August 8, 2016. USCIS will deny applications filed afterAugust 8, 2016.

You may apply to add 7 months to your 17-month STEM OPT period if:

On July 1, 2016, as part of a workload transfer from the California and Vermont service centers, the Nebraska Service Center (NSC) began accepting certain Form I-129 H-1B and H-1B1 (Chile/Singapore Free Trade) petitions. The NSC also began accepting Form I-539 and Form I-765 applications for certain H-4 nonimmigrants that are concurrently filed with a Form I-129.

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.

As part of the Office of Foreign Labor Certification's (OFLC) on-going efforts to increase public engagement, the OFLC will host a webinar on Tuesday, September 13, 2016, designed to educate stakeholders, program users, and other interested members of the public on recent program workload trends, common deficiencies and best practices associated with employer requests for H-2B prevailing wage determinations and applications for temporary labor certification under the H-2A and H-2B visa programs.

U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration OFFICE OF FOREIGN LABOR CERTIFICATION 2015 H-2B Interim Final Rule FAQs   Round 16:  Foreign Labor Recruiter List    1. What is the Foreign Labor Recruiter List?  The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) compiles a list of people and entities that employers have indicated that they engage or plan to engage to carry out the recruitment of prospective H-2B workers (“foreign labor recruiters”).  See 20 CFR 655.9.

The following chart shows the changes that have been made to the Country Reciprocity Tables since the last publication.

Also, additional items may have been added to the DOS homepage reflecting the various clearances that are required for some nationality groups, certain Presidential Proclamations affecting visa issuance, and the "Temporary Reciprocity Schedule" that is used for newly-independent countries, or when deemed necessary.

UNCLASSIFIED 16 STATE 93130 AUG 19, 2016 SUBJECT:   New Gonorrhea Testing Requirements for Visa Applicants    1. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its Technical Instructions for Gonorrhea for Panel Physicians:    http://www.cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/exams/ti/panel/technical- instructions/panel-physicians/gonorrhea.html.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is proposing a new rule, which would allow certain international entrepreneurs to be considered for parole (temporary permission to be in the United States) so that they may start or scale their businesses here in the United States.

Immigrants all over the country are being targeted in scams. Don’t be one of the victims! Scammers may call or email you, pretending to be a government official. They will say that there is a problem with an application or additional information is required to continue the immigration process. They will then ask for personal and sensitive details, and demand payment to fix any problems.