Guestbook Entry for Johnson Edwin Dodla , United States
Name
Johnson Edwin Dodla
Country
United States
State
PA
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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.
Status
L-1A approved for functional manager
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
Guestbook Entry for Navneet Singh , United States
Name
Navneet Singh
Country
United States
State
CA
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Is Still Available
The Supreme Court’s 4-4 decision in United States v. Texas on June 23, 2016, does not affect the existing 2012 policy regarding Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Individuals who meet the 2012 DACA guidelines may continue to come forward and file an initial or renewal request for DACA under those guidelines. For more information, see uscis.gov/daca.
Guestbook Entry for Puneet Srivastava, India
Name
Puneet Srivastava
Country
India
State
Uttar Pradesh
Update to Form N-600K
USCIS recently updated Form N-600K, Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate Under Section 322. The new edition is dated 07/11/16. USCIS will also accept the 05/03/13 edition.
For more information, please visit Forms Updates page.
Recording of Free Community Conference Call (Every Other Thursday), 28 July 2016
Immigration.com
Agency
Citizenship and Naturalization
Substantial transcription for video
Discussion Topics, Thursday, 28 July 2016:
FAQ: Criminal record, affect on naturalization, other risks; Criteria for EB-1C, international managers and executives, impact of receiving benefits; Tourist/Visitors/B-2 visa denial 214(b); How long is an I-140 approval valid; Legalizing status; Change of work location after filing for naturalization N-400 - 90-day rule for domicile; Gap required on a B visa revisit.
Other: Student (M-1) Visa stamping, changing to F-1; N-600; Conflicting I-94 on H-1 extension and amendment; 221(g) on H-1 visa; Priority date transfer after I-140; J-2 EAD processing; Protecting H-1 holder's share in company, green card processing; H-1B transfer salary and reporting company; H-1B changing employers, etc.; spouse of green card holder issues; When to file I-140/AOS after PERM approval; Correcting records with CBP; Overstay on B visa alleged; etc.
USCIS to Allow Additional Applicants for Provisional Waiver Process
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a final rule expanding the existing provisional waiver process to allow certain individuals who are family members of U.S.
PERM Processing Times (as of 12/07/2015)
PERM Processing Times (as of 12/07/2015)
|
Processing Queue |
Priority Dates |
|
|
Month |
Year |
|
|
Analyst Review |
June |
2015 |
|
Audit Review |
October |
2014 |
Green Card
Immigration Law
USCIS Processing Time as of 07/14/2016
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.
Guestbook Entry for Mansoor Ahmed , United States
Name
Mansoor Ahmed
Country
United States
State
CA
O-1 for Pharmaceuticals Scientist
We have received an approval for an O-1 for a pharmaceuticals scientist employed by a small company. The case was approved without an RFE where we clearly showed the advanced nature of the work and the qualifications of the beneficiary. The outcome of O-1 visa petitions is always unpredictable, and, as a practical matter, more so where the employer is a very small company. Despite its size, the company was engaged in highly specialized and advanced level work. In addition to the beneficiary’s qualifications, the nature of the work was probably decisive in tippi
Status
O-1 approved
Nonimmigrant Visas
Profession/Occupation
USCIS Launches Virtual Assistant - Emma Gives Customers Another Option for Finding Answers
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services launched a virtual assistant named “Emma” on uscis.gov, allowing customers to quickly find accurate information. She answers questions in plain English and navigates users to relevant USCIS web pages.
She is named after Emma Lazarus, whose famous words are inscribed at the base of the Statue of Liberty.
EB-5 Regional Centers Must File Form I-924A by December 29
USCIS reminds all approved EB-5 regional centers with a designation letter dated on or before Sept. 30, 2015, that they must file Form I-924A, Supplement to Form I-924, for fiscal year 2015 no later than Dec. 29, 2015.
Regional centers are required to submit Form I-924A every year to demonstrate continued eligibility for the regional center designation. See 8 CFR 204.6(m)(6).
Emergency Message for U.S. Citizens: U.S. Consulate General in Chennai is Closed
The city of Chennai and surrounding areas in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu as well as the adjacent Union Territory of Pondicherry (Puducherry) have experienced very heavy rains in recent weeks resulting in localized flooding, which has been severe in some areas. The Adyar River has overflowed its banks and rains are expected to continue for several days. U.S. citizens visiting and residing in the area should shelter in place. The Chennai International Airport is closed and no flights are currently operating.
Recording of Free Community Conference Call (Every Other Thursday), 03 December 2015
Immigration.com
Citizenship and Naturalization
Green Card
Substantial transcription for video
Topics Discussed, Thursday, 3 December 2015:
FAQ: How to calculate dates from visa bulletin; FAQ: What is I-485 Preadjudicate/Preadjudication? How soon must I join my future green card employer? Immigration implications of crime; petty offense exception; admissions and convictions; 212(d)(3) and other waivers; Naturalization delays; Birth certificate late registration and secondary evidence; H-1 status pregnancy and FMLA;
Other: Conversion from H-1 to H-4 to H-1 visa stamping; Vaccinations requirements for immigration; Is there a charge for I-140 revocation; H-4 EAD issues including travel and visa stamping; F-1 OPT eligibility; Changing employers I-140, I-485, H-1 issues; Changing employers effect on priority date and H-4 EAD; F-1 status – distance of home from college; H-1 quota where earlier approved then came on F-1; H-1 telecommuting; H-1 quota and stay calculation, etc.
Consular Returns Teleconference Recap - DHS
On October 28, 2015, the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman’s Office hosted a public teleconference regarding U.S. Department of State (DOS) Consular Returns to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Representatives from the USCIS Service Center Operations and DOS’ National Visa Center (NVC) and Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) responded to questions posed by the Ombudsman’s Office and the public. The discussion focused on why a consulate may return a petition, the process for returns within DOS and USCIS, and processing times.