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This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during November 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.

Visa Bulletin - November 2019

U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services announced it will reopen non-military deferred action cases that were pending on August 7.  Letters will be sent this week re-opening all cases that were pending on August 7.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today announced a notice of proposed rulemaking that would require petitioners seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions to pay a $10 fee for each electronic registration they submit to USCIS.

Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv on the article: 

"The newly introduced proposal, in the context of applicability to the Indian diaspora in the US, will cover citizenship applications, applications for adjustment of status filed by those in the USA seeking to obtain green cards (such as H-1B workers, or those on intra-company transfers holding an L-1 visa). It will also apply to green card holders seeking re-entry permits (who wish to stay away from the US for two years)," explains Arlington-based Rajiv Khanna, Managing Attorney at Immigration.com

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a proposed regulation to improve the process for granting or denying an initial application for employment authorization documents (EADs) by reforming the current 30-day timeline pertaining to pending asylum applicants.

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Acting Director Ken Cuccinelli issued the following statement on the Supreme Court’s decision to permit the enforcement of the Trump Administration’s asylum rule requiring asylum seekers to seek protection in at least one third country they traveled through en route to the United States.

WASHINGTON—USCIS announced that it will celebrate Constitution Day and Citizenship Day by welcoming nearly 34,300 new U.S. citizens during 316 naturalization ceremonies across the nation between Sept. 13 and 23.

Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv on the article:

According to Rajiv S Khanna, Managing Attorney at law firm Immigration.com, the delay is not the core issue. “When you are bringing in a new regulation or deregulation, there has to be some reasonable basis in fact and circumstance. How do you justify taking away an entire cadre of highly qualified, highly motivated people from the workforce when unemployment levels are below 4%?” he said.

Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv on the article:

“Technology is our only edge in the commercial world and if we lose that, we fall behind. In order to maintain and enhance this, we need a system to attract and keep STEM graduates,” Rajiv S Khanna, Managing Attorney at law firm Immigration.com, said. 

For more on this news please see the attachment. 

USCIS will consider certain fiscal year (FY) 2020 CW-1 petitions seeking an extension of status for temporary workers present in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) to be filed on time, even if USCIS receives them after the worker’s current period of CW-1 petition validity expires.

Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv on the article:

Rajiv Khanna, Arlington-based immigration advocate says: “Many of the cases where a change to student status is requested do get approved. But there are also cases where it is rejected owing to the boilerplate reason that the student has the entire family in the US, therefore they have no ties to their home country.” “The life of a youngster and the family unity should not have to depend upon the 'benevolence' of an immigration officer,” he adds

WASHINGTON—Today U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that it will provide military naturalization services at four overseas military bases, due to the agency’s shifting international footprint and office closures overseas.

On Oct. 1, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) implemented its new Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) system for the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program. Starting Oct. 1, employers who file an H-2A application for a temporary labor certification in FLAG will only receive the certification electronically.

USCIS recently updated the following USCIS form(s):

Published by : The Times of India, Mumbai - Article by: Lubna Kably - Date: October 14, 2019

Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services clarified requirements regarding the Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) classification. 

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released preliminary fiscal year 2019 agency statistics, accomplishments and efforts to implement President Trump’s agenda. These preliminary statistics highlight important immigration trends and illustrate the work accomplished by USCIS in FY 2019. The agency will publish final, verified FY 2019 statistics later next month.