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WASHINGTON — Under updated policy guidance (PDF, 97 KB), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is instructing its officers to apply the same level of scrutiny to both initial petitions and extension requests for certain nonimmigrant visa categories. The guidance applies to nearly all nonimmigrant classifications filed using Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker.

• Fact Sheet

  Office of the SpokespersonWashington, DC
  October 24, 2017
  
  

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  Based on Section 6(a) of Executive Order 13780, “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States,” the U.S. government undertook a 120-day review of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) to identify and implement additional security screening processes in order to uphold the safety of the American people.

  As a result, the President has issued a new Executive Order that provides for the general resumption of the USRAP.

The following Immigration Policy Memorandum is now available in the Policy Memoranda section of the USCIS website:

• Revised Guidance for Processing Cases Subject to Terrorism-Related Inadmissibility Grounds and Rescission of the Prior Hold Policy for Such Cases

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.

USCIS Processing Time Information

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.

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.

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.

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.

USCIS recently updated the following form(s):

Update to Form N-4, Monthly Report Naturalization Papers

08/14/2017 12:00 AM EDT

New edition dated 08/01/17. You may also file using these previous editions: 10/26/15, 01/22/13 and 11/09/09. 

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.

USCIS Processing Time Information

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to address the general policies and procedures applicable to the adjudication of waivers of inadmissibility. 

Please check this link for more information "Waiver Policies and Procedures".  

USCIS recently updated the following form(s):

WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin expanding in-person interviews for certain immigration benefit applicants whose benefit, if granted, would allow them to permanently reside in the United States. This change complies with Executive Order 13780, “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States,” and is part of the agency’s comprehensive strategy to further improve the detection and prevention of fraud and further enhance the integrity of the immigration system.