How to Make Your Communication with the USCIS Contact Center More Effective
The USCIS Contact Center has made changes to reduce reliance on telephonic live assistance while promoting the use of online self-help tools and digital inquiry channels. This is the result of financial limitations and resource constraints that make it impossible for USCIS to offer live assistance to every customer in the face of increased inquiry volumes.
When does it make sense to reach out to the USCIS Contact Center?
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“USCIS upholds America’s promise as a nation of welcome and possibility with fairness, integrity, and respect for all we serve.”
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On Feb. 6, the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services joins other U.S. government agencies and the international community in calling for an end to the practice of female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C).
FGM/C refers to all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today published updated policy guidance to change the maximum validity period that may be granted for Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) issued to certain applicants, as well as to provide general guidance on adjudicating Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization.
Starting today, USCIS will generally grant new and renewed EADs that are valid for two years to applicants in the following categories:
On January 21, 2022, USCIS published the following information on its website, which we have edited to provide clarifying remarks:
You may be eligible to request to transfer the underlying basis of your Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, to a different employment-based immigrant category based on another Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers. USCIS may, in its discretion, grant a transfer request, if:
The Biden administration earlier announced changes in immigration policy treatment of STEM fields that provide welcome opportunities to the people holding F-1 and J-1 visas in the United States.
For more details please visit this link:
We assisted in responding to an RFE questioning the employer’s educational requirements for an E-3 (Specialty Occupation Workers from Australia) Petition filed for a software developer position.
The dates reflect the month and year in which applications were filed (request date) or submission date of the appeal request for Redeterminations or Center Director Review. The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) encourages employers to request a prevailing wage determination for the H-2B program at least 60 days before the date the determination is needed. For various reasons, OFLC may be completing the processing of applications filed prior to the month posted.
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services encourages eligible applicants to consider requesting to transfer the underlying basis of their adjustment of status application to the first (priority workers) or second (noncitizens in professions with advanced degrees or with exceptional ability) employment-based preference categories, because there is an exceptionally high number of employment-based immigrant visas available in these categories during this fiscal year (October 2021 through September 2022).
Published by: CNBC TV18: February 23, 2022
Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:
“The USCIS wants to approve as many green cards as they can as there has been a huge spillover from the family quota. This has not happened in the past in such large numbers,” Economic times quoted Rajiv S Khanna, Managing Attorney of Immigration.com.
For more on this news please see the attachment.
Published by: The Economic Times: February 21, 2022
Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:
“This would be tremendously beneficial to people who have been waiting for many, many years. We are hoping a lot of people can get their green cards under the EB2 category if they move fast,” said Rajiv S Khanna, Managing Attorney at Immigration.com.
For more on this news please see the attachment.
What exactly is interfiling?
For all H-1B and H-1B1 petitions received on or after April 1, 2022, USCIS will no longer accept a single, combined fee payment when Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status; Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization; or Form I-824, Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition, is filed together with an H-1B or H-1B1 petition (Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker). Each of these forms received by USCIS on or after April 1 must have its own fee payment instrument or USCIS will reject the entire package.
Published by: The Economic Times - Date: February 28, 2022
Synopsis
This question has created much confusion amongst the employers and the employees Because of a new declaration introduced by the USCIS. Every employer who signs up an H-1B employee for the lottery registration must now declare “under penalty of perjury:”
For more on this article please see the attachment below.
FAQ's answered in The Economic Times NRI Helpdesk: How long can I stay outside the US without losing my Green Card?
Published by: The Economic Times: February 27, 2022
Question: I am a US green card holder. I traveled from the US in September 2021 and am currently in India. I need to stay here longer due to personal reasons. How long can I stay outside the US without my GC being affected? Alternatively, would it suffice if I pay a week’s visit to the US before March 2022?
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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) 2022.
USCIS has completed sending non-selection notifications to registrants’ online accounts. The status for registrations properly submitted for the FY 2022 H-1B numerical allocations, but that were not selected, will now show: