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Please find attached Details of USCIS National Stakeholder Meeting which was held on July 27, 2009.

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed rule on the removal of HIV infection from its list of communicable diseases of public health significance - As of now with respect to the above proposed rule the Chicago Field Office has not received any guidance from HQ. Hence the office will not hold such applications in suspension until further notice.

 
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Application Support Center (ASC) stand-alone sites will move to a Monday through Friday schedule beginning Nov. 2, 2009.  Stand-alone ASCs are those which are not co-located with other federal offices and which previously operated Tuesday through Saturday.  All ASCs, both stand-alone and co-located sites, will continue to be open from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.

The DOL released a memo to regional administrators and district directors regarding travel and visa expenses of H-2B workers under FLSA minimum wage laws. In January 2009, the Department ofHomeland Security delegated to Wage and Hour enforcement authority to ensure that H-2B workers are employed in compliance with the H-2B labor certification requirements. Wage and Hour issued regulations implementing this authority, 29 C.F.R. Part 655, which became effective on January 18,2009. Those regulations are applicable to applications for certifications filed on or after that date.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the Office of Management and Budget has extended its approval of Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) to Aug. 31, 2012.  Consequently, USCIS has amended the form to reflect a new revision date of Aug. 7, 2009. 

Employers may use the Form I-9 with the revision date of either Aug. 7, 2009 or Feb. 2, 2009.  The revision dates are located on the bottom right-hand portion of the form.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano announced new directives to enhance and clarify oversight for searches of computers and other electronic media at U.S. ports of entry—a critical step designed to bolster the Department’s efforts to combat transnational crime and terrorism while protecting privacy and civil liberties.

[Federal Register: August 28, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 166)]
[Notices]
[Page 44376-44377]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Agency Information Collection Activities: Form I-600/I-600A, Revision of a Currently Approved Information Collection; Comment Request

[Federal Register: August 28, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 166)]
[Notices]
[Page 44375-44376]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28au09-65]

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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Agency Information Collection Activities: Form I-485 and Supplements A and E, Revision of a Currently Approved Information Collection; Comment Request

Here is a document USDOL (Wage and Hour Division) is using to send to employees.  This outlines the factors USDOL is most interested in when investigating an employer.

Prevailing Wage and FIFO (First-in, first-out order) 

All wage requests are being processed in less than 60 days. First-in, first-out order (FIFO) is being used.  Requests for H-1B/PERM are processed in FIFO order as there is only one queue. The goal in the end is to process all wage requests continues to be 60 days.

For guidance and guidelines for processing please visit this link.

  Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC
June 28, 2010

[Federal Register: June 28, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 123)]
[Rules and Regulations]              
[Page 36522-36535]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
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DOS published a cable on biometric signature and affirmation of the DS-160 NIV Application.

Completing a naturalization application where the applicant is unable to recollect all the times  

In situations where the applicant travels frequently on business or when an applicant is a long-time permanent resident who traveled frequently since first obtaining permanent residence the Chicago Field office accepts an affidavit attesting to approximate dates of travel.

Motion to Reopen 

[Federal Register: July 1, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 126)]
[Notices]
[Page 38145-38146]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01jy10-111]

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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

Announcing the New National Electronic Job Registry for Use in the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Labor Certification Program

AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration, Department of Labor.

ACTION: Notice.

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State Dept. issued a visa policy update on an FAM change to clarify that posts may annotate blanket L visas with the name of the actual employer on the I-129-S even if that subsidiary or affiliate employer name is not in PIMS.

1. Under what authority can the Department of Labor's Office of Foreign Labor Certification select an employer's application for supervised recruitment?

ETA News Release: [07/08/2010]
Contact Name: Lina Garcia
Phone Number: (202) 693-4661
Release Number: 10-971-NAT

Web tool will make it easier for US workers to learn about job opportunities in agriculture

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today launched an online registry allowing the public to retrieve information about temporary agricultural jobs that fall under the H-2A program. The new tool was developed in compliance with regulations implemented by the department on March 15.

18-Month Extension of Temporary Protected Status for El Salvador
Automatic 6-Month Extension for Employment Authorization Documents Included

USCIS Announces Six Additional Months for Haitian Nationals to Seek Temporary Protected Status
News Release

WASHINGTON  U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that eligible Haitian nationals will have an additional 180 days to apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a relief program launched in response to the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti earlier this year.  The new registration deadline is January 18, 2011.

If you are a Haitian national and applied for Temporary Protected Status, you may have received an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) with the expiration date of July 22, 2010. Approximately 320 individuals received EADs with an early expiration date.  Click here for more information.

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is reminding the public that the comment period on the proposed rule to adjust fees for immigration benefit applications and petitions ends on July 26, 2010.

Visa Bulletin for August 2010 released.