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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]
[DOCID:fr28au09-66]

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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.

The H-1B Program

U.S. businesses use the H-1B program to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialized fields, such as scientists, engineers, or computer programmers.

For more information about the H-1B program, see the link to the left under temporary workers for H-1B Specialty Occupations, DOD Cooperative Research and Development Project Workers, and Fashion Models.

On December 9, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Help Haitian Adoptees Immediately to Integrate Act of 2010 (Help HAITI Act of 2010). This new law will make it possible for certain Haitian orphans paroled into the United States to become lawful permanent residents (LPR) of the United States and get green cards. Applications to get a green card under this law may be filed at any time on or before December 9, 2013.

Some civics test answers will change due to recent elections.

Please check the attachment.

This Policy Memorandum (PM) ensures that USCIS uniformly and consistently adjudicates petitions and applications in light of section 204(l) and 213A(f)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ("the Act"), 8 U.S.C. §§ 1154(l) and 1183a(f)(5).

Please check the attachment for details.

This presentation is intended to provide a guide for discussion at the stakeholders’ meeting and to explain current USCIS policy and practice. It is not intended to be an official statement of USCIS policy, and does not supersede any existing statutes, regulations, or policy memoranda.

This Policy Memorandum (PM) provides USCIS offices with instructions for handling regressed visa number Adjustment of Status cases (employment-based and family-based) interviewed at USCIS field offices on or after January 1, 2011. 

USCIS releases revised edition of the M-274, Handbook for Employers, Instructions for Completing Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification Form) from USCIS.

The U.S. Consulate in Mumbai, India erroneously reported that India EB-2 is current for February 2011. Please note that is FALSE. India EB-2 is backed up to May 2006.

http://mumbai.usconsulate.gov/cut_off_dates.html

According to the February 2011 Visa Bulletin EB-2 India shows a priority date of May 8, 2006.

Click here for the visa bulletin.

Please check the attachment.

Introduction

Immigrants are particularly vulnerable because many may not speak English, are often separated from family and friends, and may not understand the laws of the United States.  For these reasons, immigrants are often afraid to report acts of domestic violence to the police or to seek other forms of assistance.  Such fear causes many immigrants to remain in abusive relationships.