USCIS National Stakeholder Meeting Updates - 08/26/09
Please find attached Details of USCIS National Stakeholder Meeting which was held on July 27, 2009.
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.
USCIS recently updated the following form(s):
07/31/2024 04:27 PM EDT
Edition Date: 07/31/24. The edition date is at the bottom of Form G-1055, Fee Schedule.
Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status
07/27/2024 09:58 AM EDT
USCIS recently announced they would need to select additional registrations for unique beneficiaries to reach the fiscal year 2025 H-1B regular cap numerical allocation. The projections indicate USCIS has now randomly selected a sufficient number of registrations for unique beneficiaries as needed to reach the regular cap from the remaining properly submitted FY 2025 registrations.
On Aug. 12, the California Service Center will move to a new address. The new facility will help streamline processes by concentrating operations in the new location. The California Service Center will continue to provide prompt and efficient service in processing requests for immigration benefits. The updated address for the California Service Center will be:
California Service Center
2642 Michelle Drive
Tustin, CA 92780
Number 93
Volume X
Washington, D.C
A. STATUTORY NUMBERS FOR PREFERENCE IMMIGRANT VISAS
This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during September 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.
Release Date
08/16/2024
On Aug. 19, USCIS will begin accepting requests for, using a new electronic form, Form I-131F, Application for Parole in Place for Certain Noncitizen Spouses and Stepchildren of U.S. Citizens. Form I-131F will not be available on uscis.gov until Aug. 19. USCIS is not accepting any other form for Keeping Families Together. Do not file a request for parole in place under this process before Aug. 19, 2024.
FAQs: NIW Required commitment duration, Adjustment of status, Naturalization considerations, and Interim work status option || Impact of DWI conviction on H-1B holder's H-4 dependent visa stamping and future travel considerations || H-1B extension pending: Impact of traveling to India using old visa, returning with 2-3 days remaining on visa, etc. || H-1B options as an F-1 student on STEM OPT in a nonprofit university: Cap-subject vs. cap-exempt strategies and transitioning to cap-subject H-1B in the future
USCIS recently updated the following form(s):
08/19/2024 11:33 AM EDT
Edition Date: 08/19/24. You can find the edition date at the bottom of the page of Form G-1055, Fee Schedule.
Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers
06/07/2024 03:51 PM EDT
Release Date
08/19/2024
1. How much and for how long do we have to work on an endeavor for which NIW I-140 was approved to avoid any issues in adjustment of status, naturalization, etc.?
2. Is there a way to get any status in the US to work on the approved NIW endeavor until I-485 is filed?
It is important to note that if you are from a country like India, you may face a long wait—up to 10 to 12 years—for a green card. After receiving your green card, you are not required to stay in your job indefinitely; you can leave for valid reasons after a few months, as long as you act in good faith.
Regarding work status for those with an approved NIW, the Compelling Circumstances EAD is an option. Still, it has several drawbacks: unpredictable, uncertain processing times, and requires annual renewal. Another alternative is Entrepreneurial Parole, which offers up to five years of work authorization but may not be ideal for individuals from India due to the lengthy green card process. Please read the articles on the The Economic Times Author Page for more information.
I got a DWI in January 2024 and was convicted of two misdemeanors (DWI+ Eluding police) in June 2024. I have an H1B petition valid until 2027, and my visa stamping has already expired in March 2024. I'm not traveling to India for now, but my wife and kid are going to India in December. Will there be an impact on H4 stamping, which will be dependent on my H1B petition? Do I have to send all papers to them, like the court decree, the court certificate of registration of actions, the charge sheet, etc.? I have a home in the USA, which I bought in November 2022. Can I also travel to India? What will be my future in the USA? Please advise if there will be an impact on visa stamping on my wife's visa.
A DWI conviction can lead to visa cancellation, requiring visa stamping upon re-entry. However, this may trigger an addiction examination, which can take months. If deemed to have an addiction problem, you could be excluded from entering the U.S. If a spouse's visa has expired while waiting for the primary applicant's visa stamping, it's unclear if they can still obtain their visa stamp.
Release Date
08/27/2024
USICS is updating guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual regarding when students may be eligible for optional practical training (OPT) extensions for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. This guidance, found in Volume 2, Part F, of the Policy Manual, also provides clarifying guidance for F/M nonimmigrant students concerning online study, school transfers, the grace period, and study abroad.
The Policy Manual update:
FAQs: EB-1A Use Case -- STEM OPT cloud solutions engineer at a nonprofit university || Layoff on H-1B, Changing status from B-1/B-2 pending to F-1 || Impact of layoff on green card status and future naturalization || H-1B laid off: Second B-1/B-2 visa extension
| Processing Queue | Priority Date |
|---|---|
| Analyst Review | July 2023 |
| Audit Review | December 2022 |
| Reconsideration Request to the CO | November 2023 |
The AAO reports its processing times by form type, displaying the total number of completions for the quarter and the percentage completed within 180 days, which is our goal.
The administrative appeals process has two stages: initial field review and AAO appellate review.