Search

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a proposed rule in the Sept. 14, 2009 Federal Register that proposes to recognize a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) specific nonimmigrant investor visa classification. This “E-2 CNMI Investor” status is one of several CNMI specific provisions contained in the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 (CNRA), which extends most provisions of federal U.S.

 USCIS announced that interim Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) will be issued to Salvadoran Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries who have not yet received a final action on their re-registration applications and whose re-registration applications have been pending for more than 90 days.

USCIS offers a Questions and Answers to clarify issues on filing adjustment applications, work authorization documents, and refugee travel documents for refugees and asylees.

I-140 processing and adjudications - On an average TSC is completing around 9,600 I-140 adjudications per month. As of now the incoming I-140 volume is slightly less.  As of reaching its goal TSC is close to becoming current on all I-140s which includes the ones filed during 2007 summer. About 5000 stand-alone I-140s are still awaiting adjudication the backlog.

The Department has posted FAQs concerning the iCert system and LCAs, including information regarding FEINs(Federal Employer Identification Number). To read the FAQs please see attachment.

[Federal Register: September 22, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 182)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 48177-48190]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22se09-16]

---------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

22 CFR Part 62

[Public Notice: 6767]

RIN 1400-AC36

Exchange Visitor Program--General Provisions

AGENCY: United States Department of State.

ACTION: Proposed rule with request for comment.

---------------------------------------

Filing I-824 together with the I-485 - The right thing to do when filing the I-824 is to file both the I-824 together with the I-485 or wait till the I-485 is approved. USCIS identifies the reasons as to why an I-824 is interfiled. However an I-824 should not be rejected or denied only because it is interfiled and the I-485 is not yet approved.
Note: If an I-824 is interfiled, it may not be approved at the same time as the I-485 and the I-485 processing times will apply.

Administrative Appeals Office is an office within USCIS that decides appeals from denials of various petitions by USCIS such as H-1, L-1, I-140 etc .

As of September 18, 2009, approximately 46,000 H-1B cap-subject petitions had been received by USCIS and counted towards the H-1B cap. Approximately 20,000 petitions qualifying for the advanced degree cap exemption had been filed. USCIS will continue to accept both cap-subject petitions and advanced degree petitions until a sufficient number of H-1B petitions have been received to reach the statutory limits.

NOTE: The questions/answers below refer to the attachment. Please open the attachment and then read this article.

Q: Why is the wait so long for my employment-based green card?

Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC
September 29, 2009

On September 29, 2009, the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Office of Children's Issues issued an alert informing that: The  China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) has announced that all prospective adoptive families will be required to work with a U.S. Hague accredited adoption service provider for both transition cases and Convention cases beginning December 1, 2009.  This will require all families to work with an agency that is both U.S.

Notice for Guatemala “hogar” adoption cases

On September 17, 2009, the State Department Issued an Alert informing of the suspension of adoptions in Sierra Leone. The Government of Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children's Affairs suspended adoptions on May 29, 2009 due to concerns on the legality of adoptions and the welfare of adoptees.&

The U.S. Department of State is cautioning American citizens against filing an application to adopt a child from Liberia while the moratorium on adoption remains in effect. The U.S. Embassy remains in frequent contact with adoption officials, but there is no indication when the moratorium might be lifted.

On September 30, 2009 the U.S. State Department issued an Adoption notice informing the following: Kenya is party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention).  As such, all adoptions between Kenya and the United States initiated after April 1, 2008, must meet the requirements of both the Convention and U.S.

On September 29, 2009, the U.S.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that a revised Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative (Form G-28) and the new Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney in Matters Outside the Geographical Confines of the United States (Form G-28I) has been issued.