U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced that, due to the ongoing COVID-19 National Emergency announced by President Trump on March 13, 2020, USCIS will accept all benefit forms and documents with reproduced original signatures, including the Form I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker, for submissions dated March 21, 2020, and beyond.
Discussion Topics, Thursday, 5 March 2020
FAQ: Denial of a tourist/visitors/B visa 214(b) ||citizenship/naturalization trips of more than six months abroad || Time of stay and definition of a manager/executive employee for L-1A and EB-1C ||Transfer of H-1B while extension is pending ||What to do after an H-1B (or L-1) denial? ||Work duration and damages contracts under H-1B ||I do not have my final degree/diploma certificate/what should I do?
OTHER: Scheduling green card interview in a third country consulate || multiple H-4 extensions simultaneously ||AR-11 change of address filing, etc.,
Discussion Topics, Thursday, 19 March 2020
FAQ: EB-1C - What if my priority date does not become current before my L1A expiry? Should I file an H1B for safety? If I do, will I get moved from EB1 to EB2 ? Should my wife try for H1B ? Is there any maximum number of tries for H1B? If neither me nor my wife manage to get a H1B visa in the next 3 years, is it ok to exit the country and come back when EB1 priority date becomes current ? What visa will I come back with? || Loss of job/laid off during Covid/coronavirus times
OTHER: Moving from a cap exempt H-1B, extension etc. || Apply for an H-1B extension while another MTR is pending || Rejoining old employer after withdrawn I-140 || 60 days grace period for H-1B || Travel during EAD/AP renewal || H-1B transfer or AC21?
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued guidance on October 7, 2009 to clarify for performing arts associations and their members the regulatory requirements for agents who file as petitioners for the O and P visa classification.
O and P visas apply to non-immigrants with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business or athletics, or in the motion picture and television field. O and P petitions may only be filed by a U.S. employer, a U.S. agent, or a foreign employer through a U.S. agent.
Here is a series of questions that should be relevant for many people:
USCIS' Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS) office has recently explained the three types of site visits that are currently being conducted:
1. Risk Assessment Program fraud study (RANDOM VISITS). This is a joint study by USCIS and ICE applicable to both family-based and employment-based cases. Cases are chosen for randomly for review and site visits usually after a case is approved. The purpose of this study is to build a profile of the types of cases where fraud is most prevalent.
WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched an enhanced Study in the States website Monday with four new features. The features enable the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), housed within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), to convey pertinent information to stakeholders about the international student process in a clear and interactive manner.
The new features include:
WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Acting Director Lori Scialabba will help USCIS celebrate our nation’s 238th birthday as the agency welcomes approximately 9,000 new U.S. citizens during more than 100 naturalization ceremonies across the country from June 30 to July 4.
On July 1, 2014, OFLC uploaded the newest prevailing wage data from the Occupational Employment Survey as generated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the year from July 2014 - June 2015. The effective date is July 1, 2014. Prevailing wages issued from the National Prevailing Wage Center will reflect the new data.
I have dual citizenship. Which passport should I use to travel to the United States?
All U.S. citizens, even dual citizens/nationals, must enter and depart the United States using his/her U.S. passport.
Rajiv S. Khanna participates as a special guest in a discussion with Voice of America on the Crisis of Children Refugees crossing the US borders from Mexico and thinks it is important first to understand that the problem is not of enforcement, but defect in laws. By passing a Comprehensive Immigration Reform a policy is put into place that is cohesive. Right now the policy does not jive with the way things are. As there is no law there is no policy. Hence having the immigration reform pass would not help in the sense of just stemming or shortening up the borders. It would help in implementing a policy that is coherent and in accord with the times today.
I have a approved I-140 with on H-1B for more than six years working for company A. If I change to company B I will get 3 years of extension for new employer B. If I leave employer B before my PERM or I-140 is approved with employer B and join employer C. How many years of H-1 extension I will get ? Can I get 3 years of H-1 extension using approved I-140 with employer A.
Unless and until the I-140 is revoked, your first approved I-140 can continue to be used for H-1 extensions for any number of employers.
Existing data currently published by USCIS for DACA provides statistics on program operations (e.g.,number of receipts accepted, rejected and approved, etc.). In contrast, this data table
release disseminates information on the characteristics of DACA requestors in a manner which sufficiently protects their privacy.
Please click on the attachment for more information on statistics and data table.
USCIS does not believe that a J-2 dependent of a J-1 foreign medical graduate can change to H-1B status, or any other employment-authorized nonimmigrant classification (with the exception of T or U status) until the principal Conrad State 30 waiver recipient has fulfilled his or her three-year employment obligations in a medically underserved area.However, USCIS is open to reviewing current regulations and considereing whether steps should be taken to enable such J-2 dependents to engage in employment while in H-4 status.
This policy memorandum (PM) provides guidance to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officers in adjudicating Form I - 360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er) or Special Immigrant , filed by a self - petitioning adopted child, when the adopted child has been battered or abused.
Please click on the attachment to read more.
Instructions on Using the ChartBelow is a chart that shows the form number, form name and processing times for the following forms that are processed by the Immigrant Investor Program Office (IPO). Find the particular form number (in the left column) or form name (in the center column) in which you are interested. In the right column you will find a timeframe in months representing the average processing time for that form type. Please note some cases may take longer to process. |
When do you think the H-4 regulations giving EAD will become in operation? Will they be changed or will they remain the same?
Timing is impossible to predict. It could be as early as September or so, or as late as the government wants it to be. Also, government CAN and often does change or modify regulations after comments from the public are reviewed.