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Release Date: March 19, 2010

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano met with stakeholders today to discuss ongoing efforts to work together to create a comprehensive approach to immigration reform.

[Federal Register: March 23, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 55)]
[Notices]
[Page 13784]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23mr10-99]

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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

Announcement of Public Webinar on the Changes to the Labor Certification Process for the Temporary Agricultural Employment of H-2A Aliens in the United States

AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration, Department of Labor.

ACTION: Notice of webinar.

OFLC has issued updated prevailing wage FAQs to assist employers and others. These FAQs replace those issued in December 2009 by updating certain information. To see the FAQs click attachment.

[Federal Register: March 24, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 56)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 14111-14116]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24mr10-17]

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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

22 CFR Part 22

[Public Notice: 6928]

RIN 1400-AC57 and 1400-AC58

Schedule of Fees for Consular Services, Department of State and Overseas Embassies and Consulates

AGENCY: Department of State.

ACTION: Supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking.

The Department has posted the first round of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) addressing the H-2A program under the new regulations, which took effect March 15, 2010. To see the FAQs check the attachment.

The attached report presents the results of USCIS consolidated balance sheet audit for fiscal year (FY) 2009.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced  that it will begin accepting H-1B petitions subject to the fiscal year (FY) 2011 cap on April 1, 2010.  Cases will be considered accepted on the date that USCIS takes possession of a properly filed petition with the correct fee; not the date that the petition is postmarked.

To support implementation of the new H-2A regulations and current H-2B regulations, the Office of Foreign Labor Certification is making available the ETA Form 9142 - Application for Temporary Employment Certification in a fillable Adobe Acrobat PDF format to provide users with the option to save and reuse the information on the form for future applications. To access the fillable form, please check attachment.

On March 15, 2010 Secretary Solis announced that the Department of Labor (DOL) will begin exercising its authority to certify applications for U Nonimmigrant Status Visas ("U Visas").

What are U Visas?

The Department has posted new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for the H-1B, H-1B1 and E-3 Programs.

Jan. 27, 2011

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it has received a sufficient number of H-1B petitions to reach the statutory cap for fiscal year (FY) 2011.  USCIS is notifying the public that yesterday, Jan. 26, 2011, is the final receipt date for new H-1B specialty occupation petitions requesting an employment start date in FY2011.

Introduction

The Web-based Validation Instrument for Business Enterprises (VIBE) is a tool designed to enhance USCIS’s adjudications of certain employment-based immigration petitions. VIBE uses commercially available data to validate basic information about companies or organizations petitioning to employ alien workers. USCIS is beta-testing VIBE, and petitioners may begin seeing VIBE-related Requests for Evidence (RFEs).

In November 2010, USCIS published a revised Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, which became effective on Dec. 23, 2010. Due to a number of inquiries regarding Part 6 of the Form I-129, "Certification Regarding the Release of Controlled Technology or Technical Data to Foreign Persons in the United States", USCIS advised  petitioners that they would not be required to complete this section until Feb. 20, 2011. Petitions postmarked on or after Feb. 20, 2011, must complete Part 6 of the Form I-129. 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) supports the efforts of immigration practitioners who volunteer to assist aliens at community events.  U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that, until further notice, DHS Disciplinary Counsel does not intend to initiate disciplinary proceedings against practitioners (attorneys and accredited representatives) based solely on the failure to submit a Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative (Form G-28) in relation to pro bono services provided at group assistance events. 

Please check the attachment for detail.