USCIS Service Center Processing Times
USCIS Processing Times information for all service centers updated on May 14, 2010.
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USCIS Draft Memorandum for Comment
USCIS seeks your input on the draft memoranda listed below. These memoranda are drafts of proposed or revised guidance to USCIS Field Offices and Service Centers. They are not intended as guidance for the general public, nor are they intended to create binding legal requirements on the public. Until issued in final form, the draft memoranda do not constitute agency policy in any way or for any purpose.
DOL Established Mailbox for Questions Regarding LCA Policies
The Department's Office of Foreign Labor Certification has established a mailbox for questions regarding LCA policies. Those seeking policy guidance should submit a question to LCA.Regulation@dol.gov. Questions will be answered in the form of FAQs. The interested public should continue to direct all general inquiries regarding the H-1B program to the Chicago National Processing Center at LCA.Chicago@dol.gov.
Documents for H1B and L-1 Visa Applicants
Documents to submit at VFS office:
If you are applying for a regular H or L visa, please submit the following documents 4 business days prior to your appointment date at the VFS office located in Hyderabad.
H-1B Advisor
The elaws Advisors are interactive e-tools that provide easy-to-understand information about a number of federal employment laws. Each Advisor simulates the interaction you might have with an employment law expert. It asks questions and provides answers based on responses given.
Both employees and employers can benefit from elaws.
State Dept. Interim Final Rule on Schedule of Fees for Consular Services
[Federal Register: May 20, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 97)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 28188-28194]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20my10-3]
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
22 CFR Part 22
[Public Notice: 7018]
RIN 1400-AC57
Schedule of Fees for Consular Services, Department of State and Overseas Embassies and Consulates
AGENCY: Bureau of Consular Affairs, State.
ACTION: Interim final rule.
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DHS Announces Elimination of Paper Arrival/Departure Form to Streamline Secure Visa Waiver Program Travel
Release Date: May 20, 2010
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010
CRS Report On Immigration Visa Issuances And Grounds for Exclusion
See the attached CRS report on "Immigration Visa Issuances And Grounds for Exclusion".
USCIS Transitions the Intake Function from the Service Centers to its Lockbox Network for Several Benefit Requests
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will be transitioning the intake function of several more forms from the Service Centers to its Lockbox network. By centralizing form and fee intake to a Lockbox environment, USCIS will improve consistency and integrity in the intake process.
The forms scheduled for the transition:
Nonimmigrant Visa Application Fees to Increase June 4
Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC
May 24, 2010
On May 20, 2010, the Department of State published an interim final rule in the Federal Register to increase nonimmigrant visa application processing fees, also called the Machine-Readable Visa (MRV) fee, and Border Crossing Card (BCC) fees. The interim final rule also establishes a tiered structure with separate fees for different nonimmigrant visa categories. The new fees are scheduled to go into effect on June 4, 2010.
USCIS Issues Revised Employment Authorization Document
WASHINGTON - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has revised the Employment Authorization Document (EAD), or Form I-766, to incorporate the addition of a machine-readable zone on the back of the card..
Watch out for the latest phone scams against immigrants
Several of our clients, team members and I have experienced a new wave of phone scams. We have received (multiple) phone call stating one of many alarming things, including the following:
I am calling from the immigration service. We are about to issue a warrant for your arrest. Call Officer XYZ back at 555-XXX.XXXX.?
I am calling from the IRS. We are about to issue a warrant for your arrest. Call Officer XYZ back at 555-XXX.XXXX.?
Can H-4/F-2, etc. non-work visa holders volunteer?
Please visit my LinkedIn article posted this morning for a brief explanation on this issue:
https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/...?trk=prof-post
Immigrant Entrepreneurs Doing Business in the USA (Video Discussion)
Please visit my LinkedIn article posted this morning for a detailed video discussion on this issue with Santosh ji, a member of our immigrant community:
https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/...ails-rr-rmpost
AAO Processing Times as of March 1, 2014
This chart shows the average amount of time it takes to receive a decision in a particular type of case after the case file is received by the AAO. Processing times are directly related to the volume of cases received.
USCIS Introduces Form I-910 and Centralizes the Civil Surgeon Application Process
USCIS has implemented a new process to receive and adjudicate applications for civil surgeon designation centrally at the National Benefits Center. This process change requires physicians seeking civil surgeon designation to file a formal application at a USCIS Lockbox. Centralizing the civil surgeon application process will:
USCIS Reaches H-2B Cap for 1st Half of FY-2014
USCIS has received a sufficient number of petitions to reach the congressionally mandated H-2B cap for the first half of Fiscal Year (FY) 2014. March 14, 2014 is the final receipt date for new H-2B worker petitions requesting an employment start date before April 1, 2014.
How We Determine the Final Receipt Date
The final receipt date is when we have received enough cap-subject petitions to reach the statutory limit of 33,000 H-2B workers for the first half of FY 2014. There will not be any carry over spots from the first half to the second half of FY 2014.
Boston MA - N-400 TimeLine
There were a few places that did the naturalization ceremonies in MA but it is a royal pain how long they take to schedule these. Back in 2010, I had to wait 3.5 months for my naturalization after passing the interview. They gave me my oath ceremony letter right after passing the interview. Seems like things have only gotten worse since 2010. I had my naturalization ceremony at Mechanics Hall in Worcester and no, it was not because I lived in or near Worcester. I lived in the Boston city area at the time.
Citizenship and Naturalization
Waiver of Visa Fees for 2014 Special Olympics Summer Games - DOS
Deputy Secretary Burns has authorized a waiver of application (i.e., MRV) and visa issuance (i.e., reciprocity) fees for participants in the 2014 Special Olympics Summer Games Invitational taking place in Los Angeles, CA, from June 6 to 8, 2014, and the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games taking place in Los Angeles, CA, from July 25 to August 2, 2015.
PERM Processing Times (as of 03/03/2014)
PERM Processing Times (as of 03/03/2014)
| PROCESSING QUEUE | PRIORITY DATES | |
|---|---|---|
| MONTH | YEAR | |
| ANALYST REVIEWS | July | 2013 |
| AUDIT REVIEW | December | 2012 |
| MONTHRECONSIDERATION REQUESTS TO THE CO | March | 2014 |
| GOV'T ERROR RECONSIDERATIONS | Current | |
Agency
Green Card
NPWC Processing Times (as of 03/14/2014)
NPWC Processing Times (as of 03/14/2014)
Nonimmigrant Visas
Immigration Law
USCIS to Accept H-1B Petitions for Fiscal Year 2015 Beginning April 1, 2014
Release Date: March 25, 2014
Premium Processing for Cap-Subject Petitions to Begin by April 28, 2014
WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin accepting H-1B petitions subject to the fiscal year (FY) 2015 cap on April 1, 2014. Cases will be considered accepted on the date that USCIS receives a properly filed petition with the correct fee. USCIS will not rely on the date that the petition is postmarked.