Release Date
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will offer filing flexibilities to provide relief to certain applicants and petitioners impacted by delays at a USCIS lockbox. These flexibilities only apply to benefit requests submitted to a USCIS lockbox and not to USCIS service centers or field offices.
The following temporary flexibilities are effective for 60 days from June 10 until Aug. 9, 2021:
Discussion Topics, Thursday, June 10, 2021:
I am planning to file green card (I130/I1485) for my mother. She was born in 1949 in India and does not have her birth certificate. Only identity with date of birth she has is her passport and Aadhar card. She has visited US couple of times.
Go ahead and get a certificate of non-availability if possible, get a birth certificate from New York, get two affidavits from people who were alive when she was born and submit all of that together.
Note: Where transcribed from audio/video, this is a verbatim transcript of the referenced audio/video media delivered as oral communication, and, therefore, may not conform to written grammatical or syntactical form.
I stayed in US on H1b from 2013-18, almost 5 years and went back to India. In 2020(after 1 year of cooling period), my employer has filed new application for H1B and lottery got selected in 2020.
I got my visa stamped in April 2021 with a validity till 2023.Because of new location & salary mismatch, I had to file the amendment and this time I got the approval for next 9 months only till March 2022.
On further enquiry with my employer's immigration team, I came to know that USCIS has used the remaining 9 months on the first H1B. My queries are:
1. Does it mean I will be allowed around 7 consecutive years of stay in US( 9 months on older visa plus 6 years on new visa) or I need to come back to India and serve 1 year of cooling period after spending 9 months ?
2. Will my new visa be applicable once I spend 9 months of time in US?
3. Is there a way I can opt to take approval duration on the current visa only?
The USCIS had made a mistake and they should give you the entire six years. So your H-1 should be approved for three years and not for nine months. Your lawyer should reach out to them and say you are entitled to the three years.
Note: Where transcribed from audio/video, this is a verbatim transcript of the referenced audio/video media delivered as oral communication, and, therefore, may not conform to written grammatical or syntactical form.
According to the criteria you have listed on in the article, I can satisfy 7 of the 10 points. So how could I apply? Where to start and where to go?
You should certainly get your resume evaluated. Note that merely qualifying for the 3 out of 10 categories does not automatically qualify you. That is just the preliminary step. There is also an overall review of your qualifications to ensure that you indeed are one of the top few members of your profession.
Note: For the NRI readers, The Economic Times has started an immigration helpdesk. A team of experts which includes Rajiv S. Khanna will address the most pressing issues. Please see the link below.
Note: Where transcribed from audio/video, this is a verbatim transcript of the referenced audio/video media delivered as oral communication, and, therefore, may not conform to written grammatical or syntactical form.
What is the situation for F-1 and J-1 students to travel or travel back to the United States?
F-1 students who already have their visa stamped on the passport can travel back in July. Those who do not have a visa stamping will have to wait for either the consulates in India to open (currently processing only emergency visas, which could include imminent academic session), or try obtaining a student visa in a country other than India. J-1 students will need to apply for National Interest Exemption, which should be given, but only when the consulates open for business.
Note: Where transcribed from audio/video, this is a verbatim transcript of the referenced audio/video media delivered as oral communication, and, therefore, may not conform to written grammatical or syntactical form.
The policy update will help provide stability to U Visa Petitioners supporting law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute crimes
Release Date
Effective June 14, 2021, the Vermont Service Center will no longer receive any incoming mail at the St. Albans, VT facility, which is being decommissioned.
Mail sent to the previous addresses will be forwarded for one year, but any mail sent to the previous addresses after June 2022 may be returned to the sender by the United States Postal Service or the courier service used.
Please refer to the chart below for the updated addresses.
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The travel bans necessitated by the COVID pandemic have created much flux and uncertainty. Synthesizing the information now finally available from various US government sources, it is clearer now that many intending travelers can seek and obtain an exemption from the ban under a series of provisions for a National Interest Exception (NIE).
You should be able to apply for an NIE to overcome the ban on travel to the USA if you meet any one or more of the following categories:
Number 55
Volume X
Washington, D.C
A. STATUTORY NUMBERS
This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during July 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.
They were really professional and fast while filing my H1B paperwork and everything went smoothly. The documents needed were checked thoroughly and the whole process was smooth. They responded immediately and gave updates quick
Release Date
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced it will accept resubmitted fiscal year (FY) 2021 H-1B cap-subject petitions that were rejected or administratively closed solely because the requested start date was after Oct. 1, 2020.
Discussion Topics, Thursday, June 24, 2021:
FAQ: Consequences of B-1/B-2 Visa Extension applied and leaving the USA || Changing Multiple Jobs While AOS I-485 is Pending - Consequences || I-129 Nunc Pro Tunc Request
Published by: The Economic Times - Date: June 29, 2021
Synopsis
Bear in mind that the travel ban requirements and exceptions are likely to keep changing based upon the state of the pandemic. Thus, before traveling, it would be prudent to check the latest developments on the consular websites.
For more on this article please see the attachment below.
Published by: The Economic Times - Date: June 30, 2021
Synopsis
A green card is considered to have been filed usually when an application for an immigrant visa (Form I-140) is filed with the USCIS. The majority of the green cards require preclearance from the US Department of Labor, referred to as labor certification or PERM petition.
For more on this article please see the attachment below.
Release Date
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced a pilot program for accepting credit card payments using Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions, for U nonimmigrants filing Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status.
USCIS recently updated the following USCIS form(s):
Authorization for Credit Card Transactions
04/23/2021 09:49 AM EDT
The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in South Africa to safety and security issues related to the FIFA World Cup taking place in nine cities across the country from June 11 to July 11, 2010. This travel alert expires July 31, 2010. Full information about the World Cup for American visitors is available on the U.S. Mission to South Africa's dedicated World Cup website.
I am a child of a permanent resident and I got a I-130 approved 2003 but I was under the age and still single never been married when that was approved. Right now I posses an Employment Authorization that I have been re-applying for since 2000. Can I apply for a permanent resident?
I am assuming your priority date is not current. If that is so, you cannot get your green card until all preconditions, including the priority date being current, are met.
I have a P1 visa. Is there anyway to change this to a green card?
You may be able to apply for a green card if you meet the requirements of EB-1, aliens with extraordinary ability or based upon a job offer, and of course, if a family-based possibility exists
There is a limiation of 100 H-1B2 visas, how do you know if there are any available? I have tried to contact USCIS and NVC but no help.
I am not sure of a separate quota, but remember there is also no bar to also applying for an H-1B as a specialty occupation worker. That quota is still open.
I have my H1B through a consultant company in USA. I never traveled on this visa and never worked for this consultant company. Now I have a direct job offer from another employer. My new employer wants me to work for them directly instead of going through my current visa sponsor. Can I transfer my visa to my new employer and enter US on this new visa? What is required for this? And how much time shall it take?
Sure. Have the new employer apply for H-1 for you. Apply for premium processing.
Team is very professional, very knowledgeable and experienced in the immigration process. Team has a check list on every step in the process. Team is very prompt in responding to the emails and to the calls. Team will never submit without checking the documents properly. All my approvals at every stage are without any RFE's. They are always on time in submitting the documents.
A special thanks to Richa Narang, Prerna Mehta, Bharathi Gajjala and great attorney Rajiv Khanna.