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Please check the attachment to get detail information for the 2012 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-2012), updated on 9/22/10.

September 23, 2010

SAN JUAN-Puerto Rico Governor Luis G. Fortuño extended last night the validity of birth certificates issued before July 1, 2010 to American citizens born in Puerto Rico for 30 additional days, until October 30, according to Secretary of State, Kenneth D. McClintock.

This fact sheet provides an agency overview for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal advice; nor does it constitute any legal opinion by the Department of Justice, or create any rights or benefits.  This fact sheet is not fully inclusive, does not address all applicable laws or case interpretation, and may be subject to change as new laws and regulations are enacted.

Effective from Thursday, September 16, 2010 there will be no further visa authorizations in response to requests for any FAMILY preference category, Employment based cases (EB-2, EB-3, Other workers, EB-4, and Certain Religious Workers). FY2011 numbers will be available on 10/01/10.

For detail please check the attachment.

WASHINGTON—Under an executive order signed by the Governor of Puerto Rico, certified copies of Puerto Rico birth certificates issued before July 1, 2010, will now be valid through Oct. 30, 2010.  The validity of those certificates had previously been set to expire on Sept. 30, 2010.

Important Service Transition Announcement for All Visa Applicants

The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) announced that it has completed the installation of its Digital Audio Recording (DAR) system in all of its courtrooms, four weeks ahead of schedule. The DAR system is a state-of-theart recording tool designed to achieve a better quality and more easily accessible recording of immigration court hearings.

On August 13, 2010, President Obama signed into law Public Law 111-230. The new law contains provisions that require petitioners to pay an additional $2,000 for certain H-1B petitions and an additional $2,250 for certain L-1 petitions. To begin public outreach on this legislation, USCIS held a teleconference on August 19, 2010 to share how USCIS will implement it.

  Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC

Question Taken at the September 7, 2010 Daily Press Briefing

September 8, 2010

On December 23, 2011, the President signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012.  The legislation contains language prohibiting the Department from implementing the Wage Rule during the 2012 fiscal year.  Based on Congressional intent to continue to implement the current H-2B regulations, the Department has published a Final Rule extending the effective date of the Wage Rule to apply to work performed on and after October 1, 2012. The Final Rule is accessible here.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reminds its customers that the open re-registration period for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals of Honduras and Nicaragua ends on Jan. 5, 2012. 

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano extended TPS for eligible nationals of Honduras and Nicaragua for an additional 18 months, beginning Jan. 6, 2012, and ending July 5, 2013.

USCIS published information on the number of Form N-400s pending between October 2009 and October 2011, including office locations, receipts, approvals, denials, and cases pending by fiscal year, as well as service-wide average cycle times.

USCIS executive summary from the 11/2/11 teleconference regarding the adjudication of J-1 Exchange Visitor waivers of the two-year foreign residence requirement.

USCIS reminds the sheepherding industry of the upcoming expiration of the one-time accommodation giving them more time to fully transition to the three-year limitation-of-stay requirements for the H-2A nonimmigrant classification.

USCIS announced its limitation-of-stay requirements under a final rule that became effective on Jan. 17, 2009.

The agency granted a one-time accommodation for sheepherders in H-2A status in December 2009 in deference to their industry’s prior exemption from the three-year limitation. This exemption did not impact other H-2A categories.

Posted by Louis F. Quijas, Assistant Secretary for the Office for State and Local Law Enforcement and January Contreras, Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman