Update to Form I-864P, Poverty Guidelines
USCIS posted an updated edition of Form I-864P, Poverty Guidelines, to their website. The new edition is dated 03/01/16, and previous editions should not be used.
USCIS posted an updated edition of Form I-864P, Poverty Guidelines, to their website. The new edition is dated 03/01/16, and previous editions should not be used.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is now accepting applications for two funding opportunities under the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program. These are competitive grant opportunities for organizations that prepare permanent residents for naturalization and promote civic integration through increased knowledge of English, U.S. history and civics. The two programs will provide up to $10 million in grants for citizenship preparation programs in communities across the country. Applications are due by April 22.
USCIS recently began transferring certain cases from the Vermont Service Center to the Texas Service Center to balance workloads. The affected casework includes Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, filed by an asylum applicant with a pending asylum application filed on or after January 4, 1995. The eligibility category for the application is (c)(8).
How You Will Be Affected If USCIS Transfers Your Case
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will publish a final rule Friday, March 11, 2016, to strengthen and enhance the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program for international students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
On February 26, 2015, USCIS hosted a teleconference about new regulatory changes, effective May 26, 2015, that extended eligibility for employment authorization to certain H-4 dependent spouses of certain H-1B nonimmigrants wh
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposes to amend F-1 nonimmigrant student visa regulations on optional practical training (OPT) for certain students with degrees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) from U.S. institutions of higher education. Specifically, the proposal would allow such F-1 STEM students who have elected to pursue 12 months of OPT in the United States to extend the OPT period by 24 months (STEM OPT extension). This 24-month extension would effectively replace the 17-month STEM OPT extension currently available to certain STEM students.
Are you seeking to adjust your status and become a U.S. permanent resident under a family-sponsored or employment-based preference immigrant visa?
On April 1, 2016, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin accepting H-1B petitions subject to the fiscal year (FY) 2017 cap. U.S. businesses use the H-1B program to employ foreign workers in occupations that require highly specialized knowledge in fields such as science, engineering and computer programming.
The congressionally mandated cap on H-1B visas for FY 2017 is 65,000. The first 20,000 H-1B petitions filed for individuals with a U.S. master’s degree or higher are exempt from the 65,000 cap.
On March 1, USCIS began transferring certain cases to the Potomac Service Center (PSC) from other service centers to balance workloads. The affected casework includes Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, filed by F-1 and M-1 students seeking Optional Practical Training (OPT) and J-1 dependents.
USCIS has received a sufficient number of petitions to reach the congressionally mandated H-2B cap for the
DHS extended the designations of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for an additional six months. Although there have been significant improvements in the conditions in all three countries since their designations for TPS in November 2014, the lingering effects of the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak and continued recovery challenges support this six-month extension. The extended designation is effective May 22, 2016, through Nov. 21, 2016.
The STEM Designated Degree Program list is a complete list of fields of study DHS considers to be science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) fields of study for purposes of the 24-month STEM optional practical training extension described at 8 CFR 214.2(f). Under 8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)(ii)(C)(2), a STEM field of study is a field of study “included in the Department of Education’s Classification of Instructional Programs taxonomy within the two-digit series containing engineering, biological sciences, mathematics, and physical sciences, or a related field.
Workload Transfer from the Vermont Service Center to the Nebraska Service Center
USCIS recently began transferring certain casework from the Vermont Service Center (VSC) to the Nebraska Service Center (NSC) to balance workloads and decrease processing times.
The NSC will now process some:
Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, for petitioners requesting H-1B nonimmigrant classification;
As you study for the U.S. history and government (civics) test, make sure that you know the most current answers to these questions. Periodically, answers change to reflect the results of federal and state elections and appointments or to clarify content and ensure consistency in terminology. The revised answers to the questions below are effective immediately.
Question |
Update |
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Table A provides approval and denial data for petitioners of the I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers - (E-11 Extraordinary Ability, Professors, Researchers, or Executives)
Table A: I-140 E-11 Approval/Denial by Fiscal Year 2005 to 2010
Fiscal Year |
Approvals |
Denials |
Approval Rate |
[Federal Register: February 25, 2011 (Volume 76, Number 38)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 10498-10500]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr25fe11-7]
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
22 CFR Part 62
[Public Notice: 7346]
RIN 1400-AC67
Exchange Visitor Program--Fees and Charges
AGENCY: Department of State.
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.
Validation Instrument for Business Enterprises (VIBE) Program |
January 31, 2011
U.S. citizens in Egypt who require assistance, or those who are concerned that their U.S. citizen loved one in Egypt may require assistance, should contact the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Cairo at:
EgyptEmergencyUSC@state.gov
1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada
1-202-501-4444 for callers outside the United States and Canada
CBP FAQs include general information on the VWP and ESTA, as well as ESTA & data privacy, who should apply, implementation, how to apply, the ESTA fee and the Travel Promotion Act of 2009, updating the ESTA, I-94W, ESTA and U.S. visas, ESTA denials, and more.
EOIR FY2010 Statistical Year Book, which includes a compilation of figures and tables on individuals who have appeared before an immigration judge or the Board of Immigration Appeals.
This memorandum documents USCIS policy for including information about the opportunity to file a motion to reopen or reconsider when issuing a written denial of a petition or application.
This Policy Memorandum (PM) provides guidance regarding the analysis that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) officers who adjudicate these petitions should use when evaluating evidence submitted in support of Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, filed for:
Aliens of Extraordinary Ability under section 203(b)(1)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA);
Outstanding Professors or Researchers under section 203(b)(1)(B) INA; and
Aliens of Exceptional Ability under section 203(b)(2) INA.