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PERM Processing Times as of 03/05/2012.

USCIS Processing Times as of 03/20/2012.

Changing an address with the various Federal immigration components can be confusing, and failure to properly make an address change can lead to denials and other adverse immigration consequences. The Ombudsman's Office encourages immigration benefits applicants and petitioners to promptly notify U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), the U.S. Department of State (DOS), and/or the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) of any change in address. Mail forwarding is not always rapid or reliable.

USCIS Ombudsman Case Assistance Online pilot program, a new initiative allowing paperless submission of assistance requests. The pilot program is currently available in Texas and DC, with plans to expand nationwide in fall 2011.

As the traditional harvest season approaches, USCIS reminds petitioners that certain fees may not be collected from H-2A and H-2B workers, according to 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(h)(5)(xi)(A) and § 214.2(h)(6)(i)(B). We realize that delays in adjudicating these petitions may affect employers’ ability to place workers in time-sensitive jobs. To avoid delays, USCIS urges petitioners to submit sufficient information regarding their recruitment efforts and the nature of fees collected from H-2A and H-2B workers.

Release Date: August 2, 2011

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

WASHINGTON—Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Alejandro Mayorkas today outlined a series of policy, operational, and outreach efforts to fuel the nation's economy and stimulate investment by attracting foreign entrepreneurial talent of exceptional ability or who otherwise can create jobs, form startup companies, and invest capital in areas of high unemployment.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that effective Aug. 15, 2011, petitioners residing in countries without USCIS offices will be able to file a Petition for an Alien Relative (Form I-130), with the USCIS Chicago Lockbox facility. This will increase the efficiency of the relative petition filing process and give USCIS more flexibility in managing its workload. Previous regulations permitted these petitioners, who comprise about 5 percent of all I-130 petitioners, to file with USCIS or the U.S.

Questions and Answers

Q1. Where can I find the laws governing the Employment Based Second Preference (EB-2) Immigrant Visa Category?
A1. The statutory requirements may be found in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) at Section 203(b)(2).  The regulatory requirements may be found in the Title 8 Code of Federal Regulations (8 CFR) at section 204.5(k).

Washington – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) today announced that Global Entry members will now be issued a Global Entry version of the SENTRI card which allows expedited entry into the U.S. from Canada and Mexico using the NEXUS, SENTRI and Ready Lanes at land ports of entry. 

USCIS flyer summarizing information for federal contractors and subcontractors about the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) E-Verify clause. It also includes what contractors are affected by the FAR E-Verify clause and how to enrol in E-Verify.

This Policy Memorandum (PM) provides guidance and updates the AFM regarding adjudication of family and employment-based Adjustment of Status Applications from aliens present in the CNMI. This PM is effective immediately.

On June 20, 2011, the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman's Office (Ombudsman's Office) hosted a public teleconference regarding U nonimmigrant visas and interviewed U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and U.S. Department of State (DOS) officials.

Fact Sheet

  Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC

August 10, 2011

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reminds eligible nationals of Haiti (and persons without nationality who last habitually resided in Haiti) to file for Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

TPS was originally designated for Haiti in January 2010 in response to a catastrophic earthquake that devastated that country. The current 18-month extension of TPS for Haiti will remain in effect through Jan. 22, 2013. The following three groups are covered under the Haiti TPS extension and re-designation:

WASHINGTON—USCIS will prioritize the processing of Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, for certain SSI recipients when the applicant’s:

• SSI benefits will be terminated within 1 year from the date listed on your SSI notice; AND,
• Form N-400 has been pending for 4 months or more from the date of receipt.

The following are instructions for individuals whose SSI benefits are being terminated within 1 year and have applied for OR will apply for citizenship through Form N-400.

Fact Sheet

Background

On Aug. 2, 2011, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas outlined a series of policy, operational, and outreach efforts to fuel the nation’s economy and stimulate investment.  These initiatives will allow our nation to realize the potential of current immigration laws to attract the best and brightest from around the world to invest their talents, skills, and ideas to grow the U.S. economy and create American jobs.