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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

Petitioner is a university that sought to employ the beneficiary permanently in the United States as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Biostatistics. In this respect, the university sought to classify the beneficiary as an outstanding researcher pursuant to section 203(b)(1)(B) of the INA. USCIS initially denied the petition on the grounds that the beneficiary had not achieved the outstanding level of achievement required for being classified as an outstanding researcher. 

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 5 (Monday, January 9, 2012)]
[Proposed Rules]

 Introduction

General Information

Important Announcement: The U.S. Consulate General in Chennai will no longer process Immigrant Visa petitions as of January 1, 2012.  

The U.S. Consulate General in Chennai will no longer process Immigrant Visa petitions as of January 1, 2012.  The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi and U.S. Consulate in Mumbai will become the only acceptance centers in India for Immigrant Visas.  The Immigrant Visa allows an individual to live and work in the United States on a permanent basis, as well as provides the immigrant the opportunity to work towards U.S. citizenship.

Re-registration Open Until M

USCIS Ombudsman’s recommendations on how to improve the asylum clock. Topics include clearly defining the agency roles, improving communication, providing notice to applicants, and more.

Please check the attached memo.

USCIS draft policy memo addressing certain foundational issues in the EB-5 Program. This page includes the original draft memo and subsequent revisions.

This Policy Memorandum (PM) temporarily extends the validity of civil surgeon endorsements on Form I-693 for adjustment of status applicants. Comments are due 1/30/12.

Year-on-Year Visa Demand Up in China and Brazil: State Department Continues To Reduce Visa Interview Wait Times

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC
January 12, 2012

Re-registration Open Until March 12, 2012

Released Jan. 10, 2012

WASHINGTON—Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano has extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for eligible nationals of El Salvador for an additional 18 months, beginning March 10, 2012, and ending Sept. 9, 2013.

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in consultation with the Department of State, has identified 58 countries whose nationals are eligible to participate in the H-2A and H-2B programs for the coming year. The notice listing eligible countries will publish in tomorrow’s Federal Register.  Each country’s designation is valid for one year from the date of publication.

USCIS interim memo for comment on general guidance regarding the role of private attorneys and other representatives who appear before USCIS.

Please check the attachment to read USCIS Memo.