USCIS Ombudsman's Office Teleconference on L-1B "Specialized Knowledge"
The Adjudication of L-1B "Specialized Knowledge" Worker Petitions: How Is It Working for You?
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
2:00 - 3:00 p.m. EST
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OFLC Presents the Second in a Series of Permanent Labor Certification Program-Selected Statistics
This Fact Sheet presents statistics regarding Permanent Labor Certification program applications submitted during the first quarter of FY 2012. This Fact Sheet is now available on the iCERT Portal under the "PERM Processing Times" tab and will be routinely updated in the future.
State Department's Announces Visa Pilot Program
Fact Sheet
Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC
January 19, 2012
Today the President announced that the Departments of State and Homeland Security are working together to improve and speed up the visa process for certain categories of travelers.
USCIS Notice of Extension of TPS for El Salvador (Updated 1/20/12)
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 13 (Friday, January 20, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 2990]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-1169]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
[CIS No. 2510-11; DHS Docket No. USCIS 2007-0028]
RIN 1615-ZB06
Guestbook Entry for Ravinder Kaur, United States
Name
Ravinder Kaur
Country
United States
State
NY
Guestbook Entry for Atul Kumar, United States
Name
Atul Kumar
Country
United States
State
Virginia
Guestbook Entry for Ashok Krishnan, United States
Name
Ashok Krishnan
Country
United States
State
Texas
USCIS Publishes QAs On Validation Instrument for Business Enterprises VIBE
New Validation Tool Aids Adjudication of Certain Employment-Based Petitions
Questions and Answers
Questions and Answers
USCIS’s VIBE Aims to Enhance Accuracy, Efficiency and Fraud Detection
Introduction
The Web-based Validation Instrument for Business Enterprises (VIBE) is a tool designed to enhance USCIS’s adjudications of certain employment-based immigration petitions.
President Issues Executive Order Setting Visa Processing Goals
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 24, 2012)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 3373-3375]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-1568]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 77 , No. 15 / Tuesday, January 24, 2012 / Presidential Documents
[[Page 3373]]
Executive Order 13597 of January 19, 2012
Establishing Visa and Foreign Visitor Processing
Goals and the Task Force On Travel and Competitiveness
DOS Announces Pilot Program On Online US Passport Applications
U.S. Passport Card Online Application Now Available
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC
January 23, 2012
On January 24, the Department of State’s Office of Passport Services will launch a 90-day pilot program allowing adult U.S. citizens living in the United States and Canada to apply for a passport card online. By applying online, customers will not be required to mail in their current passport book and necessary forms, saving them time and money.
Department Of Health And Human Services Updates Poverty Guidelines
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 17 (Thursday, January 26, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4034-4035]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-1603]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Office of the Secretary
Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines
AGENCY: Department of Health and Human Services.
ACTION: Notice.
Validation Instrument For Business Enterprises (VIBE) – USCIS Initiates New and Free Streamlined Process
Introduction:
VIBE is a web-based adjudication tool used by USCIS to validate basic information about companies petitioning to employ alien workers. VIBE uses commercially available data from an independent information provider (IIP) to validate basic information about companies petitioning to employ certain alien workers. Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) is the current IIP for this program.
Guestbook Entry for Venkata K Vaddella, United States
Name
Venkata K Vaddella
Country
United States
State
MI
H-1B Quota 2025
We recommend that the H-1B lottery registration process should be planned and initiated now to ensure that it is ready to be submitted once the registrations open from noon Eastern on March 7, 2025 through noon Eastern on March 24, 2025. During this period, prospective petitioners and representatives must use a USCIS online account to register each beneficiary electronically for the selection process and pay the associated registration fee for each beneficiary.
Recording for February 06, 2025, Conference Call with Rajiv S. Khanna
Immigration.com
FAQs:
1. Laid off on EAD from EB1A, can I start an UNRELATED teaching business?
2. Can I travel on Advance Parole?
3. Can I delay using an H-1B visa to utilize the STEM extension period?
4. H-1B specialty occupation for MS in UX Design (STEM)
Visa Bulletin For March 2025
Number 99
Volume X
Washington, D.C
A. STATUTORY NUMBERS FOR PREFERENCE IMMIGRANT VISAS
This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during March 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.
Agency
Green Card
Immigration Law
Trump Administration - What to expect | Immigration updates - H1B Visa, OPT, Green Card
Nonimmigrant Visas
Green Card
SUBSCRIBE to Immigration.com YouTube Channel for further updates.
mmigration.com, Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna PC, US Immigration Attorney
Starting A US company on OPT | Latest Immigration Updates - H-1B | OPT | Green Card
Nonimmigrant Visas
Green Card
SUBSCRIBE to Immigration.com YouTube Channel for further updates.
mmigration.com, Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna PC, US Immigration Attorney
H-1B Visa | OPT | CPT - Latest USA Immigration QnA, Jan 30, 2025
Nonimmigrant Visas
SUBSCRIBE to Immigration.com YouTube Channel for further updates.
mmigration.com, Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna PC, US Immigration Attorney
Talent Visas Under Trump - EB-1A | O-1A | NIW/H-1B QnA, Feb 5, 2025
Nonimmigrant Visas
Immigration Law
Green Card
SUBSCRIBE to Immigration.com YouTube Channel for further updates.
mmigration.com, Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna PC, US Immigration Attorney
Increased Denials & Delays in some US Visa Categories, Rajiv in QnA, Feb 12, 2025
Nonimmigrant Visas
SUBSCRIBE to Immigration.com YouTube Channel for further updates.
mmigration.com, Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna PC, US Immigration Attorney
Recording for February 20, 2025, Conference Call with Rajiv S. Khanna
Immigration.com
Nonimmigrant Visas
Green Card
FAQs:
1. Can I volunteer with a Non-Profit while on any temporary visa (for example, F-1 OPT)?
2. Options after layoff on approved EB-1 - Compelling circumstances EAD and GC EAD conversion
3. NIW I-485 rejected: Refiling options and priority date usage?
Relocating to India with GC, how to apply for US citizenship?
Question details
We primarily have questions on relocation to India and possibilities.
My wife and I want to retain our Green Cards and eventually get US citizenship. We are just 3 years away from getting our US citizenship.
However, we want to relocate to India for our aging parents. We want to be able to relocate to India now for a few years (5 years), but we also don’t want to miss out on the citizenship opportunity when we are this close to getting our US citizenship. Is this even possible without the hassle of staying 6 months in the US and 6 months in India, and would there be any tax implications if one of us continues to work for the same employer in the US remotely from India?
We are aware that we can take 2 years' permission by filing Form I-131 and staying outside the US for 2 years. However, we need more than 2 years to stay outside the US. Also, the citizenship clock resets if we take this option. Is there a way to avoid this?
FAQ Transcript
If you plan to relocate to India with a green card before obtaining U.S. citizenship, it can significantly complicate the naturalization process. To apply for U.S. citizenship, you must meet physical presence requirements: at least 2.5 years in the U.S. over the last five years and no single absence of a year or more. If you stay outside the U.S. for over six months but less than a year, you may need to provide an explanation.
A re-entry permit (Form I-131) allows you to stay outside the U.S. for up to two years without losing your green card, but it does not help with citizenship requirements. Form N-470 can protect your eligibility in limited cases, such as working for a U.S. company’s foreign branch, but it does not guarantee naturalization.
If you stay abroad for more than a year, you will likely need to restart your five-year residency requirement (or four years and one day if a re-entry permit was used). While re-entry permits can be renewed in certain cases, they do not protect your citizenship timeline.
Best advice: Obtain U.S. citizenship first and then relocate, as naturalized citizens can live abroad indefinitely without affecting their status. Please consult your lawyer regarding this.
Gap in approval dates between change of status from one status to another
Question details
I applied for a change of status from an H1B to an H4 visa via I-539 in May 2024 as I got laid off, with my last working date being 3/19/2024.
The document was received by USCIS on 5/10/2024 and confirmed by I-797C, Notice of Action dt 5/20/2024.
On 12/26/2024, my case was approved. I received I-797A Notice of Action with Approval on 1/7/2025. The approval date shows the validity of H4 from 12/23/2024 to 03/13/2027.
On my I-539 I had asked for the change of status to be effective from 05/15/2024 as my 60-day period would run out on 5/19/2024.
However, the H4 approval shows the start date as 12/23/2024. So, my question is, what status was I in during the period 5/19/2024 and 12/23/2024, and will I face any problems if I go for visa stamping? Do I need to write to USCIS and ask for a date to be changed to 5/15/2024 to avoid issues in the future?
FAQ Transcript
If you applied for a change of status (COS) while still in valid status—such as H-1B plus the 60-day grace period—you are not considered out of status while your application is pending. In this case, since you applied for H-4 within the grace period, the period between May (filing date) and December (approval date) is classified as an authorized period of stay, meaning it does not count as unlawful presence.
Even though the approval date is later, you are not subject to the three-year bar because you remained legally in the U.S. while the petition was pending. There are no negative implications for your status.