AAO Processing Times
AAO Processing Times as of April 1, 2012.
AAO Processing Times as of April 1, 2012.
WASHINGTON - On April 2, 2012, USCIS will issue Form I-797C, Notice of Action, with a new look and feel. We will print the Form I-797C on plain bond paper. This change is estimated to save the agency about $1.1 million per year.
Proposal would reduce time that U.S. citizens are separated from immediate relatives
Introduction
The following Q and As explain the proposed provisional unlawful presence waiver process.
Background
The Secretary of Homeland Security is authorized to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to eligible nationals of designated countries. Countries may be designated that are suffering the effects of an ongoing armed conflict, environmental disaster, or extraordinary and temporary conditions within a country.
TPS beneficiaries may remain in the United States and obtain work authorization during the period for which a country is designated under the TPS program.
OFLC is pleased to present the fourth in a series of Permanent Labor Certification Program-Selected Statistics.
This Fact Sheet presents statistics regarding Permanent Labor Certification program applications submitted during FY 2012.
Check the attachment to view Permanent Labor Certification Program-Selected Statistics.
These Questions & Answers address the automatic extension of F-1 student status in the United States for certain students with pending or approved H-1B petitions (indicating a request for change of status from F-1 to H-1B) for an employment start date of October 1, 2012 under the Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 H-1B cap.
Q1. What is “Cap-Gap”?
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 64 (Tuesday, April 3, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 20046]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: C1-2012-7498]
[[Page 20046]]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
[CIS No. 2522-12; DHS Docket No. USCIS 2012-0007]
RIN 1615-ZB12
WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has established an expedited process for reviewing and correcting decisions resulting from certain administrative errors. This process enables customers to request an expedited review of their case and correction of the decision where data entry and/or an administrative error resulted in a denial or rejection of their petition or application.
WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it extended an accommodation for H-2A workers in the sheepherding industry to transition to the three-year limitation of stay requirements. USCIS will require H-2A sheepherders who have reached their maximum three-year period of stay to depart the United States by Aug. 16, 2012. These sheepherders must then remain outside the country for at least three months before petitioning for H-2A classification again.
WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced it continues to accept H-1B nonimmigrant petitions that are subject to the fiscal year (FY) 2013 cap. The agency began accepting these petitions on April 2, 2012.
USCIS has received approximately 17,400 H-1B petitions counting toward the 65,000 cap, and approximately 8,200 petitions toward the 20,000 cap exemption for individuals with advanced degrees.
U.S. embassies and consulates are sometimes forced to limit or, at times, suspend visa services because of natural disasters, civil unrest, war, and/or security concerns, among other reasons. The list below notes the U.S. embassies and consulates that currently provide limited visa services, locations where visa services are suspended, and countries that do not have U.S. embassies or consulates.
The list below does not include the following:
During your naturalization interview, a USCIS Officer will ask you questions about your application and background. You will also take an English and civics test unless you qualify for an exemption or waiver. The English test has three components: reading, writing, and speaking. The civics test covers important U.S. history and government topics.
USCIS online resource page providing new videos, publications, and practice tests aimed at helping people prepare for the English language test portion of the Form N-400 eligibility interview.
The DHS Office of Immigration Statistics issued its Annual Flow Report on U.S. Naturalizations for FY2011. In 2011, there were a total of 694,193 persons who became naturalized citizens of the U.S.
Please check the attachment to view the report.
Fact Sheet
Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC
April 15, 2012
The State Department is pleased to announce an increase in the validity of visas for Colombians traveling on a temporary basis to the United States from five years to ten years. This means that most Colombian applicants who qualify for a B-category non-immigrant visa may be issued a 120-month, multiple-entry visa.
On March 14th, 20th and 27th, the Department conducted three webinars intended to educate program users and other interested stakeholders on the requirements of the 2012 H-2B Final Rule. Today the Department posted Round 1 of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). The FAQs are largely based on questions received from the webinar participants and other members of the regulated public and are published to assist employers, workers, and other interested parties in understanding the 2012 Final Rule as it goes into effect.
DOS reminder that nonimmigrant and immigrant visa application fees will change on April 13, 2012. The fees for most nonimmigrant visa applications and Border Crossing Cards will increase, while all immigrant visa application fees will decrease. All visa applicants must pay the fee amounts in effect on the day they pay, including immigrant visa applicants who pay fees to the National Visa Center (NVC).
Please click here to view State Dept. notice on Fees for Visa Services.
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
April 18, 2012
Earlier this year, President Obama called for a national strategy to make the United States the world’s top travel and tourism destination, generating jobs and revitalizing our economy. The Department of State is well on the way to meeting the President’s goals of increasing visitor visa processing capacity in China and Brazil by 40 percent in 2012.
The annual limit in the EB-2 category for India and China has reached. This has been confirmed by the State Department. A notification sent to USCIS on April 11, 2012 states that no further visas for the above mentioned categories will be authorized. On the basis of cut-off dates published in the April and May Visa Bulletins USCIS will continue to accept adjustment applications.
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 78 (Monday, April 23, 2012)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 24137-24138]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-9612]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
20 CFR Part 655
RIN 1205-AB58
H-1B, H-1B1, E-3 Helpful Resources:
The Department has posted a contact list for the H-1B, H-1B1 and E-3 Programs to assist employers with their applications. To view or download a PDF copy of the Helpful Resources for the H-1B, H-1B1 and E-3 Programs, please click the attachment below.
USCIS Reminds the Public to Avoid Scams and Unauthorized Practitioners of Immigration Law
WASHINGTON—The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today announced that the fiscal year (FY) 2013 limit for Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)-Only Transitional Workers (CW-1) is 15,000. The Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 (CNRA) requires an annual reduction of the number of CW-1s, the nonimmigrant category for these transitional workers.
USCIS statistical information on Form I-526 immigrant petitions by alien entrepreneur and Form I-829 petitions by entrepreneur to remove conditions. The number of cases received, approved and denied by fiscal year from FY1991 to FY2012.
Please check attachment to view Statistics.