WASHINGTON—U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) today launched the Border Wait Time app making it easier for travelers to plan their trip across the border. The app provides estimated wait times and open lane status at land ports of entry allowing travelers to make an informed decision of where and when to cross the border. Wait times for pedestrian and passenger and commercial vehicle crossings are broken down by lane type (standard, SENTRI, NEXUS, FAST, Ready Lane, etc.). Travelers can download the app for free from Apple’s App Store and Google Play.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is providing an email address for state juvenile courts and child welfare agencies to submit general questions about the Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) program. You can also submit requests for a USCIS representative to talk to your organization about the program. The address is: USCIS-IGAOutreach@uscis.dhs.gov.
We discussed: Working concurrently with H-1 cap exempt and quota employers, immigration issues if we have a special needs (cerebral palsy) child, applied B-2 to main status while F-1 is expiring, Section 245(k) and illegal work, DETAILED DISCUSSION OF I-140 REVOCATION IMPLICATIONS INCLUDING AC21, impact on H-1 of reentry on advance parole, Section 13 green card for diplomats, who can co-sponsor affidavit of support I-864, proving cross chargeability, transfer of priority dates for a future job approval
The Department has published a notice in the Federal Register announcing new Adverse Effect Wage Rates (AEWRs) for each state, based on the Farm Labor Survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The AEWRs are the minimum hourly wage rates the Department has determined must be offered and paid by employers to H-2A workers and workers in corresponding employment for a particular agricultural job and area, so that the wages of similarly employed U.S. workers will not be adversely affected.
Pursuant to REAL ID regulations, beginning December 1, 2014, federal agencies may not accept State-issued driver's licenses or identification cards for official purposes from individuals born after December 1, 1964, unless the license or card is REAL ID-compliant and was issued by a compliant State as determined by DHS.
I have questions related to I-140 denial & refile.
My first I-140 got denied in Jul 2013 due to 'unknown' reasons to me, but I suspect it's A2P. After 2 years now they told me that they are refiling it and will not lose the PD if approved. They didn't ask any info from me. Now my questions are:
1) Is it possible to 'refile' I-140 with same old PERM after 2 years of first I-140 rejection?
2) How many times can we 'refile' I-140 on same PERM?
3) Can we do 'refile' under premium?
FAQ Transcript:
The rule is once PERM is approved the I-140 must be filed within 180 days. If you do not then your PERM is extinguished and you will have to start all over again. However if you file I-140 within 180 days and then for some reason you have to file again, then 180 day limit does not apply. Let me give you an example: Let us say you’re I-140 was denied, you filed it within 180 days and you forgot to submit an education evaluation or because of some technical reason or a serious reason such as the inability of the employer to prove that they have the capacity to pay your wages. You can file an I-140 three years down the line. You are no longer confined to the 180 day deadline because when the first time around when you filed you were confined to the 180 days deadline.
Now the answer to question 1: Yes.
The answer to question 2: No limit that I know of as long as it is done in good faith.
The answer to question 3: This is a tricky question. USCIS has said if you still have the original of the PERM and it has not been archived then they will take the premium processing only if they have the originals in their possession. If it was never submitted or if the case has been shelved they will not take premium processing.
Note: Where transcribed from audio/video, this is a verbatim transcript of the referenced audio/video media delivered as oral communication, and, therefore, may not conform to written grammatical or syntactical form.
My spouse is currently working on F-1 OPT or H-1 status. How can he/she change to H-4 status and obtain H-4 EAD without a gap in the ability to work?
We have received several requests about how to ensure there are no gaps in a spouse’s ability to work when converting from another work status (such as H-1) to H-4 EAD.
The short answer, as of now (November 2016) is that here is no way to guarantee that there will not be any gap in a spouse’s ability to work. The problems arise from the fact that there can be a gap between change of status to H-4 and receipt of EAD. The law requires that EAD must be approved and the EAD card must be in hand for the H4 holder to work.