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Starting today, USCIS will suspend final adjudication of employment-based Form I-485 applications (Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status) because the Department of State reports that the statutory cap has been reached for the employment-based preference categories for fiscal year (FY) 2015.

This suspension applies to all employment-based adjustment applications pending with USCIS through September 30, 2015 (the remainder of FY2015).

You may pay for your N-400, Application for Naturalization, using a credit card. There is no additional fee to pay with your credit card. The N-400 is the only form that can be paid for by credit card using the G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transaction. 

Acceptable Credit Cards

You may use Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. You may also use gift cards with Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover logos.

This bulletin supersedes the bulletin for October 2015 that was originally published on September 9, 2015, and contained Dates for Filing Applications long used by the Department of State for internal processing purposes. Following consultations with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Dates for Filing Applications for some categories in the Family-Sponsored and Employment-Based preferences have been adjusted to better reflect a timeframe justifying immediate action in the application process. The Dates for Filing Applications sections (sections 4.B.

USCIS published the updated M-274, Handbook for Employers: Guidance for Completing Form I-9 (PDF, 5.36 MB). The Handbook for Employers provides employers with detailed guidance for completing Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. This version dated Jan. 22, 2017, replaces the previous version. It reflects revisions to Form I-9, which was revised on Nov. 14, 2016.

The Handbook for Employers:

USCIS recently updated the following form(s):

Update to Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record

02/27/2017 02:48 PM EST 

Starting April 3, 2017, USCIS will temporarily suspend premium processing for all H-1B petitions. This suspension may last up to 6 months. While H-1B premium processing is suspended, petitioners will not be able to file Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service for a Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker which requests the H-1B nonimmigrant classification. USCIS will notify the public before resuming premium processing for H-1B petitions.

USCIS is automatically extending the validity of certain EADs issued under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for El Salvador for an additional 6 months. On July 8, 2016, DHS announced, the extension of the designation of El Salvador for TPS for a period of 18 months. With that extension, DHS also automatically extended the validity of EADs issued under TPS El Salvador for 6 months, through March 9, 2017.

Executive Order Protecting The Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into The United States

EXECUTIVE ORDER

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PROTECTING THE NATION FROM FOREIGN TERRORIST ENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq., and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, and to protect the Nation from terrorist activities by foreign nationals admitted to the United States, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Update to Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative

New edition dated 2/27/17. Starting 04/28/17, USCIS will only accept the 02/27/17 edition. Until then, you can use the 12/23/16 edition. Now also available, new Form I-130A, Supplemental Information for Spouse Beneficiary.

On April 3, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin accepting CW-1 petitions subject to the fiscal year (FY) 2018 cap. Employers in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) use the CW-1 program to employ foreign workers who are otherwise ineligible to work under other nonimmigrant worker categories. The cap for CW-1 visas for FY 2018 has not been set, but it is required to be less than the FY 2017 cap, which is currently set at 12,998.

In light of stakeholder input, which the Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) is considering, OFLC has temporarily removed from its website PERM FAQ Round 14 regarding Actual Minimum Requirements, originally published on March 6, 2017. OFLC will clarify and republish PERM FAQ Round 14 to provide additional information on its applicability to PERM applications and associated prevailing wage requests and determinations.

For more upcoming updates please visit this link.

USCIS recently updated the following USCIS form(s):

Update to Form I-918, Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status03/13/2017 01:38 PM EDT

New edition dated 02/07/17. Starting 05/12/17, USCIS will only accept the 02/07/17 edition. Until then, you can use the 01/15/13, 11/23/10 and 08/31/07 editions.

For more information, please visit Forms Updates page.

Notice from USCIS: If you are filing Form I-765, please confirm you have downloaded the correct Form I-765.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) previously extended all Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) issued under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for El Salvador designation that were expiring on Sept. 9, 2016, to be valid through March 9, 2017, that was a 6-month extension. DHS automatically extended the validity of the previously extended EADs for an additional 6 months, through Sept. 9, 2017, to avoid gaps in work authorization.