Number 8
Volume X
Washington, D.C
A. STATUTORY NUMBERS
This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during August 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.
Discussion Topics, Thursday 13 July 2017:
FAQ: Evidence or documents created after the filing of a petition || H-4 EAD when an I-140 is revoked after 180 days || Can a green card be started on F-1 status? || New regulations, effect on layoff after I-140 approval || Reentry permit to preserve green card and extensions || I-94 given for a shorter duration at the airport than the petition approval date ||
Other: Deportation for crimes || Changing status after marriage in the USA || Revocation of I-140 after 180 days || Effect of minor violations on immigration status || Filing H-1 amendment, etc. || Removal of condition, Form I-751 || Multiple I-94 issued || Changing status when a change of status petition is pending || PERM - effect of variation in job description/requirements || Getting a copy of I-140 by filing FOIA with USCIS || Applying for change of status to H-1 || Calculating deadlines for RFE response falling on holidays || Changing status from H-1 to F-1, etc.
USCIS will release the latest Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, on July 17. Employers will be able to use this revised version or continue using Form I-9 with a revision date of 11/14/16 N through Sept.
Are you seeking to adjust your status and become a U.S. permanent resident under a family-sponsored or employment-based preference immigrant visa? If you have not yet had a relative or employer file an immigrant visa petition on your behalf, please learn more about the Adjustment of Status Filing Process.
USCIS released a revised version of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, on July 17. Instructions for how to download Form I-9 are available on the Form I-9 page. Employers can use this revised version or continue using Form I-9 with a revision date of 11/14/16 N through Sept. 17. On Sept. 18, employers must use the revised form with a revision date of 07/17/17 N.
On June 26, 2017, the United States Supreme Court issued an order agreeing to hear the Administration’s appeals of two rulings by Federal Appeals Courts regarding Executive Order 13780 and partially granting the government’s request to stay the lower courts’ injunctions. We will keep those traveling to the United States and partners in the travel industry informed as we implement the order in a professional, organized, and timely way.
USCIS announced on July 19, that it has returned all fiscal year 2018 H-1B cap-subject petitions that were not selected in our computer-generated random selection process. USCIS previously announced on May 3, that it completed data entry of all selected cap-subject petitions.
The deadline for eligible nationals of Haiti (and people without nationality who last habitually resided in Haiti) to re-register for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is Monday, July 24, 2017. The limited 6-month extension of the TPS designation for Haiti runs from July 23, 2017, through Jan. 22, 2018.
Foreign visitors to the U.S. arriving via air or sea no longer need to complete paper Customs and Border Protection Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record or Form I-94W Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver Arrival/Departure Record. Those who need to prove their legal-visitor status—to employers, schools/universities or government agencies—can access their CBP arrival/departure record information online.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will resume premium processing for certain cap-exempt H-1B petitions effective immediately. The H-1B visa has an annual cap of 65,000 visas each fiscal year. Additionally, there is an annual “master’s cap” of 20,000 petitions filed for beneficiaries with a U.S. master’s degree or higher.
Premium processing will resume for petitions that may be exempt from the cap if the H-1B petitioner is:
* An institution of higher education;
* A nonprofit related to or affiliated with an institution of higher education; or
USCIS recently updated the following USCIS form(s):
Update to Form N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document
07/24/2017 12:00 AM EDT
New edition dated 06/13/17. Starting 09/22/2017, we will only accept the 06/13/17 edition. Until then, you can use the 12/23/16 edition.
Grants will support citizenship preparation services for lawful permanent residents
Lawful permanent residents who file the online Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card, without assistance from an attorney or accredited representative, can now file their form and upload evidence entirely on a mobile device. The redesign of the online Form I-90 also allows lawful permanent residents to navigate the site more easily, making the process of renewing or replacing Green Cards more convenient.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to specify that every naturalization applicant must provide biometrics regardless of age, unless the applicant qualifies for a fingerprint waiver due to certain medical conditions.
For detail information, please read attached document.
Discussion Topics, Thursday 27 July 2017:
FAQ: Does H-4 require a prior USCIS approval for visa stamping? ||I-485 applicant holding multiple jobs on EAD
BALCA Appeal Times as of January 08, 2016
Bottomline: BALCA appeals take approximately 3.5 to 4 years from the date the appeal is filed.
- Appeals from PERM denials with BALCA office are currently taking about 3.5 - 4 years from date of docket
- Dockets are a few months backlogged right now - after BALCA receives the case from DOL, it takes about 5-6 months for them to issue the Docketing Notice
NPWC Processing Times (as of 12/08/2015)
|
Processing Queue |
Request Date |
Status* |
|
H-1B |
October - 2015 |
Current |
|
H-2B |