Form I-131A Now Available
USCIS has published Form I-131A, Application for Travel Document (Carrier Documentation), a new form that allows lawful permanent residents (LPRs) to apply for a travel document (carrier documentation) if they:
USCIS has published Form I-131A, Application for Travel Document (Carrier Documentation), a new form that allows lawful permanent residents (LPRs) to apply for a travel document (carrier documentation) if they:
Effective October 5, 2016, USCIS has increased the validity period for initial or renewal Employment Authorization Documents for asylum applicants from one year to two years.
The Department of Labor has published a seventeenth round of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to the filing and processing of H-2B Applications for Temporary Employment Certification covering issues related to the area of intended employment and what constitutes a worksite under the H-2B program. The Round 17 FAQs are posted on the H-2B Interim Final Rule Implementation Page on the Office of Foreign Labor Certification website at https://www.foreignlaborcert.doleta.gov/2015_H-2B_IFR.cfm.
The Department of Labor has published a Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) Round 13 related to preparing the required recruitment report for employers seeking labor certification under the PERM Program along with two "best practice" sample recruitment reports. The Round 13 FAQ is posted on the PERM Program Page on the Office of Foreign Labor Certification website at https://www.foreignlaborcert.doleta.gov/faqs_pdf.cfm.
Benefit applicants can now view their case status in Spanish through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements Program (SAVE) CaseCheck website.
SAVE CaseCheck is a free online service that lets benefit applicants follow the progress of their SAVE verification case. Applicants may enter document information such as their passport number and date of birth to securely check their case status.
SAVE CaseCheck:
EVUS is the online system used by nationals of China holding a 10-year B1/B2, B1 or B2 (visitor) visa periodically to update basic biographic information to facilitate their travel to the United States. In addition to a valid visa, such travelers will be required to complete an EVUS enrollment to be admitted into the United States.
USCIS has received a sufficient number of petitions to reach the numerical limit (the “cap”) of 12,998 workers who may be issued CNMI-Only Transitional Worker (CW-1) visas or otherwise provided with CW-1 status for fiscal year 2017. Oct. 14, 2016 was the final receipt date for CW-1 worker petitions requesting an employment start date before Oct. 1, 2017.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced a final rule published in the Federal Register adjusting the fees required for most immigration applications and petitions. The new fees will be effective Dec. 23.
cretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson has extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for eligible nationals of Nepal (and those without nationality who last habitually resided in Nepal) for an additional 18 months, effective Dec. 25, 2016, through June 24, 2018.
USCIS posted an updated edition of Form I-864P, Poverty Guidelines, to their website. The new edition is dated 03/01/16, and previous editions should not be used.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is now accepting applications for two funding opportunities under the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program. These are competitive grant opportunities for organizations that prepare permanent residents for naturalization and promote civic integration through increased knowledge of English, U.S. history and civics. The two programs will provide up to $10 million in grants for citizenship preparation programs in communities across the country. Applications are due by April 22.
USCIS recently began transferring certain cases from the Vermont Service Center to the Texas Service Center to balance workloads. The affected casework includes Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, filed by an asylum applicant with a pending asylum application filed on or after January 4, 1995. The eligibility category for the application is (c)(8).
How You Will Be Affected If USCIS Transfers Your Case
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will publish a final rule Friday, March 11, 2016, to strengthen and enhance the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program for international students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
On February 26, 2015, USCIS hosted a teleconference about new regulatory changes, effective May 26, 2015, that extended eligibility for employment authorization to certain H-4 dependent spouses of certain H-1B nonimmigrants wh
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposes to amend F-1 nonimmigrant student visa regulations on optional practical training (OPT) for certain students with degrees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) from U.S. institutions of higher education. Specifically, the proposal would allow such F-1 STEM students who have elected to pursue 12 months of OPT in the United States to extend the OPT period by 24 months (STEM OPT extension). This 24-month extension would effectively replace the 17-month STEM OPT extension currently available to certain STEM students.
Are you seeking to adjust your status and become a U.S. permanent resident under a family-sponsored or employment-based preference immigrant visa?
On April 1, 2016, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin accepting H-1B petitions subject to the fiscal year (FY) 2017 cap. U.S. businesses use the H-1B program to employ foreign workers in occupations that require highly specialized knowledge in fields such as science, engineering and computer programming.
The congressionally mandated cap on H-1B visas for FY 2017 is 65,000. The first 20,000 H-1B petitions filed for individuals with a U.S. master’s degree or higher are exempt from the 65,000 cap.
On March 1, USCIS began transferring certain cases to the Potomac Service Center (PSC) from other service centers to balance workloads. The affected casework includes Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, filed by F-1 and M-1 students seeking Optional Practical Training (OPT) and J-1 dependents.
USCIS has received a sufficient number of petitions to reach the congressionally mandated H-2B cap for the
DHS extended the designations of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for an additional six months. Although there have been significant improvements in the conditions in all three countries since their designations for TPS in November 2014, the lingering effects of the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak and continued recovery challenges support this six-month extension. The extended designation is effective May 22, 2016, through Nov. 21, 2016.
The STEM Designated Degree Program list is a complete list of fields of study DHS considers to be science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) fields of study for purposes of the 24-month STEM optional practical training extension described at 8 CFR 214.2(f). Under 8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)(ii)(C)(2), a STEM field of study is a field of study “included in the Department of Education’s Classification of Instructional Programs taxonomy within the two-digit series containing engineering, biological sciences, mathematics, and physical sciences, or a related field.