Sign the Online Petition to Support HR 3012
H.R. 3012 – Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act aims at making the employment based visa system first-come first-serve. It will eliminate the per country limits on employment based immigrant visas and reduce the wait times for severely backlogged countries. Please support this bill by signing this online petition: Please Vote ‘Yes’ on HR3012 (http://www.petition2congress.com/5686/please-vote-yes-on-fairness-high-skilled-immigrants-act/) . Your support helps many of intending immigrants who have been waiting for...
read moreUSCIS Updates FAQs on Cap-Gap Extensions
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) updated its Frequently Asked Questions on the F-1 Cap-Gap extension. This applies to F-1 students who file an H-1B petition requesting an October 1, 2012 start date, but whose employment authorization (EAD) expires before that date. In specific situations, the Cap-Gap regulations automatically extend the F-1 student’s EAD until October 1, 2012. The following is text from the USCIS web site. Questions & Answers Q1. What is “Cap-Gap”? A1. Current regulations allow...
read moreUSCIS Expands E-Verify Self Check
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that Self Check, a free online service of E-Verify that allows workers to check their own employment eligibility status, is now available in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands. Self Check was developed through a partnership between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to provide individuals a tool to check their own employment eligibility...
read moreDOS Releases March 2012 Visa Bulletin
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) released its March 2012 Visa Bulletin. The Visa Bulletin sets forth per country priority dates that regulate the ability of an individual to file an adjustment of status application or consular process at a U.S. Embassy. Foreign nationals can file the adjustment application if their priority dates are prior to the cutoff dates specified by the DOS in the Visa Bulletin. What does the March 2012 Visa Bulletin say? Employment-Based Category Two (EB-2): China – advanced 4 months India – advanced 4...
read moreUSCIS Unable to Resume Adoption Processing from Vietnam
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced it cannot approve a Form I-800, Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative, filed on behalf of a child to be adopted from Vietnam. The Department of State (DOS) has determined that Vietnam has not proven capable of meeting its obligations under The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention). As a result, DOS consular officers cannot issue the required Hague Adoption Certificate or...
read moreU.S. Passport Card Online Application Now Available
On January 24, 2012, the Department of State’s Office of Passport Services will launch a 90-day pilot program allowing adult U.S. citizens living in the United States and Canada to apply for a passport card online. By applying online, customers will not be required to mail in their current passport book and necessary forms. To participate in this program, applicants must currently possess a valid 10-year U.S. passport book, upload an acceptable digital photograph and make an online payment in U.S. dollars via Pay.gov. Applications accepted...
read moreTPS Extended for El Salvador
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service has extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for eligible nationals of El Salvador for an additional 18 months, beginning March 10, 2012 and ending Sept. 9, 2013. Current Salvadoran TPS beneficiaries seeking to extend their TPS status must re-register during the 60-day re-registration period that runs through March 12, 2012. USCIS will accept applications filed January 9, 2012 through March 12, 2012. The 18-month extension also allows TPS re-registrants to apply for a new Employment...
read moreDOS Releases February 2012 Visa Bulletin
U.S. Department of State released the February 2012 Visa Bulletin. Here’s a breakdown of how things have changed since January 2012. Employment-Based Category Two (EB-2): China – advanced 1 year India – advanced 1 year Employment-Based Category Three (EB-3): All Other Chargeability Areas – advanced 21 days China – advanced 15 days India – advanced 7 days Philippines – advanced 21 days Mexico – advanced 21 days We are encouraged by the significant movement in the EB-2 category for India and China. In two months, EB-2...
read moreNew Proposal Will Help Illegal Relatives of U.S. Citizens
Obama administration officials announced that they are proposing a fix to a Catch-22 in immigration law that could spare hundreds of thousands of American citizens from prolonged separations from illegal immigrant spouses and children. Under current procedures, some illegal spouses of United States citizens (USCs) must return to their home countries and file for a I-601 waiver application in order to obtain permanent residency. Approval of the waiver is not guaranteed, and the process itself often requires the relative to remain in their...
read moreEB-2 Moves Forward to January 2009!
U.S. Department of State released the January 2012 Visa Bulletin. Here’s a breakdown of how things have changed since December 2011. Employment-Based Category Two (EB-2): China – advanced 9 1/2 months India – advanced 9 1/2 months Employment-Based Category Three (EB-3): All Other Chargeability Areas – advanced 1 month China – advanced 1 month and 7 days India – advanced 7 days Philippines – advanced 15 days Mexico – advanced 15 days We are encouraged by the significant movement in the EB-2 category for India and China....
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