USCIS Changes Look of Form I-797C
On April 2, 2012, USCIS will issue Form I-797C, Notice of Action, with a new look and feel. It will print the Form I-797C on plain bond paper. This change is estimated to save the agency about $1.1 million per year. This form change will help reduce public perception that the Form I-797C demonstrates evidence of an immigration benefit or status. The top of the new Form I-797C will clearly display: “THIS NOTICE DOES NOT GRANT ANY IMMIGRATION STATUS OR BENEFIT.” The following is a sample of how this disclaimer will appear on the Form...
read moreSyrian TPS Effective March 29, 2012
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that eligible Syrian nationals (and persons without nationality who last habitually resided in Syria) in the United States may apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Details and procedures for applying for TPS are provided in the Federal Register notice published today and are available atwww.uscis.gov/tps. On March 23, 2012, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano announced her intent to designate Syria for TPS for eighteen months. The TPS designation for Syria is...
read moreUSCIS To Begin Accepting New H-1B Cases on April 2, 2012
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will begin accepting H-1B petitions subject to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 cap on Monday April 2, 2012. The congressionally mandated numerical limitation on H-1B petitions for FY 2013 is 65,000. Additionally, the first 20,000 H-1B petitions filed on behalf of individuals who have earned a U.S. master’s degree or higher are exempt from the fiscal year cap. USCIS will monitor the number of petitions received and will notify the public of the date on which USCIS received the...
read moreTemporary Protected Status for Syrian Nationals
On March 23, 2012, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) head Janet Napolitano said the following in a Press Release: “In light of the deteriorating conditions in Syria, I am announcing that DHS will be designating Syria for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Syrians currently present in the United States. Conditions in Syria have worsened to the point where Syrian nationals already in the United States would face serious threats to their personal safety if they were to return to their home country. Early next week, the Department...
read moreDOS Predicts EB-2 Retrogression
This is from the American Immigration Lawyers Association: On March 16, 2012, at the AILA Midwest Regional Conference in Chicago, Charlie Oppenheim, Chief, Visa Control and Reporting at DOS, informed participants that he will likely retrogress India and China-mainland born Employment-Based Second Preference priority dates to around August 2007, effective with either the May or June 2012 Visa Bulletin. He also advised that he projects that all EB-1 visas available in FY2012 will be used this year, resulting in no “spilldown” to...
read moreDOS Releases April 2012 Visa Bulletin
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) released its April 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 April 2012 Visa Bulletin say? Employment-Based Category Two (EB-2): China – No change India – No change Employment-Based...
read moreSign 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 more
