Saturday, June 30, 2018
Friday, June 29, 2018
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
USCIS Form I-907, G-845 Updates
Good afternoon,
We recently updated the following USCIS form(s):
06/27/2018 12:00 AM EDT
Update to Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service; New Edition Dated 06/26/18
06/26/2018 12:00 AM EDT
Update to Form G-845, Verification Request; New Edition Dated 05/29/18
06/26/2018 12:00 AM EDT
Update to Form G-845 Supplement, Document Verification Request Supplement; New Edition Dated 05/29/18
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Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Temporary Protected Status for Honduras Ending on Jan. 5, 2020
From USCIS:
Dear Stakeholder,
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) invites you to participate in a stakeholder teleconference on July 10, from 2 to 2:45 p.m. Eastern about Honduras’ Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation ending on Jan. 5, 2020.
During this teleconference, USCIS officials will provide an overview of the information provided in the Federal Register notice, including re-registration and employment authorization document (EAD) application procedures. USCIS officials will also respond to your questions.
We encourage you to submit questions in advance. To do so, email public.engagement@uscis.dhs.
Please note that we will only be able to answer non case-specific questions.
To request a disability accommodation to participate in the teleconference, please write to the email address above by July 5 at 4 p.m. Eastern.
To Join the Teleconference:
On July 10, please use the information below to join the teleconference. We recommend calling in 10 to 15 minutes early.
Toll-Free (inside the U.S.): 888-469-1601
Toll (outside the U.S.): 1-517-308-9189
Passcode (for both numbers): 3904844
Background
On May 4, 2018, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the termination of Honduras’ TPS designation, with an effective date delayed by 18 months to allow for an orderly transition. DHS determined that termination of Honduras’ TPS designation is required under the Immigration and Nationality Act. In making this decision, DHS took into consideration information on current conditions in Honduras provided by U.S. government agencies.
Note to Media: This engagement is not for press purposes. Please contact the USCIS Press Office at 202-272-1200 for any media inquiries.
We look forward to your participation!
Temporary Protected Status for Nepal Ending on June 24, 2019
From USCIS:
Dear Stakeholder,
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) invites you to participate in a stakeholder teleconference on July 10, from 1 to 1:45 p.m. Eastern about Nepal’s Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation ending on June 24, 2019.
During this teleconference, USCIS officials will provide an overview of the information provided in the Federal Register notice, including re-registration and employment authorization document (EAD) application procedures. USCIS officials will also respond to your questions.
We encourage you to submit questions in advance. To do so, email public.engagement@uscis.dhs.
Please note that we will only be able to answer non case-specific questions.
To request a disability accommodation to participate in the teleconference, please write to the email address above by July 5 at 4 p.m. Eastern.
To Join the Teleconference:
On July 10, please use the information below to join the teleconference. We recommend calling in 10 to 15 minutes early.
Toll-Free (inside the U.S.): 888-995-9858
Toll (outside the U.S.): 1-517-308-9166
Passcode (for both numbers): 4141645
Background
On April 26, 2018, the Department of Homeland Security announced the termination of Nepal’s TPS designation, with an effective date delayed by 12 months to allow for an orderly transition. DHS determined that termination of Nepal’s TPS designation is appropriate pursuant to the Immigration and Nationality Act. In making this decision, DHS took into consideration information on current conditions in Nepal provided by U.S. government agencies.
Note to Media: This engagement is not for press purposes. Please contact the USCIS Press Office at 202-272-1200 for any media inquiries.
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Sunday, June 24, 2018
Saturday, June 23, 2018
Thursday, June 21, 2018
USCIS to Recall 800 Incorrectly Printed Employment Authorization Documents
From USCIS:
| On June 21, 2018, USCIS will begin recalling approximately 800 Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) that were issued in conjunction with Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal, which were granted by USCIS asylum officers. The cards contain a production error that transposed the first and last names of the individuals receiving the EADs. These cards were mailed to recipients in April and May 2018. USCIS will send notices to individuals who received the incorrect EADs, as well as to their attorneys or accredited representatives, if a G-28 was submitted with the corresponding Form I-589. The affected individuals should return their incorrect EADs to USCIS in the provided pre-paid envelope within 20 days of receiving the notice. Recipients may also return their EADs to a USCIS field office. Replacement EADs will be sent within 15 days of receiving the incorrect card. The recall does not affect these individuals’ employment authorization since they are authorized for employment without needing an EAD. Affected recipients’ Form I-94 showing that they were granted asylum is also evidence that they are authorized to be employed. If affected individuals need proof of their employment authorization, they may reach out to the USCIS Contact Center. To learn more, visit our website. |
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
Monday, June 18, 2018
Sunday, June 17, 2018
Saturday, June 16, 2018
Thursday, June 14, 2018
USCIS Form I-910 Update Notice
| Good afternoon, We recently updated the following USCIS form(s):
06/13/2018 12:00 AM EDT
Update to Form I-910, Application for Civil Surgeon Designation; New Edition Dated 05/29/18
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Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Form I-751 Data Entry Delay at California Service Center
From USCIS:
USCIS’ California Service Center (CSC) is experiencing a delay in initial data entry for Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence. Since initial data entry has to be completed before a receipt notice can be issued, some petitioners and their dependents may experience a delay in receiving a receipt notice for a Form I-751 submitted to the CSC.
If you submitted a Form I-751 to the CSC in May 2018 and you have not received a receipt notice, do not file a duplicate Form I-751 unless you have received a rejection notice or have been instructed to do so by the CSC.
The CSC is working to complete data entry of these petitions by the end of June 2018, and will issue another web alert once initial data entry has returned to normal. Petitioners will receive a receipt notice once their data is entered into USCIS systems.
If your 2-year green card has expired, you should call the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283 (TTY for people with hearing or speech disabilities: 1-800-767-1833). The USCIS Contact Center will setup an appointment for you and any eligible dependents at your local field office. If possible, bring evidence that you sent your Form I-751 via USPS or courier service, such as FedEx.
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Update to Form I-797 Receipt Notices for Form I-751 and Form I-829
From USCIS:
| As of June 11, 2018, petitioners who file Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, or Form I-829, Petition by Entrepreneur to Remove Conditions on Permanent Resident Status, will receive a Form I-797 receipt notice that can be presented with their Form I-551, Permanent Resident Card, as evidence of continued status for 18 months past the expiration date on their Permanent Resident Card. We are making the change from 12 to 18 months because current processing times for Form I-751 and Form I-829 have increased over the past year. Additionally, we will issue new Form I-797 receipt notices to eligible conditional permanent residents whose Form I-751 or I-829 was still pending as of June 11, 2018. Those Form I-797 receipt notices will also serve as evidence of continued status for 18 months past the expiration date on petitioner’s Permanent Resident Card. As a reminder, conditional permanent residents who plan to be outside of the United States for a year or more should apply for a reentry permit by filing Form I-131, Application for Travel Document, before leaving the country. Read more information on our Green Card webpage. To learn more, visit our website. |
Monday, June 11, 2018
USCIS Completes Lottery for Temporary Increase in FY 2018 H-2B Cap
From USCIS:
On May 31, 2018, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began receiving H-2B petitions under the temporary final rule increasing the numerical limit, or cap, on H-2B nonimmigrant visas by up to 15,000 additional visas through the end of fiscal year (FY) 2018.
In the first five business days of filing, USCIS received petitions for more beneficiaries than the number of H-2B visas available under the FY 2018 supplemental cap. Accordingly, regulations required USCIS to use a computer-generated selection process, commonly known as a lottery, to randomly select enough petitions to meet, but not exceed, the increased H-2B cap for FY 2018. USCIS ran this lottery on June 7, 2018, and on June 11, 2018, began issuing notifications to the petitioners that were selected.
USCIS will reject and return unselected petitions with their filing fees, as well as any cap-subject petitions received after June 6, 2018.
Petitions accepted for processing will have a receipt date of June 11, 2018. Premium processing service for these petitions begins on that receipt date.
Only employers whose petitions were accepted will receive receipt notices.
A petition may be denied if USCIS discovers, after a petition has been filed, that an original approved temporary labor certification (TLC) was not submitted with the petition in accordance with the Form I-129 instructions, or if a petitioner requests more workers than were certified on the TLC. USCIS will not refund fees for a petition that has been denied.
USCIS continues to accept H-2B petitions that are exempt from, or not counted towards, the cap. These include petitions for:
- Current H-2B workers in the United States seeking to extend their stay and, if applicable, change the terms of their employment or change their employers;
- Fish roe processors, fish roe technicians, or supervisors of fish roe processing; and
- Workers performing labor or services in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and/or Guam, until Dec. 31, 2019.
U.S. businesses use the H-2B program to employ foreign workers for temporary nonagricultural jobs. Congress has set the H-2B cap at 66,000 per fiscal year, with 33,000 for workers who begin employment in the first half of the fiscal year (Oct. 1 – March 31) and 33,000 for workers who begin employment in the second half of the fiscal year (April 1 – Sept. 30).
The 15,000 additional visas for FY 2018 are available only to American businesses which, among other requirements, attest that they will likely suffer irreparable harm without the ability to employ all the H-2B workers requested in their petition.
Additional information is available at Cap Count for H-2B Nonimmigrants.
Sunday, June 10, 2018
Saturday, June 9, 2018
Friday, June 8, 2018
Thursday, June 7, 2018
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
USCIS to Conduct Lottery for Temporary Increase in FY 2018 H-2B Cap
From USCIS:
As previously announced, USCIS began accepting H-2B petitions on May 31, 2018, under the temporary final rule increasing the numerical limit, or cap, on H-2B nonimmigrant visas by up to 15,000 additional visas through the end of fiscal year (FY) 2018.
In the first five business days of filing, USCIS received petitions for more beneficiaries than the number of H-2B visas available under the FY 2018 supplemental cap. Accordingly, USCIS is required by regulation to use a computer-generated process, commonly known as a lottery, to randomly select the number of petitions required to meet the increased cap for FY 2018.The lottery will include all H-2B cap-subject petitions received between May 31, 2018 and June 6, 2018. USCIS will reject and return all unselected petitions with their filing fees, as well as any cap-subject petitions received after June 6. All selected petitions will be assigned the same receipt date once the lottery is complete. Premium processing service for accepted petitions will begin on that receipt date. USCIS will post another web alert once the lottery is completed. For more information about the H-2B program, see Cap Count for H-2B Nonimmigrants. |
Tuesday, June 5, 2018
USCIS Form I-694 Update Notice
From USCIS:
Good afternoon,
We recently updated the following USCIS form(s):
05/23/2018 12:00 AM EDT
Update to Form I-694, Notice of Appeal of Decision Under Sections 245A or 210 of the Immigration and Nationality Act; New Edition Dated 05/16/18
|
Re-Registration Period Now Open for Hondurans with Temporary Protected Status
From USCIS:
WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announces today that current beneficiaries of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) under Honduras’ designation who want to maintain their status through the effective termination date of Jan. 5, 2020, must re-register between June 5, 2018, andAug. 6, 2018.
Re-registration procedures, including how to renew employment authorization documents, have been published in the Federal Register and on uscis.gov/tps.
All applicants must submit Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status. Applicants may also request an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) by submitting a completed Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, at the time of filing Form I-821, or separately at a later date. Both forms are free for download on USCIS’ website at uscis.gov/tps.
USCIS will issue new EADs with a Jan. 5, 2020 expiration date to eligible Honduran TPS beneficiaries who timely re-register and apply for EADs. Given the time frames involved with processing TPS re-registration applications, however, USCIS recognizes that not all re-registrants will receive new EADs before their current EADs expire. Accordingly, USCIS has automatically extended the expiration date on EADs issued under the TPS designation of Honduras for 180 days, through Jan. 1, 2019. This automatic extension includes individuals who have EADs with an expiration date of Jan. 5, 2018, and who applied for a new EAD during the last re-registration period but have not yet received their new EADs.
On May 4, 2018, Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen announced her determination that the statutory conditions supporting Honduras’ TPS designation on the basis of an environmental disaster are no longer met. Secretary Nielsen made her decision to terminate TPS for Honduras after reviewing country conditions and consulting with appropriate U.S. government agencies. To allow time for an orderly transition, she delayed the effective date of the termination by 18 months from the current expiration date of July 5, 2018. As a result of the delayed effective date, Honduras’ TPS designation will end on Jan. 5, 2020.
Hondurans with TPS may wish to consult with qualified immigration attorneys or practitioners about their eligibility for another immigration status or benefit, or whether there is any other action they may want to take regarding their individual immigration circumstances.
For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis), Facebook (/uscis) and Facebook (/uscis).
- USCIS -
Monday, June 4, 2018
USCIS Redesigns Citizenship and Naturalization Certificates
High-Tech Features Create More Secure Documents
WASHINGTON — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began issuing redesigned Certificates of Citizenship and Naturalization today, following a successful pilot in four USCIS field offices and one service center. The redesign of these eight certificates is one of the many ways USCIS is working to combat fraud and safeguard the legal immigration system.
We piloted the new certificate design at the Norfolk, Tampa, Minneapolis-St. Paul, and Sacramento Field Offices, as well as at the Nebraska Service Center.
The certificates of naturalization are:
- N-550, issued to an individual who obtains U.S. citizenship through the naturalization process;
- N-578, issued to a naturalized U.S. citizen to obtain recognition as a United States citizen by a foreign state; and
- N-570, issued when the original Certificate of Naturalization is lost, mutilated, or contains errors.
A Certificate of Citizenship is issued to an individual who obtains U.S. citizenship other than through birth in the United States or through naturalization. The various types of Certificates of Citizenship are:
- N-560A, issued to an applicant who derived citizenship after birth;
- N-560AB, issued to an applicant who acquired citizenship at birth;
- N-645 and N-645A, issued to the family of an individual who served honorably in the U.S. armed forces during a designated period of hostility and died as a result of injury or disease incurred in or aggravated by that service. Form N-645 is issued if the decedent was a male, and the N-645A if the decedent was a female.
- Form N-561, issued to replace a Certificate of Citizenship when the original certificate is lost, mutilated, or contains errors.
The redesigned certificates of citizenship and naturalization feature a large, central image against a complex patterned background, which helps deter the alteration of personal data. Each certificate possesses a unique image only visible under ultraviolet light and attempts to alter it will be evident. Posthumous Certificates of Naturalization and the Special Certificate of Citizenship each bear a different image, yet feature the same fraud-deterrent security features.
Periodically changing the design and printing methods for these certificates helps USCIS stay a step ahead of counterfeiters.
Although the look and feel of the documents is new, the process of applying for and receiving them has not changed. Individuals do not need to renew their Certificates of Naturalization or Citizenship, regardless of when they were issued. The certificates we issued before the redesign will continue to be accepted as proof of citizenship.
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