USCIS Uses Secure Laminates on Certain Forms

From USCIS: On Oct. 5, 2015, USCIS began applying secure laminates to certain secure forms that authorize travel to the United States.

The affected forms are:

• Form I-797F, Transportation Letter, and
• Form I-512L, Parole Authorization Letter.  

The secure, transparent laminates provide an extra layer of fraud protection and authenticity. They contain state-of-the-art technology to deter counterfeiting, prevent tampering and allow for quick and accurate authentication by frontline inspectors in the field.

H-1B, L-1 Additional Fees Expire

From USCIS: H-1B and L-1 petitions filed on or after Oct. 1, 2015, should not include the additional fee that was previously required by Section 402 of Public Law 111-230, as amended by Public Law 111-347, for certain H-1B and L-1 petitions.

The additional fee required by Public Law 111-230, as amended, expired on Sept. 30, 2015.

All other H-1B and L-1 fees, including the Base fee, Fraud Prevention and Detection Fee, and American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 (ACWIA) Fee when applicable, are still required.

Petitions with incorrect fees may be rejected. Petitioners are reminded that USCIS prefers separate checks for each filing fee.

DHS to Create Filipino WWII Veterans Parole Program

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is creating a parole program to allow certain family members of Filipino and Filipino-American World War II veterans to receive parole to come to the United States.

This parole program was announced in November 2014 by President Obama and Secretary Johnson as part of the executive actions on immigration and is detailed in the White House report, Modernizing and Streamlining Our Legal Immigration System for the 21^st century, issued in July 2015.  The program may enable these eligible family members to provide support and care to their aging veteran family members who are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.

Parole, as provided for under the Immigration and Nationality Act, gives DHS discretion, on a case-by-case basis, to permit individuals to come to the United States for a temporary period of time based upon urgent humanitarian reasons or for significant public benefit. Parole does not give the individual any permanent right to remain in the United States. 

Revised International Office Pages Now Available

From USCIS: USCIS published revised versions of its 25 international offices pages on USCIS.gov. The International Operations Division of USCIS made changes to the pages to improve functionality, navigation and customer focus.

The new Web pages feature:

• Increased use of links back to main USCIS pages (e.g., the main Forms page), which helps standardize information across the pages.  Updates will then be centralized, which will lead to more accurate information. 
• Ability to expand menu items for easy access to  information on what services are available. This navigation allows customers to more clearly see who may receive what services abroad.
• Improved graphics, including incorporation of icons and pictures, for a more user-friendly experience.
• Hyperlinks embedded throughout the Web page (previously we referenced links in the right rail) to streamline page navigation.

I-140 And I-485 Workload Transfers

From USCIS: To improve efficiency, USCIS recently rebalanced the workload distribution of certain Form I-140 petitions and employment-based Form I-485 applications between the Texas Service Center and the Nebraska Service Center.

Unless you are submitting a Form I-907 together with a Form I-140 petition for a worksite in one of the states listed below, please continue to file your forms as indicated on the form instructions and at:

• Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-140  
• Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-485

 

New Direct Filing Address for Certain Form I-140 Petitions Starting October 19, 2015

We are changing the direct filing address for Form I-140 petitions, submitted together with Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing, with a worksite location in any of the following states:

• Maryland
• New Jersey
• New York
• Pennsylvania

Starting October 19, 2015, you must file these forms with the Nebraska Service Center at the appropriate address listed below:

Regular Mail: Premium Processing USCIS Nebraska Service Center P.O. Box 87103   Lincoln, NE 68501-7103

Express Delivery: Premium Processing USCIS Nebraska Service Center 850 S. Street Lincoln, NE 68508

Note: If you are filing Form I-907 to upgrade a pending Form I-140 to premium processing, mail the Form I-907 to the service center that has the pending Form I-140.

 

How to Track the Status of Your Case

Enter your receipt number at Case Status Online to check the status of your case. You can also sign up to receive automatic case status updates by email.

You can ask us about the status of your case if you do not receive a decision within the published processing time. You may submit an inquiry using e-Request or call the National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283. For TDD, call 1-800-767-1833. When asking about your case status, tell us your original receipt number and indicate whether your case was transferred to a new location.

If we send you any notice (such as a Request for Evidence), please read the notice carefully and follow the instructions.

If you move while your case is pending, you must inform us of your new address as soon as possible so that you continue to receive notifications. You can update your address online or by calling the National Customer Service Center.

DOS Publishes Updated Visa Bulletin for October 2015

From USCIS: Department of State (DOS) published an updated Visa Bulletin for October 2015. This bulletin supersedes the bulletin for October 2015 that was originally published on Sept. 9, 2015.

Following consultations with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Dates for Filing Applications for some categories in the Family-Sponsored and Employment-Based preferences have been adjusted to better reflect a timeframe justifying immediate action in the application process. The Dates for Filing Applications sections on pages 4 and 6, which have been adjusted, have been identified in bold type and highlighted.

Applicants should use the chart published by DOS on Sept. 25 when filing for adjustment of status. This chart has also been updated on uscis.gov. Please be advised that DHS will rely on this revised bulletin rather than the bulletin published on Sept. 9, 2015, when considering whether an individual is eligible to file his or her application for adjustment of status.

The Dates for Filing Applications chart is a part of the revised procedures for determining visa availability for applicants waiting to file for adjustment of status that USCIS announced on Sept. 9, 2015. Continue reading below for more information.

Background Information

USCIS, in coordination with Department of State (DOS), is revising the procedures for determining visa availability for applicants waiting to file for employment-based or family-sponsored preference adjustment of status. The revised process will better align with procedures DOS uses for foreign nationals who seek to become U.S. permanent residents by applying for immigrant visas at U.S. consulates and embassies abroad.

December 2015 Visa Bulletin Predictions

For November 2015 Visa Bulletin, please click here: http://blog.mygcvisa.com/2015/10/november-2015-visa-bulletin.html

Please see December 2015 Visa Bulletin Predictions below (for both Family Based and Employment Based):

Starting from October 2015 visa bulletin, DOS has decided to break its visa bulletin into two categories. The first category is "final action date" which is same as the previous visa bulletin. Dates in this category is when USCIS will start approving I-485 application.

The second category is "dates for filing visa application". The dates in this category is when applicants can start filing their I-485 application. This will be useful since applicant can file EAD application and after 180 days can change employer even if PD is not current.

The data below is for "final action date".

Quick Summary:

• EB1, EB4, EB 5: Current
• EB2 Rest Of World: Current
  EB2 China: 0-3+ months
  EB2 India: 0-2 months. Please see article 1. Also see article 2.
• EB3 (ROW, Mexico): 0-4 weeks. Please see article.
  EB3 China: 0-2+ months
  EB3 India: 1-2 weeks
  EB3 Philippines: 2-6+ weeks. Please see article.
• FB categories: 1 to 12 weeks Please see article.
• F2A: 3-6 weeks. Please see article.

Family Based:

Family-Sponsored	All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed	CHINA- mainland born	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
F1	01APR08	01APR08	01APR08	08DEC94	01DEC02
F2A	22JUN14	22JUN14	22JUN14	08MAY14	22JUN14
F2B	08MAR09	08MAR09	08MAR09	22SEP95	01DEC04
F3	08JUL04	08JUL04	08JUL04	22JUN94	15OCT93
F4	01APR03	01APR03	01APR03	08APR97	15JUL92

Employment Based:

November 2015 Visa Bulletin Analysis

For November 2015 Visa Bulletin, please click here: http://blog.mygcvisa.com/2015/10/november-2015-visa-bulletin.html

Please see below analysis of November 2015 Visa Bulletin:

Starting from October 2015 visa bulletin, DOS has decided to break its visa bulletin into two categories. The first category is "final action date" which is same as the previous visa bulletin. Dates in this category is when USCIS will start approving I-485 application.

The second category is "dates for filing visa application". The dates in this category is when applicants can start filing their I-485 application. This will be useful since applicant can file EAD application and after 180 days can change employer even if PD is not current.

EB1: All EB1 categories are current and should continue to remain current for fiscal year. Demand continues to be around 1050 every month (per the latest pending inventory).

EB2 ROW: This category continues to remain current. Per the latest report, demand in EB2ROW has increased significantly (11,000+ for year 2014 alone). However, since it can get spillover from EB4, EB5 and EB1 categories, this category is expected to remain current for FY 2016.

EB2 China: EB2 China had a relatively small one month forward movement. In previous bulletin,  it moved forward by 6 years after retrogressing by nearly 8 years in earlier visa bulletin. It is likely to continue to move forward in the next few months.

EB2 India: EB2 India had a big jump in this visa bulletin. It moved forward by 15 months after  retrogressing by 7 months in previous visa bulletin. Currently EB2 India has demand from two categories: there are applicants in EB2 who have not yet filed their application as well as applicants who will be porting from EB3 India to EB2 India.

November 2015 Visa Bulletin

For October 2015 Visa Bulletin, please click here: http://blog.mygcvisa.com/2015/09/october-2015-visa-bulletin.html

November 2015 Visa Bulletin has been released (valid from November 1 to November 30 only). Please see below for more details.

Family Based:

Family-Sponsored	All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed	CHINA-mainland born	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
F1	22FEB08	22FEB08	22FEB08	01DEC94	01JUN02
F2A	15MAY14	15MAY14	15MAY14	01APR14	15MAY14
F2B	08FEB09	08FEB09	08FEB09	22AUG95	01NOV04
F3	15JUN04	15JUN04	15JUN04	15JUN94	08OCT93
F4	01MAR03	01MAR03	01MAR03	01APR97	15JUN92

Employment Based:

USCIS Launches Spanish-Language myE-Verify and Expands Services

From USCIS: USCIS announced the launch of a Spanish-language myE-Verify, plus the addition of Case Tracker and Case History services to the English and Spanish myE-Verify websites. myE-Verify is a one-stop shop for employees and job seekers to access features for identity protection in E-Verify and visibility into the E-Verify process.

“Since its inception, myE-Verify has provided employees with valuable online tools and resources regarding the employment eligibility verification process,” said USCIS Director León Rodríguez. “We are delighted to rlease our myE-Verify services for our Spanish-language customers.”

myE-Verify gives U.S. workers and jobseekers a free and secure way to participate in the E-Verify process by accessing features dedicated to employees, including Self Lock, Self Check, Case History, Case Tracker and the Employee Rights Toolkit.

The new Spanish-language myE-Verify will also have the following services, which are currently  available on its English counterpart, launched in 2014:

• myE-Verify accounts – Employees and job seekers in the U.S. can set up free and secure personal accounts to manage the use of their information in E-Verify and Self Check.
• Self Lock – myE-Verify account holders can lock their Social Security numbers in E-Verify to prevent others from using their identities in E-Verify.
• Self Check – Individuals can confirm their own employment eligibility by checking databases that E-Verify queries.
• Resource Center – This section of the myE-Verify site contains information in multimedia formats to educate employees about their rights and the responsibilities of employers in the eligibility verification process.