Thursday, August 31, 2017

USCIS Alerts Those Affected by Hurricane Harvey to Available Immigration Services

From USCIS Alerts:

USCIS offers immigration services that may help people affected by unforeseen circumstances, including disasters such as Hurricane Harvey.

The following measures may be available on a case-by-case basis upon request:

  • Changing a nonimmigrant status or extending a nonimmigrant stay for an individual currently in the United States. Failure to apply for the extension or change before expiration of your authorized period of admission may be excused if the delay was due to extraordinary circumstances beyond your control;
  • Re-parole of individuals previously granted parole by USCIS;
  • Expedited processing of advance parole requests;
  • Expedited adjudication of requests for off-campus employment authorization for F-1 students experiencing severe economic hardship;
  • Expedited adjudication of employment auth


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Wednesday, August 30, 2017

USCIS to Expand In-Person Interview Requirements for Certain Permanent Residency Applicants

From USCIS News:

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin expanding in-person interviews for certain immigration benefit applicants whose benefit, if granted, would allow them to permanently reside in the United States. This change complies with Executive Order 13780, “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States,” and is part of the agency’s comprehensive strategy to further improve the detection and prevention of fraud and further enhance the integrity of the immigration system.
 
Effective Oct. 1, USCIS will begin to phase-in interviews for the following:
 
• Adjustment of status applications based on employment (Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status).
 
• Refugee/asylee relative petitions (Form I-730, Refugee/Asy



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Tuesday, August 29, 2017

New Legislation Increases Availability of Visas for CNMI Workers for Fiscal Year 2017

From USCIS News:

WASHINGTON – On Aug. 22, 2017, President Trump signed the Northern Mariana Islands Economic Expansion Act, H.R. 339, revising the visa classification for Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Transitional Workers. This visa classification, referred to as the CW-1 visa, allows employers within the CNMI to apply for permission to employ foreign (nonimmigrant) workers who are otherwise ineligible to work under other nonimmigrant worker categories.

The legislation added 350 CW-1 visas to the fiscal year (FY) 2017 CW-1 cap, raising the total number of visas that may be issued from 12,998 to 13,348. The additional 350 visas are immediately and exclusively availabl



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Monday, August 14, 2017

USCIS Investigation Results in Guilty Plea from Former Airline Staffing Executive

From USCIS News:

LOS ANGELES—Thanks to the investigative efforts of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Eleno Quinteros Jr., the former vice president of operations for two airline mechanicstaffing companies, plead guilty yesterday to charges of making false statements in support of lawful permanent resident petitions for dozens of the companies’ mechanics.

“U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has zero tolerance for those who try to fraudulently misuse our country’s lawful immigration system,” said Susan Curda, director of the USCIS Los Angeles District. “We are proud of our role in uncovering this scheme and bringing the perpetrator to justice.”

Quinteros admitted he falsely certified that he had received no payments, when in fact he had demanded and collected hundreds of thousands of dollars



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Visa Bulletin October 2017 Predictions

For the official September 2017 Visa Bulletin, please click here: http://www.mygcvisa.com/visa-bulletin/2017/visa-bulletin-september-2017.aspx

Please see October 2017 Visa Bulletin Predictions below (for both Family Based and Employment Based):

Family Based:
Final Action Dates
Dates For Filing Applications
"Final Action Date" is the date when when USCIS/DOS may render their final decision on submitted applications. Your priority date should be before this date.
Family-
Sponsored 
All Chargeability 
Areas Except
Those Listed
CHINA-mainland 
born
INDIAMEXICOPHILIPPINES
F122MAY1022MAY1022MAY1001MAR9615FEB07
F2A01NOV1501NOV1501NOV1522OCT1501NOV15
F2B22NOV1022NOV1022NOV1022JUL9601FEB07
F301AUG0501AUG0501AUG0522APR9508MAR95
F422JAN0222JAN0201FEB0201OCT9708JUL94
"Date for Filing Application" is the date when you can submit I-485/NVC applications to USCIS/DOS. Your priority date should be before this date.
Family-
Sponsored 
All Chargeability 
Areas Except
Those Listed
CHINA-mainland 
born
INDIAMEXICOPHILIPPINES
F108SEP1108SEP1108SEP1101MAY9601NOV07
F2A22APR1622APR1622APR1622APR1622APR16
F2B15SEP1115SEP1115SEP1122AUG9601SEP07
F308DEC0508DEC0508DEC0508MAY9522MAR95
F401DEC0401DEC0415JUL0401FEB9801APR95



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Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Visa Bulletin September 2017

For August 2017 Visa Bulletin, please click here: http://www.mygcvisa.com/visa-bulletin/2017/visa-bulletin-august-2017.aspx

September 2017 Visa Bulletin has been officially released (valid from September 1 to September 30 only). Please see below for more details.

Family Based:
Final Action Dates
Dates For Filing Applications
"Final Action Date" is the date when when USCIS/DOS may render their final decision on submitted applications. Your priority date should be before this date.
Family-
Sponsored 
All Chargeability 
Areas Except
Those Listed
CHINA-mainland 
born
INDIA MEXICO PHILIPPINES 
F1 01MAY10 01MAY10 01MAY10 01FEB96 01JAN07
F2A 01OCT15 01OCT15 01OCT15 22SEP15 01OCT15
F2B 01NOV10 01NOV10 01NOV10  01JUL96 01JAN07
F3 08JUL05 08JUL05 08JUL05 08APR95  15FEB95
F4 01JAN02 01JAN02 01JAN02 15SEP97 01JUN94
"Date for Filing Application" is the date when you can submit I-485/NVC applications to USCIS/DOS. Your priority date should be before this date.
Family-
Sponsored 
All Chargeability 
Areas Except
Those Listed
CHINA-
mainland 
born
INDIA MEXICO PHILIPPINES 
F1 22JUL11 22JUL11 22JUL11 01APR96 08SEP07
F2A 08APR16 08APR16 08APR16  08APR16  08APR16
F2B 01SEP11 01SEP11 01SEP11 08AUG96 22JUL07
F3 01DEC05 01DEC05 01DEC05 01MAY95 01MAR95
F4 15NOV04 15NOV04 22JUN04 08JAN98 08FEB95



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Monday, August 7, 2017

Customer Service Tools Outage

From USCIS Alerts:

USCIS will conduct system maintenance on Sunday, August 6, 2017, from 5 am to 6 pm (Eastern).

During this time, our online tools may be unavailable, including:

  • Check My Case Status
  • e-Request
  • Change of Address Online
  • Check Processing Times
  • Civil Surgeon Locator
  • FOIA Status Check
  • Office Locator
  • Forms by Mail


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Friday, August 4, 2017

Stamford Resident Admits to Operating Extensive Immigration Fraud Scheme

From USCIS News:

USCIS Assists in Investigation

HARTFORD, Conn.— Deirdre M. Daly, U.S. attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that David Nikolashvili, 52, a citizen of the Republic of Georgia residing in Stamford, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to engaging in an immigration fraud scheme.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Nikolashvili operated an immigration fraud scheme through which he obtained false immigration status from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for approximately 50 to 60 citizens of European countries. The foreign nationals paid Nikolashvili between $12,000 and $16,000 to arrange sham marriages with U.S. citizens in order to obtain immigration benefits. The U.S. citizens were paid to enter into the sham marriages.

Nikolashvili pleaded



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