Celebrating Independence Day 2018 with Naturalization Ceremonies

On July 4, we celebrate our nation’s 242^nd birthday and the day the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

USCIS marks Independence Day with naturalization ceremonies across the country. This year, we will welcome more than 14,000 new citizens in nearly 175 naturalization ceremonies between June 28 and July 10. A list of highlighted Independence Day-themed ceremonies is below.

We invite you to share your experiences and photos from naturalization ceremonies on social media, using the hashtags #newUScitizen and #4thofJuly. You can follow us on Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis), Facebook (/<a target='_bla

USCIS to Recall 800 Incorrectly Printed Employment Authorization Documents

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

Tools Outage

USCIS will conduct system maintenance on Thursday, June 21, 2018, from 9 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. (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

New Data Shows Criminal Arrest Histories of DACA Requestors

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released new data (PDF, 140 KB) regarding arrests and apprehensions among the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) requestor population. The data contains both criminal and civil information of those approved and denied under DACA. 

The findings are part of a continuous release of information by the agency to its website on both the DACA policy and its requestor population; including most recently, data regarding ages and education levels of DACA recipients. The new data relates to arrests and apprehensions, which do not necessarily result in actual convictions.

Among the fin

USCIS Efforts Lead to Prison Sentence for Fremont Business Owner over Role in Visa Fraud Conspiracy and Other Crimes

Release Date: June 15, 2018

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Thanks to the efforts of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Venkat Guntipally was sentenced to 30 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to commit several crimes including visa fraud, obstruction of justice, use of false documents and mail fraud.  

A federal grand jury indicted Venkat Guntipally, 49, his wife, Sunitha Guntipally, 44, of Fremont, and two other defendants, Pratap “Bob” Kondamoori, 56, of Incline Village, Nev., and Sandhya Ramireddi, 58, of Pleasanton, in a 33-count indictment filed May 5, 2016.  The indictment contains charges in connection with the submission of fraudulent applications for H-1B specialty-occupation work visas.

“USCIS is committed to combatting instances of fraud, abuse and other nefarious activities threatening t

Form I-751 Data Entry Delay at California Service Center

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

Update to Form I-797 Receipt Notices for Form I-751 and Form I-829

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.</

Visa Bulletin August 2018 Predictions

For official July 2018 Visa Bulletin and analysis, please click here: https://www.mygcvisa.com/visa-bulletin/2018/visa-bulletin-july-2018.aspx

Please see August 2018 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	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
F1	01MAY11	01MAY11	01MAY11	15SEP97	22JUL06
F2A	15JUL16	15JUL16	15JUL16	01JUL16	15JUL16
F2B	08SEP11	08SEP11	08SEP11	01APR97	08FEB07
F3	22MAY06	22MAY06	22MAY06	22DEC95	22APR95
F4	01DEC04	01DEC04	08APR04	01FEB98	22APR95

"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	01APR12	01APR12	01APR12	15NOV98	01MAR08
F2A	22JAN18	22JAN18	22JAN18	22JAN18	22JAN18
F2B	15JAN12	15JAN12	15JAN12	01JUL97	01JAN08
F3	15OCT06	15OCT06	15OCT06	22JAN99	15AUG95
F4	15MAY05	15MAY05	15JAN05	15JUN98	22DEC95

USCIS Completes Lottery for Temporary Increase in FY 2018 H-2B Cap

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

USCIS Helps Get Conviction in Asylum Fraud

Release Date: June 7, 2018

PHOENIX— U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) played an integral part in yesterday’s sentencing of Ali Vahdani Pour. 

Pour, a 28 –year- old national of Iran, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas Rayes to 137 days in prison. He had pled guilty to lying under oath in an immigration matter.

In the plea agreement, Pour admitted having lied on his asylum application.  Specifically, Pour admitted he falsely denied having served in the Iranian military and falsely denied having received refugee status in Italy, before seeking asylum in the United States.

“Making false staments to support your claim for asylum in the U.S. will not be tolerated,” said USCIS Los Angeles Asylum Director David Radel.

The investigation in this case was conducted by U.S. Immigra

Visa Bulletin July 2018 Special Notes

For the official July 2018 Visa Bulletin and analysis, please click here: https://www.mygcvisa.com/visa-bulletin/2018/visa-bulletin-july-2018.aspx

Apart from posting current dates, State Department has also added special notes to Visa Bulletin mentioned above. Please see full details below:

D. SPECIAL IMMIGRANT (SI) TRANSLATOR CATEGORY VISA AVAILABILITY

Given the limited availability of visa numbers and the existing demand, the Department expects to reach the FY-2018 annual limit of 50 Special Immigrant Visas in the SI category early this year. As a result, it has been necessary to maintain a July Final Action Date of April 22, 2012. It is likely that number use will require the SI category to become "unavailable" in the coming months. Once the annual limit of 50 visas is reached, further issuances in the SI category will not be possible until October 2018, under the FY-2019 annual limit. The SQ Special Immigrant Visa category for certain Iraqi and Afghan nationals employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government in Iraq or Afghanistan is not affected and remains current.

E. RETROGRESSION OF JULY EMPLOYMENT-BASED FINAL ACTION DATES

Visa Bulletin July 2018

For June 2018 Visa Bulletin, please click here: https://www.mygcvisa.com/visa-bulletin/2018/visa-bulletin-june-2018.aspx

For analysis of July 2018 Visa Bulletin, please click here: https://www.mygcvisa.com/visa-bulletin/2018/visa-bulletin-analysis-july-2018.aspx

July 2018 Visa Bulletin has been officially released (valid from July 1 to July 31 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	22APR11	22APR11	22APR11	01AUG97	01JUN06
F2A	22JUN16	22JUN16	22JUN16	08JUN16	22JUN16
F2B	15AUG11	15AUG11	15AUG11	08MAR97	01FEB07
F3	01MAY06	01MAY06	01MAY06	01DEC95	15APR95
F4	15NOV04	15NOV04	22MAR04	15JAN98	22MAR95

"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	08MAR12	08MAR12	08MAR12	01SEP98	15FEB08
F2A	01DEC17	01DEC17	01DEC17	01DEC17	01DEC17
F2B	08JAN12	08JAN12	08JAN12	08JUN97	15DEC07
F3	22SEP06	22SEP06	22SEP06	08OCT98	01AUG95
F4	01MAY05	01MAY05	01JAN05	01JUN98	01DEC95

USCIS Efforts Lead to Sentencing of Florida Woman for Obtaining U.S. Citizenship by Fraud and False Statements

Release Date: June 5, 2018

Tampa, Fla. – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) assisted in an investigation that led to U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington sentencing Enite Alindor, also known as Odette Dureland, to five months in federal prison. The 55-year-old woman was sentenced for making false statements in a matter relating to naturalization and citizenship and for procuring naturalization as a U.S. citizen. As part of her sentence, the court also entered an order de-naturalizing her, thus revoking her July 2012 naturalization as a U.S. citizen. A federal jury had found her guilty on March 1, 2018.

According to court documents, Alindor, a citizen of Haiti, applied for asylum with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) in Miami in 1997. After the INS denied that application, the United States Immigration Cou

USCIS to Conduct Lottery for Temporary Increase in FY 2018 H-2B Cap

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 a

Re-Registration Period Now Open for Hondurans with Temporary Protected Status

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, and Aug. 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 als

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 r

SAVE Goes Completely Paperless

 

WASHINGTON—Starting June 1, benefit-granting agencies using U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) SAVE (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements) Program can no longer submit paper versions of Form G-845, Verification Request. Previously, agencies submitted paper forms to request immigration status verification and for additional verification requests. Now all agencies must submit their requests and institute additional verification electronically, drastically reducing case processing time.   

SAVE provides a fast, secure and efficient se

Grand Rapids Man Sentenced For Felon Firearm Possession and Falsely Attesting U.S. Citizenship

Release Date: May 31, 2018

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced today that Franklin J. Flores, 42, most recently of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was sentenced to two concurrent terms of 24 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Janet T. Neff, concurrent to his current State of Michigan sentence of 18 to 60 months for identity theft. Flores pleaded guilty pursuant to a plea agreement to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and one count of falsely attesting U.S. Citizenship on a Form I-130 Petition for Alien Relative and submitting that form to the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services with the intent to obtain benefit for another person.

The investigation began with reports by a New Mexico man that Flores had stolen his identity. On January

Tools Outage

From USCIS News:

USCIS will conduct system maintenance on Sunday, June 3, 2018, from 5 a.m. until 6 p.m. (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

We apologize for any inconvenience

USCIS to Implement Online Processing of FOIA Requests

From USCIS News:

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced the launch of our Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Immigration Records SysTem (FIRST), which will eventually allow users to submit, manage, and receive FOIA requests entirely online. Before this change, USCIS only accepted FOIA requests by mail, fax, and email, and requestors typically received their documents on a compact disc by mail.

USCIS is commencing FIRST’s digital delivery of services in phases. Initially, requestors who have an immigration court date pending and file a request for documents can create an account within myUSCIS to receive documents digitally, eliminating the time and expense associated with receiving requests by mail.

Through their account, requestors can track the status of their FOIA cases and

DHS Announces Additional Visas for Foreign Workers to Assist American Businesses at Risk of Failing

From USCIS News:

Release Date: May 25, 2018

WASHINGTON — Today, Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen announced that an additional 15,000 H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas will be available for Fiscal Year 2018. In this determination, Secretary Nielsen determined there are not sufficient, qualified, U.S. workers available to perform temporary non-agriculture labor to satisfy the needs of American businesses in FY18. This allocation is in addition to the 66,000 visas already issued this year. Secretary Nielsen made this decision after consulting with Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta, members of Congress, and business owners.

“The limitations on H-2B visas were originally meant to protect American workers, but when we enter a situation where the program unintentionally harms American businesses

USCIS Expands Online Filing

From USCIS News:

WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that Form N-565, Application for Replacement of Naturalization/Citizenship Document, and Form N-336, Request for a Hearing on a Decision in Naturalization Proceedings (Under Section 336 of the INA), can be filed online.

Applicants use Form N-565 to replace a naturalization certificate, certificate of citizenship, or a repatriation certificate. They may also use it to apply for a special certificate of naturalization as a U.S. citizen to be recognized by a foreign country. Applicants use Form N-336 to request a hearing before an immigration officer if we have denied their application for naturalization.

“USCIS is making the process of applying for immigration benefits more efficient, secure and convenient,” said USCIS D

DHS Proposes to Remove the International Entrepreneur Rule

From USCIS News:

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is proposing a rule to end a program that allows certain foreign entrepreneurs to be considered for parole to temporarily come to the United States to develop and build start-up businesses here, known as the International Entrepreneur Rule (IE Final Rule). 

 In July 2017, DHS published a final rule to delay the implementation date of the IE Final Rule to March 14, 2018, to give the Department time to draft a rescission of the IE Final Rule. However, in December 2017, a federal court vacated the delay rule, req

USCIS Efforts Lead to Sentencing in Immigration Fraud Case in the CNMI

From USCIS News:

Sentencing Related to CW Applications for Foreign Workers

SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands – This week, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) efforts led to the sentencing of Arlene Hart for two counts of mail fraud. The defendant was sentenced for her participation in a scheme to defraud the government by submitting fraudulent documents to the USCIS California Service Center (CSC) in support of CNMI-Only Transitional Worker (CW-1) applications for workers from the Philippines. 

Hart forged the signatures of the workers on the employment contracts submitted to USCIS and declared that she had non-temporary, full-time employment for the workers, which was not true. 

“I’m immensely proud of our combined team of experts who aided in bringing these