USCIS announced on July 30, 2018, that it has returned all fiscal year 2019 H-1B cap-subject petitions that were not selected in the computer-generated random selection process.
USCIS previously announced on May 15, that it had completed data entry of all selected cap-subject petitions.
Policy Memorandum 602-0050.1, Updated Guidance for the Referral of Cases and Issuances of Notices to Appear (NTAs) in Cases Involving Inadmissible and Deportable Aliens, was issued on June 28, 2018 and instructed USCIS components to create or update operational guidance on NTAs and Referrals to ICE (RTIs), to be issued within 30 days of the Policy Memorandum. Issuance of the operational guidance is pending; therefore the implementation of PM 602-0050.1 is postponed until the operational guidance is issued.
Release Date: July 27, 2018
Orlando, Fla. – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) assisted in an investigation that led to a federal jury finding Valeriy Tsoy, a citizen of Kazakhstan, guilty of marriage fraud. The successful investigation also led to Zafar Bakhramovic Yadigarov, a citizen of Uzbekistan, pleaded guilty to marriage fraud and conspiracy to commit marriage fraud on July 23. Each faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. Tsoy’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 24, 2018. Yadigarov’s sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 10, 2018. Tsoy and Yadigarov were indicted on Aug. 30, 2017.
According to court documents, in October 2015, agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations worked with the Brevard County Clerk of the Court to inves
WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today it is now accepting applications for two funding opportunities under the Citizenship and Assimilation Grant Program that will provide up to $10 million in grants for citizenship preparation programs in communities across the country.
These competitive grant opportunities are for organizations that prepare lawful permanent residents for naturalization and promote civic assimilation through increased knowledge of English, U.S. history and civics.
USCIS seeks to expand availability of high-quality citizenship preparation services throughout the country with these two grant opportunities:
On July 24, 2018, President Trump signed the Northern Mariana Islands U.S. Workforce Act of 2018 (the Workforce Act), extending the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)-Only Transitional Worker program (the CW-1 program) through 2029 and increasing the CW-1 cap for fiscal year (FY) 2019. The CW-1 program allows employers within the CNMI to apply for permission to employ foreign (nonimmigrant) workers who are otherwise ineligible to work in the CNMI under other nonimmigrant worker categories.
Effective immediately, CW-1 employers must pay a mandatory $50 fraud prevention and detection fee with each petition, in addition to other current fees. USCIS will reject any petition received after July 24, 2018 that includes incorrect or insufficient fees. This new fr
We are introducing the second phase of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Immigration Records SysTem (FIRST), which will allow all FOIA requestors to track their requests through a USCIS online account and receive their documents digitally. During the first phase, requestors reported that they could easily login to their account and download their documents.
Phase two now allows all FOIA requestors to create a USCIS online account, track their cases, and receive their responses electronically.
Until this new system is fully operational, requestors must continue filing their FOIA requests through the current process (by mail, fax, or email). When fully implemented, FIRST will allow online submission, online case management, and digital delivery for all USCIS FOIA requests
USCIS will conduct system maintenance on Thursday, July 19, 2018, from 9 p.m. until 11:59 p.m. (Eastern).
During this time, our online tools may be unavailable, including:
If you are an attorney or accredited representative, you can now file Form N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document for your clients using your myUSCIS online account. There are no substantive changes to the content of the form.
Please see September 2018 Visa Bulletin Predictions below (for both Family Based and Employment Based):
| Family- Sponsored | All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed | CHINA-mainland born | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| F1 | 22MAY11 | 22MAY11 | 22MAY11 | 15SEP97 | 22SEP06 |
| F2A | 15AUG16 | 15AUG16 | 15AUG16 | 01AUG16 | 15AUG16 |
| F2B | 22NOV11 | 22NOV11 | 22NOV11 | 22APR97 | 22MAR07 |
| F3 | 15JUL06 | 15JUL06 | 15JUL06 | 22DEC95 | 08MAY95 |
| F4 | 08JAN05 | 08JAN05 | 08APR04 | 22JAN98 | 22MAY95 |
| 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 |
WASHINGTON - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today posted a policy memorandum (PDF, 113 KB) (PM) that provides guidance to USCIS adjudicators regarding their discretion to deny an application, petition, or request without first issuing a Request for Evidence (RFE) or Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID) when required initial evidence was not submitted or the evidence of record fails to establish eligibility.
This updated guidance is effective September 11, 2018 and applies to all applications, petitions, and requests, except for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) adjudications, received after that date. Due to preliminary injunctions issued by courts in California and N
For analysis of August 2018 Visa Bulletin, please click here: https://www.mygcvisa.com/visa-bulletin/2018/visa-bulletin-analysis-august-2018.aspx
August 2018 Visa Bulletin has been officially released (valid from August 1 to August 31 only). Please see below for more details.
| Family- Sponsored | All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed | CHINA-mainland born | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| F1 | 08MAY11 | 08MAY11 | 08MAY11 | 01AUG97 | 01AUG06 |
| F2A | 22JUL16 | 22JUL16 | 22JUL16 | 01JUL16 | 22JUL16 |
| F2B | 22OCT11 | 22OCT11 | 22OCT11 | 01APR97 | 15FEB07 |
| F3 | 15JUN06 | 15JUN06 | 15JUN06 | 01DEC95 | 01MAY95 |
| F4 | 22DEC04 | 22DEC04 | 22MAR04 | 15JAN98 | 22APR95 |
| 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 |
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 an August Final Action Date of April 22, 2012. 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. FAMILY-SPONSORED VISA AVAILABILITY DURING SEPTEMBER
The level of applicant demand being received in several preference categories has been steadily
USCIS will conduct system maintenance on Sunday, July 8, 2018, from 5 a.m. until 6 p.m. (Eastern).
During this time, our online tools may be unavailable, including:
WASHINGTON — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued updated guidance (PDF, 139 KB) today that aligns its policy for issuing Form I-862, Notice to Appear, with the immigration enforcement priorities of the Department of Homeland Security.
A Notice to Appear (NTA) is a document given to an alien that instructs them to appear before an immigration judge on a certain date. The issuance of an NTA commences removal proceedings against the alien. Under the new guidance, USCI