USCIS Expands Credit Card Payment Pilot Program to Vermont Service Center

As part of our credit card payment pilot program, the Vermont Service Center is now accepting credit card payments using Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions, for petitioners filing Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, for O and P nonimmigrants.

At the end of the pilot, we will evaluate the results and determine the next steps for expanding this payment option for other forms or other service centers. The goal of this pilot is to bring USCIS one step closer to accepting digital payments using a credit card at all service centers.

We started, and then

Visa Bulletin December 2021 Predictions

For official November 2021 Visa Bulletin & Analysis, please click here: https://www.mygcvisa.com/visa-bulletin/2021/visa-bulletin-november-2021.aspx

Please see December 2021 Visa Bulletin Predictions below (for both Family Based and Employment Based categories for all countries):

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	08DEC14	08DEC14	08DEC14	15FEB99	08MAR12
F2A	C	C	C	C	C
F2B	01NOV15	01NOV15	01NOV15	15APR00	01NOV11
F3	08DEC08	08DEC08	08DEC08	08JUN97	15JUN02
F4	08APR07	08APR07	01OCT05	01MAR99	15SEP02

"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	08JUN16	08JUN16	08JUN16	15AUG00	15JUL15
F2A	01JUL21	01JUL21	01JUL21	01JUL21	01JUL21
F2B	08OCT16	08OCT16	08OCT16	01NOV00	22NOV13
F3	01SEP09	01SEP09	01SEP09	15SEP00	01NOV03
F4	22OCT07	22OCT07	22JAN06	22JUN99	22MAR04

USCIS Issues Updated and Comprehensive Guidance on T Visa Adjudications

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is issuing updated and comprehensive guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual on adjudicating applications for T nonimmigrant status (or T visas) submitted by victims of human trafficking, including clarifying how applicants establish eligibility.

Our policy guidance (PDF, 339.32 KB) clarifies the physical presence eligibility requirement, the age-based exemption from the requirement to comply with law enforcement requests, and how the agency evaluates involuntary servitude claims.

The guidance reduces barriers for noncitizen victims of traff

USCIS Implements Employment Authorization for Individuals Covered by Deferred Enforced Departure for Hong Kong Residents

Eligible Hong Kong Residents May Apply for EADs and Travel Authorization

WASHINGTON— U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today issued a Federal Register notice with information on how to apply for employment authorization for eligible Hong Kong residents covered under the president's Aug. 5 memorandum directing Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for 18 months, through Feb. 5, 2023.

DED for Hong Kong residents applies only to certain eligible Hong Kong residents who were present in the United States as

USCIS Reaches H-2B Cap for First Half of FY 2022

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has received enough petitions to reach the congressionally mandated cap on H-2B visas for temporary nonagricultural workers for the first half of fiscal year 2022. Sept. 30 was the final receipt date for new cap-subject H-2B worker petitions requesting an employment start date before April 1, 2022. USCIS will reject new cap-subject H-2B petitions received after Sept. 30 that request an employment start date before April 1, 2022.

USCIS continues to accept H-2B petitions that are exempt from the congressionally mandated cap. This includes petitions for:

• Current H-2B workers in the United States who extend their stay, change employers, or change the terms and conditions of their employment;
• Fish roe processors, fish roe technicians, and/or supervisors of fish roe processing; and
• Workers performing labor or

November 2021 Visa Bulletin Analysis

For November 2021 Visa Bulletin, please click here: https://www.mygcvisa.com/visa-bulletin/2021/visa-bulletin-november-2021.aspx

Please see below analysis of November 2021 Visa Bulletin:

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	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change
F2A	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change
F2B	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change
F3	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change
F4	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change

"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	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change
F2A	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change
F2B	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change
F3	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change
F4	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change	No Change

November 2021 Visa Bulletin

For October 2021 Visa Bulletin, please click here: https://www.mygcvisa.com/visa-bulletin/2021/visa-bulletin-october-2021.aspx

For analysis of November 2021 Visa Bulletin, please click here: https://www.mygcvisa.com/visa-bulletin/2021/visa-bulletin-analysis-november-2021.aspx

November 2021 Visa Bulletin has been officially released (valid from November 1 to November 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	01DEC14	01DEC14	01DEC14	15JAN99	01MAR12
F2A	C	C	C	C	C
F2B	22SEP15	22SEP15	22SEP15	15MAR00	22OCT11
F3	22NOV08	22NOV08	22NOV08	15MAY97	08JUN02
F4	22MAR07	22MAR07	15SEP05	08FEB99	22AUG02

"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	15MAY16	15MAY16	15MAY16	01AUG00	22APR15
F2A	01JUN21	01JUN21	01JUN21	01JUN21	01JUN21
F2B	22SEP16	22SEP16	22SEP16	01OCT00	01OCT13
F3	22AUG09	22AUG09	22AUG09	08SEP00	01OCT03
F4	01OCT07	01OCT07	01JAN06	01JUN99	01FEB04

Most CW-1 Employers Must File Required Semiannual Report (Form I-129CWR)

USCIS reminds employers of Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Transitional Workers (CW-1) that, if you have a currently-approved CW-1 petition with a validity period of six months or more, you must file Form I-129CWR, Semiannual Report for CW-1 Employers, with USCIS every six months after the petition validity start date. Employers use this report to certify the continued employment and payment of each worker under the terms and conditions of the approved petition. You are not required to file Form I-129CWR if your petition has been withdrawn for all beneficiaries.

If you fail to comply with the semiannual reporting requirement, we may revoke an approved petition or deny subsequent petitions. To avoid

USCIS Extends Flexibility for Responding to Agency Requests

In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is extending the flexibilities it announced on March 30, 2020, to assist applicants, petitioners and requestors who are responding to certain:

• Requests for Evidence;
• Continuations to Request Evidence (N-14);
• Notices of Intent to Deny;
• Notices of Intent to Revoke;
• Notices of Intent to Rescind;
• Notices of Intent to Terminate regional centers; and
• Motions to Reopen an N-400 Pursuant to 8 CFR 335.5, Receipt of Derogatory Information After Grant.

In addition, USCIS will consider a Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion, or Form N-336, Request for a Hearing on a Decision in Naturalization Proceedings (Under Section 336 of the INA), if:

• The form was filed up to 60 calendar days from the issuance of a

DHS waxay ku dhawaaqdey kordhinta iyo dib u qaabeynta Soomaaliya Xaalada Si kumeel gaadhka ah in loo ilaaliyo

Dib u qaabeynta ayaa u oggolaanaysa Soomaalida u-qalma ee Dheeraadka ah inay Dalbadaan TPS iyo Dhukumentiyada Oggolaanshaha Shaqada

WASHINGTON—Waaxda Amniga Gudaha ayaa maanta daabacday ogeysiiska Diiwaangelinta Federaalka (FRN) oo ku kordhisay isla markaana dib u habeyn ku sameyneysa Xaalada ku meelgaadhka ah ee Ilaalinta Somaaliya (TPS) ilaa 18 bilood, laga bilaabo 18 Sebtember, 2021, illaa 17 Maarso, 2023. Kordhinta iyo dib u qaabeynta Soomaaliya ee TPS waxaa sabab u ah iska horimaadyada hubeysan ee socda iyo xaaladaha aan caadiga ahayn iyo kuwa kumeel gaadhka ah ee ka hor istaagaya muwaadiniinta Soomaaliyeed inay si nabad ah iney ugu soo laabtaan.

Kordh