Tuesday, July 31, 2018

USCIS Returns Unselected Fiscal Year 2019 H-1B Cap-Subject Petitions

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.

Monday, July 30, 2018

Updated Guidance on the Implementation of Notice to Appear Policy Memorandum

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.

Sunday, July 29, 2018

USCIS Efforts Lead to Guilty Convictions in Florida Marriage Fraud Ring

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

Friday, July 27, 2018

USCIS Announces Citizenship and Assimilation Grant Opportunities

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:

  • Citizenship Instruction and Naturalization Application Services. This grant opportunity will fund up to 36 organizations that offer both citizenship instruc

Thursday, July 26, 2018

New Law Extends CNMI CW-1 Program, Mandates New Fraud Fee, and Will Require E-Verify Participation

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

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

USCIS Continues to Expand Digital Delivery of FOIA Requests

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

Friday, July 20, 2018

Tools Outage

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:

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