USCIS Expands Guidance Related to Naturalization Requirement of Good Moral Character

WASHINGTON— Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services expanded its policy guidance (PDF, 290 KB) regarding unlawful acts that may prevent an applicant from meeting the good moral character (GMC) requirement for naturalization. The commission of, or conviction or imprisonment for, an unlawful act, during the statutory period for naturalization, may render an applicant ineligible for naturalization should the act be found to adversely reflect on moral character.  

Previously, the <a target='_blank' href="https://www.uscis.gov/policy-ma

Judicial Victories in Public Charge Cases Give Trump Admin. Confidence for Implementation of Long-standing Law

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services obtained judicial victories in decisions issued by the Ninth Circuit last week and the Fourth Circuit Monday to stay the injunctions and respect the legal authority vested in the Administration by the U.S. Congress to enforce long-standing law requiring aliens seeking to come or stay in the United States to be self-sufficient.

“USCIS is encouraged by the recent judicial decisions that are positive signs that the implementation of the rule of inadmissibility based on public charge grounds is possible,” said USCIS Acting Deputy Director Kathy Nuebel Kovarik. “This rule enforces long-standing immigration law, one that has been aroun

USCIS Implements Two Decisions from the Attorney General on Good Moral Character Determinations

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced new policy guidance (PDF, 404 KB) implementing two decisions from the attorney general regarding how two or more DUI convictions affect good moral character (GMC) requirements and how post-sentencing changes to criminal sentences affect convictions and sentences for immigration purposes.

On Oct. 25, the attorney general decided in Matter of Castillo-Perez  that two or more

Tools Outage

USCIS will conduct system maintenance to the Customer Relationship Interface System (CRIS) from Monday, December 9 at 11:59 p.m. until Tuesday, December 10 at 3:00 a.m. (EDT.)

During this timeframe, users may experience technical difficulties with one or more of the following online tools:

• Check My Case Status
• Change of Address Online
• myUSCIS Online Account

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

USCIS Announces Implementation of H-1B Electronic Registration Process for Fiscal Year 2021 Cap Season

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced that it has completed a successful pilot testing phase and is implementing the registration process in the next H-1B lottery. Employers seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions for the fiscal year 2021 cap, including those eligible for the advanced degree exemption, must first electronically register and pay the associated $10 H-1B registration fee.

The electronic registration process will dramatically streamline processing by reducing paperwork and data exchange, and will provide an overall cost savings to petitioning employers.

Under this new process, employers seeking H-1B workers subject to the cap, or th

Tools Outage

USCIS will conduct system maintenance to the Customer Relationship Interface System (CRIS) from Thursday, November 21 at 11:59 p.m. to Friday, November 22 at 3:00 a.m. (EDT.)

During these timeframes, users may experience technical difficulties with one or more of the following online tools:

• Check My Case Status
• e-Request
• Change of Address Online
• Check Processing Times
• Civil Surgeon Locator
• FOIA Status Check
• Office Locator
• File Online
• myUSCIS Online Account

We apologize for any inconvenience

USCIS Issues Guidance on Adjustment of Status by Aliens Whose Conditional Permanent Residence Has Been Terminated

USCIS today issued policy guidance (PDF, 382 KB) explaining how USCIS applies Matter of Stockwell and clarifying when USCIS may adjust the status of an alien whose Conditional Permanent Resident (CPR) status has been terminated. An immigration judge does not need to affirm the termination of CPR status before the alien can file a new adjustment of status application.

An alien with CPR status obtains lawful permanent resident status either based on marriage to a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (if the marriage is less than two years at the time the alien a