Extension of USCIS Office Closures
Giselle Carson Apr 5, 2020 in Agencies (CBP, DHS, DOL, DOS, USCIS, ICE)
Tag: USCIS
Since March 18, in-person services have been suspended at USCIS application support centers (ASCs ), asylum offices, and field offices due to COVID-19. These closures are now extended until May 3 at least. USCIS offices are expected to reopen May 4 provided closures are not extended again. While the closures remain in place, employees will: engage in services that are considered “mission-essential” and include no in-person interaction with the public; offer limited emergency services; send […]
Continue ReadingUSCIS Sued to Seek Extensions of Expiring Legal Status
Giselle Carson Apr 5, 2020 in Agencies (CBP, DHS, DOL, DOS, USCIS, ICE)
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has refused many requests to temporarily toll deadlines and the expiration dates for foreign nationals legally present in the United States, including dates related to lawful status and work authorization. Last week, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) filed a lawsuit against USCIS to seek the temporary immediate suspension of immigration status expiration deadlines and the maintenance of status for nonimmigrants in the United States amid the COVID-19 pandemic. […]
Continue ReadingUSCIS Office Closures Extended
Giselle Carson Mar 29, 2020 in Agencies (CBP, DHS, DOL, DOS, USCIS, ICE)
USCIS has extended its suspension of in-person services at field offices until at least April 7. This will impact and further delay Biometric (fingerprinting) appointments, Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) and Advance Parole (travel document) adjudications, Green Card and Naturalization interviews, Naturalization Ceremonies, and more. Learn more. To stay up-to-date on changes, subscribe to our Immigration News Bites. Subscribe
Continue ReadingUSCIS suspended in-person services at field offices until at least April 1. This will impact and further delay Biometric (fingerprinting) appointments, Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) and Advance Parole (travel document) adjudications, Green Card and Naturalization interviews, Naturalization Ceremonies, and more. Learn more. If you have questions about this change, please reach out to the Marks Gray Immigration Team for assistance.
Continue ReadingUSCIS announced that the cap of 85,000 new H-1B visas for FY2020 was met. They received a total of 201,011 H-1B cap petitions. There was an 11% increase from FY2019 in H-1B advanced degree (master’s and above) petitions selected in the FY2020 lottery; about 63% of those selected were advanced degree petitions. Unfortunately, as it has been for the last two years, being selected is just the first challenge. With the Request for Evidence (RFE) […]
Continue ReadingUSCIS Resumes Premium Processing for H-1B Cap Petitions
Giselle Carson Feb 14, 2019 in Agencies (CBP, DHS, DOL, DOS, USCIS, ICE)
On January 28, USCIS resumed premium processing for FY 2019 H-1B cap petitions only! This is because USCIS still has FY 2019 unadjudicated petitions as a result of the ongoing system inefficiencies and unjustified requests for evidence, which are creating huge delays and backlogs in the system. If you have received a request for evidence (RFE) and choose to pay for premium processing, you should include your RFE response with the request for premium processing. […]
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