USCIS announced that on January 2, 2020, it will dispose E-Verify records that are older than 10 years, or dated on or before December 31, 2009. E-Verify employers have until December 31, 2019, to download case information from the Historic Records Report. For more information, please see the I-9 central page.
USCIS 30-day extension of a comment period originally announced at 84 FR 30757 on proposed revisions to the electronic H-1B registration tool. Comments are now due 11/8/19. (84 FR 54159, 10/9/19).
USCIS data on receipts, completions, and RFEs from FY2015 to FY2019 (through 9/30/19) for various employment-based non-immigrant visa categories, including H-1B.
On September 27, 2019, Immigration and Customs Enforcement updated and provided policy guidance on how to determine whether a student’s practical training is in an area “directly related” to the student’s major area of study. This is in keeping with the regulations at 8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)(ii)(A) and is applicable to both CPT and OPT employment. [...]
In a new development, DHS/Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) has commenced site visits to employer locations that train STEM OPT students. This program began about 12 days ago, and clients have started reporting site visits to verify STEM OPT related information. Advance Notice to Employers: According to the Study in the States website maintained by DHS, [...]
Beginning September 16, 2019, the FLAG System's LCA Program Module will be enabled and stakeholders will be able to begin preparing H-1B, H-1B1, and E-3 applications using the Form ETA-9035E. However, the FLAG System will not permit the submission of LCA applications until 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on October 1, 2019. OFLC will continue to [...]
USCIS advises, until further notice, employers should continue using the Form I-9 currently available on I-9 Central, even after the expiration date of August 31 has passed. USCIS will provide updated information about the new version of the form as it becomes available.
USCIS announced that it has returned all FY2020 H-1B cap-subject petitions that were not selected in the lottery. Petitioners who haven’t received a receipt notice or a returned petition for a cap-subject H-1B petition by August 29, 2019, should contact USCIS for assistance. Read the USCIS News Release.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a final rule that clearly defines long-standing law to better ensure that aliens seeking to enter and remain in the United States — either temporarily or permanently — are self-sufficient and rely on their own capabilities and the resources of family members, sponsors, and private organizations rather [...]
We have been informed that due to the new biometrics requirement for all I‑539 applicants, USCIS has discontinued its prior practice of providing premium processing as a courtesy for I‑539s filed concurrently with an I‑129 petition. We believe this could cause significant delays and impact H-4 and L-2 EAD extensions.