USCIS has announced additional guidance regarding the adjudication of spousal petitions involving minors, following up on the agency’s February update to its policy. The guidance, published as an update to the USCIS Adjudicator’s Field Manual (AFM), instructs officers to conduct an additional interview for certain I-130 spousal petitions involving a minor. Generally, the bona fides [...]
We have received credible reports from clients and other practitioners that the number of site visits targeting Consulting companies has increased significantly in the past several weeks. Employees should be made aware that site inspectors could call on them at the end client site unannounced. When this happens, employees must politely ask to see the [...]
USCIS has revised Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Non-immigrant Status and will publish the revised form on their website on March 8, 2019. USCIS will be removing the 12/23/16 version of Form I-539 from uscis.gov on March 8 but will be allowing for a two-week grace period, until close of business on March 21, for [...]
USCIS has revised Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status and will publish the revised form on their website on March 11, 2019. Beginning March 11, 2019, USCIS will only accept the revised Form I-539 with an edition date of 02/04/19. They will reject any Form I-539 with an edition date of 12/23/16 or earlier. [...]
USCIS announced today that applicants can now complete and file Form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship, and Form N-600K, Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate Under Section 322 online. Applicants can file Form N-600 to obtain a Certificate of Citizenship for themselves or their minor children if they: Were born abroad and are [...]
USCIS determined that for February 2019, the Dates for Filing chart must be used for family-based preference filings and the Final Action Dates chart must be used for employment-based preference filings.
USCIS has launched a new Online Fee Calculator to assist members of the public in calculating the correct fee amount to include when filing their forms with USCIS at an agency lockbox facility. A list of forms processed at USCIS Lockbox facilities is available on the USCIS website. USCIS developed the Online Fee Calculator to [...]
LCA and PERM Prevailing Wages Processing to Resume Tentatively at 2:00 p.m. EST on MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2019 Last night, the DOL announced that: The iCERT system for application processing is tentatively scheduled to open at 2:00 p.m. EST on MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2019. The Department is currently testing the system to process a [...]
USCIS recently updated its website with information regarding the agency's practice of denying pending Form I-131 advance parole applications for abandonment due to international travel. Specifically, USCIS indicates on its website that if an applicant files Form I-131, Application for Travel Document, to request an advance parole document and departs the United States without possession [...]
When adjudicating an appeal on the merits, the AAO generally sustains (approves), dismisses (denies), or remands (returns) the appeal. USCIS posts AAO appeal statistics report from FY 2014-2018.