All USCIS offices will be closed Wednesday to Dec. 5, a national day of mourning to remember the life and legacy of George H.W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States. USCIS will reschedule all naturalization ceremonies, interviews, and appointments set for that day. USCIS will schedule new dates and promptly inform those affected. All [...]
In honor of and to mark the passing of President Bush (41), the USCIS field office in Hartford, CT will remain closed on Wednesday, December 5th. Additionally, our Office has been receiving calls from field offices in other parts of the country letting us know that interviews scheduled for that day will be rescheduled. At [...]
The new ETA Form 9035, LCA for Non-immigrant Workers is now available. We are aware of the change and have implemented appropriate changes to our processing.
Sources indicate USCIS will end the practice of denying pending I-131 applications when an applicant travels overseas. At CIS Ombudsman Annual Conference, USCIS Director L. Francis Cissna indicated this policy will be forthcoming. We will provide updates as we receive them.
USCIS will expand its Information Services Modernization Program to key field offices, beginning with the Detroit Field Office and the five offices in the Los Angeles District on Nov. 13. Field offices in the Newark, Great Lakes, and San Francisco districts will implement the program during the first quarter of FY 2019. USCIS anticipates expanding [...]
DHS final rule is increasing the premium processing fee charged by USCIS. DHS is increasing the fee by 14.92 percent, from $1,225 to $1,410. This rule is effective on October 1, 2018. Applications postmarked on or after that date must include the new fee. https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-08-31/pdf/2018-19108.pdf
USCIS has posted a policy memorandum that provides guidance to USCIS adjudicators regarding their discretion to deny an application, petition, or request without first issuing a Request for Evidence (RFE) or Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID) when required initial evidence was not submitted or the evidence of record fails to establish eligibility. This updated [...]
USCIS and the Department of Justice announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that expands their collaboration to better detect and eliminate fraud, abuse, and discrimination by employers bringing foreign visa workers to the United States. This new effort improves the way the agencies share information, collaborate on cases, and train each other’s investigators. The MOU [...]
USCIS has posted a policy memorandum changing how the agency will calculate unlawful presence for students and exchange visitors in F, J, and M nonimmigrant status, including F-2, J-2, or M-2 dependents, who fail to maintain their status in the United States. This policy aligns with President Trump’s Executive Order: Enhancing Public Safety in the [...]
AILA provides a report that surveys how policy changes by the Trump Administration are slowing and restricting legal immigration. Please read PDF about this topic. policy changes.pdf