USCIS announced a new strategy known as eProcessing to accelerate USCIS’ transition to a digital business model. eProcessing will be a complete digital experience, from applying for a benefit, to communicating with USCIS, through receiving a decision on a case. As a first step, certain visitors for business, visitors for pleasure, and vocational students [...]
DHS has finalized changes to fees charged by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) to international students, exchange visitors and SEVP-certified schools. The new fees will take effect June 24, 2019. Read the news release. Fee increases include: The I-901 SEVIS Fee for F and M international students will increase from $200 to $350. [...]
On May 17th, the USCIS announced it had completed data entry for all fiscal year 2020 H-1B cap-subject petitions selected in the computer-generated random selection process, including those selected under the U.S. advanced degree exemption. Now, the Service will begin returning all H-1B cap-subject petitions that were not selected. This process usually takes approximately 8-14 [...]
USCIS provides historical national average processing times for select forms based on all USCIS offices for FY2014 through the second quarter of FY2019 (as of March 31, 2019).
USCIS announced that on 5/20/19, the Texas Service Center (TSC) will begin processing Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, for certain H-1B cap-exempt petition. Read the news release.
Today, USCIS announced that it had completed data entry for all FY2020 H‑1B cap-subject petitions selected in the computer-generated random selection process, including those selected under the U.S. advanced degree exemption. USCIS will now begin returning unselected petitions. Additionally, USCIS may transfer some Form I‑129 H‑1B cap-subject petitions between the Vermont and California Service Centers.
The White House issued a memo on combating high non-immigrant visa overstay rates. Among other things, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the AG and Secretary of Homeland Security, shall provide recommendations of actions to take to reduce nonimmigrant overstay rates from certain countries. Clients should take particular note of the fact that [...]
CBP announced that beginning in May 2019, I-94 numbers will be alphanumeric. Prior to May 2019, I-94 numbers were 11 digits long and only contained numbers. This change is due to the depletion of numeric-only I-94 numbers and to create a long-term solution for the creation of new numbers.
Premium processing for FY2020 cap-subject H-1B petitioners requesting a change of status on Form I-129 will begin on 5/20/19. For all other FY2020 H-1B cap-subject petitions, it will begin in June 2019 or later. From 5/20/19 until 6/3/19, final notices will not be sent using prepaid mailers. Read the USCIS news release. [...]
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 [...]