We wrote earlier in the summer about USCIS' plans and proposed rule to increase certain filing fees. The final rule was published a few days ago in the Federal Register and the new increased filing fees are set to go into effect on November 23, 2010. Increases (and a few decreases) in USCIS Filing Fees [...]
In a recent announcement, USCIS, as part of their annual budget review and due to lower-than-estimated fee revenue collection, proposed a fee increase that will amount to an average increase of 10% across the board. A formal proposal has been published in the Federal Register and there is a 45-day comment period. Some of [...]
The Texas Service Center (TSC) recently launched a pilot program pursuant to which employment-based I-485 applicants can facilitate TSC processes relating to specific stages of the employment-based adjustment of status. A special email address has been designated for this purpose: [email protected]. Procedure and Process After sending an email pursuant to this pilot program, applicants will [...]
Last week we discussed the recent Congressional Research Service (CRS) report on unauthorized aliens. Today, we discuss the companion CRS report, analyzing the permanent residency admissions to the U.S. Both reports are helpful in providing some current information on the state of the U.S. immigration system and on the conflicting priorities which are likely to [...]
In a decision dated as of March 26, 2010, the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) has spelled out what we think is an an important policy change affecting employment-based permanent residency applicants who are beneficiaries of a labor certification either as a substitute or as the initial beneficiary of a subsequently-substituted labor certification. Brief Background on [...]
The National Visa Center (NVC) has released numbers and statistics on the immigrant visa numbers pending at NVC. The information is as of November 1, 2009. It is important to note that these numbers reflect immigrant visas which have chosen "consular processing" and not adjustment of status (I-485) applications filed from within the U.S. Also, [...]
In an article dated November 17, 2009, we wrote about the CDC reversing course and eliminating the requirement of HPV vaccine for immigrant applicants, including I-485 adjustment applications. The new rule had an effective date of December 14, 2009, so our office has received a number of inquiries about (1) what happens with pending adjustments [...]
In a shift in policy, the CDC has announced that effective Decemeber 14, 2009, the HPV vaccine will no longer be required for immigrants applying for immigrant visa or adjusting their status from within the U.S. Background About the Required Vaccinations Under Section 212(a)(1)(A)(ii) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), any alien who seeks admission [...]
We are aware of many cases in which USCIS approves Form I-485 for the principal applicant but does not do so for any derivative family members’ I-485 petitions. While in some cases this may be due to missing evidence, security clearance difficulties, or some other legitimate reason, in many cases it is possible that the [...]
USCIS has released a schedule of the inventory of pending Form I-485, Application to Adjust Status. The statistics are fairly recent - as of August 25, 2009 - and are very helpful to understanding the relative queue positions for adjustment of status applicants. How Can I Determine My Place in the AOS Queue? An AOS application’s preference [...]