Many of our clients and readers have been anxiously awaiting news from Washington, DC regarding the funding of the federal government and the threat of shutdown and how it would impact immigration processing. We are providing an overview [...]
Update: March 2024. Starting FY2025 H-1B cap season, USCIS will switch to beneficiary-centric selection process which will count each beneficiary only once for registration selection purposes. See more details about the new rule. Update: March 2022. Starting FY2023 H-1B cap season, USCIS requires H-1B registrant employers to make an additional attestation which reads, I further [...]
Like almost all aspects of life during COVID, USCIS operations have been impacted significantly and we have been seeing extreme delays especially with respect to ASC biometrics processing and, by extension, cases which require biometrics to be completed before adjudication. After a November 19, 2020 update in which USCIS has indicated that the ASC biometrics [...]
USCIS has just made an announcement to its staff and external stakeholders that the administrative staff furlough which was scheduled to begin on August 30, 2020 has been cancelled and the current USCIS staffing levels would remain unchanged. Cost Cutting Measures Means Fewer Contractors and Processing Delays According to USCIS's Deputy Director of Policy, the [...]
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service ("USCIS") requires any non-English language document submitted as evidence or in support of an application or petition to be accompanied by a certified English translation which has to meet certain specific requirements. Foreign Language Translation Requirements According to the Code of Federal Regulations, 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), Any document containing foreign [...]
The two weeks since the release of the July 2019 Visa Bulletin have created much confusion with in the FB-2A category and especially with respect to which dates would USCIS use in determining who can [...]
With a very few exceptions, an in-person interview with USCIS adjudicator is a required step in the review process for all employment and family I-485 adjustment of status and all N-400 naturalization applications. An interview is required for many [...]
It is not a secret that the last several month have brought a great increase in the rate of RFEs and denials on H-1B petitions – mainly focusing on the specialty occupation and right to control issues. As a result, there has been a corresponding increase in the rate of denials and in a number [...]
Many USCIS immigration benefits require the collection of biometrics information from the applicant at an USCIS Application Support Center (ASC). The collection of biometrics is a routine part of the application process and in most cases involves taking digital fingerprints, photo and signature. Which Types of Applications Require Biometrics? At this time biometrics are generally [...]
USCIS has just announced that they are expanding the requirements for interviews to employment-based I-485 adjustment of status applicants. Effective October 1, 2017, USCIS will phase-in interviews for (1) employment-based I-485 adjustment of status applications and (2) refugee/asylee I-730 applications who are in the United States and petitioning to join a principal applicant. Under [...]
