US Law Group, LLC seeks Legal Translator to translate Korean and English legal & gov’t documents. Req’d Master’s in Law. Send resume to job location at 1247 N Milwaukee Ave. #302, Glenview, IL 60025.

Posted 08/07/2015 – 08/21/2015

• This topic was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by bm.
• This topic was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by bm.
• This topic was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by bm.

Due to a worldwide outage in the system U.S. consulates use to issue immigrant and non-immigrant visas, all U.S. consulates overseas have suspended issuance of all such visas. We understand that, there may be a significant delay in rescheduling of visa appointments. If you need a U.S. visa to reenter the United States, we recommend that you not leave the country until this issue is resolved. If your status is expiring and you must leave, but need a U.S. visa to return, we recommend that you make a visa appointment as soon as possible. If you currently have a visa appointment, you should keep that appointment if you need to leave the U.S., but should be prepared to remain outside the U.S. until this problem has been resolved.

AILA Doc No. 15040207 | Dated April 2, 2015
This morning, AILA received reports from members who were unable to confirm delivery of H-1B cap petitions shipped via FedEx on Tuesday for delivery on Wednesday to the VSC or CSC. Upon contacting FedEx, some were advised that the CSC and VSC had reached capacity and were thus turning delivery trucks away.

AILA contacted USCIS Headquarters and the individual service centers about this issue and were advised by all parties that neither the CSC nor the VSC have turned any delivery trucks away and deliveries have not been negatively impacted. Due to space limitations at the delivery loading docks, incoming trucks may be staggered for delivery but they are not being turned away. At the VSC, trucks are lining up at a nearby gas station and are being called in one by one. The VSC is working closely with local FedEx to ensure things run as smoothly as possible.

DOS Alert: Approved H-1Bs with a 10/1/14 Start Date May File Visa Applications Now

Cite as “AILA InfoNet Doc. No. 14070740 (posted Jul. 7, 2014)”
Beneficiaries of approved H-1B petitions with an October 1, 2014 start date may now begin filing their visa applications at U.S. consular posts.

According to 9 FAM 41.53 N8.4(b), “Posts are authorized to accept H visa petitions and issue visas to qualified applicants up to 90 days in advance of applicants’ beginning of employment status. Post must inform applicants verbally and in writing that they can only use the visa to apply for admission to the United States starting ten days prior to the beginning of the approved status period. In addition, such visas must be annotated, “Not valid until (ten days prior to the petition validity date.)”

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) would like to remind you that
individuals requesting deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA) must submit two
passport-style photographs with their Form I-765, Application for Employment
Authorization. This is required for both initial and renewal DACA requests. The
photographs should be in color and taken within 30 days of filing the DACA request. For
more information, please review the Form I-765 Instructions on http://www.uscis.gov.

• This topic was modified 8 years, 9 months ago by jkusemin.

On May 30, 2014, USCIS announced that effective June 1, 2014, Form I-693 Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record must be submitted within in one year of completion and signature by the civil surgeon, and will be valid for one year after submission to USCIS. (AILA Doc. No. 14053043). However, the medical examination form will no longer be required as initial evidence and may be submitted at any time after filing the immigration benefit application but prior to adjudication. If the medical examination form is not filed concurrently, USCIS encourages applicants to wait to until the medical examination form is requested by USCIS either through the issuance of a Request for Evidence (RFE) or through a notice to bring a completed medical examination form to the interview. USCIS will be holding a stakeholder engagement on June 12, 2014 to address questions related to the new policy (AILA Doc. No. 14053044). See the USCIS Policy Manual for a complete overview of Form I-693 guidance.

Source: “AILA InfoNet Doc. No. 14053045 (posted May. 30, 2014)”

US Law Group, LLC seeks Associate Attorney to represent Spanish-speaking clients. Req’d JD, IL Bar license, English & Spanish fluency (written/spoken). Send resume to job location at 1247 N Milwaukee Ave. #302 Glenview, IL 60025 between 12/06/2013 to 12/13/2013.

USCIS Reaches FY 2014 H-1B Cap

Released April 8, 2013

WASHINGTON—For the first time since 2008, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reached the statutory H-1B cap of 65,000 for fiscal year (FY) 2014 within the first week of the filing period. USCIS has also received more than 20,000 H-1B petitions filed on behalf of persons exempt from the cap under the advanced degree exemption.

USCIS received approximately 124,000 H-1B petitions during the filing period, including petitions filed for the advanced degree exemption. On April 7, 2013, USCIS used a computer-generated random selection process (commonly known as a “lottery”) to select a sufficient number of petitions needed to meet the caps of 65,000 for the general category and 20,000 under the advanced degree exemption limit. For cap-subject petitions not randomly selected, USCIS will reject and return the petition with filing fees, unless it is found to be a duplicate filing.

The agency conducted the selection process for advanced degree exemption petitions first. All advanced degree petitions not selected were part of the random selection process for the 65,000 limit.

As announced on March 15, 2013, USCIS has temporarily adjusted its premium processing practice.

To facilitate the prioritized data entry of cap-subject petitions requesting premium processing, USCIS will begin premium processing for H-1B cap cases on April 15, 2013. For more information on premium processing for FY 2014 cap-subject petitions, please see the related USCIS Alert.

USCIS will continue to accept and process petitions that are otherwise exempt from the cap. Petitions filed on behalf of current H-1B workers who have been counted previously against the cap will not be counted towards the congressionally-mandated FY 2014 H-1B cap. Accordingly, USCIS will continue to accept and process petitions filed to: extend the amount of time a current H-1B worker may remain in the U.S.;

change the terms of employment for current H-1B workers;

allow current H-1B workers to change employers; and

allow current H-1B workers to work concurrently in a second H-1B position.

U.S. businesses use the H-1B programto employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialized fields including, but not limited to: scientists, engineers, or computer programmers.

For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit http://www.uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis) and the USCIS blog The Beacon

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it has received a sufficient number of H-1B petitions to reach the statutory cap for fiscal year (FY) 2014. USCIS has also received more than 20,000 H-1B petitions filed on behalf of persons exempt from the cap under the advanced degree exemption. After today, USCIS will not accept H-1B petitions subject to the FY 2014 cap or the advanced degree exemption.
USCIS will use a computer-generated random selection process (commonly known as the “lottery”) for all FY 2014 cap-subject petitions received through April 5, 2013. The agency will conduct the selection process for advanced degree exemption petitions first. All advanced degree petitions not selected will be part of the random selection process for the 65,000 limit. Due to the high number of petitions received, USCIS is not yet able to announce the exact day of the random selection process. Also, USCIS is currently not providing the total number of petitions received, as we continue to accept filings today. USCIS will continue to accept and process petitions that are otherwise exempt from the cap.

USCIS will provide more detailed information about the H-1B cap next week.

For more information about USCIS and its programs, please visit http://www.uscis.gov or follow us  on Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis) and the USCIS blog The Beacon

The filing period for H-1B petitions subject to the fiscal year (FY) 2014 numerical cap begins on April 1, 2013. USCIS anticipates that it may receive more than 65,000 cap-subject H-1B petitions and more than 20,000 petitions filed on behalf of individuals with a U.S. master’s degree or higher between April 1, 2013, and April 5, 2013. This could be the first time since April 2008 that the H-1B cap will require a lottery.
USCIS provides premium processing service for certain employment-based petitions and guarantees a 15-calendar-day processing time. Due to the historic premium processing receipt levels, combined with the possibility that the H-1B cap will be met in the first 5 business days of the filing season, USCIS has temporarily adjusted its current premium processing practice. To facilitate the prioritized data entry of cap-subject petitions requesting premium processing, and in accordance with 8 CFR 103.7(e)(3)(ii), USCIS is announcing that premium processing for cap-subject H-1B petitions, including H-1B petitions seeking an exemption from the fiscal year cap for individuals who have earned a U.S. master’s degree or higher, will begin on April 15, 2013.  USCIS will continue to accept Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service, with fee, concurrently with the Form I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker, during the time period that premium processing is unavailable – from April 1 to April 14, 2013. Petitioners may also upgrade a pending H-1B cap petition to premium processing once a receipt notice is issued. All requests for premium processing received between April 1, 2013, and April 14, 2013, will be adjudicated when premium processing begins on April 15, 2013.
While the Form I-797 receipt notice may indicate the date that the premium processing fee is received, the 15-day processing period set by 8 CFR 103.7(e)(2) will not begin until April 15, 2013. The 15-day processing period for premium processing service for H-1B petitions that are not subject to the cap, or for any other eligible classification, continues to begin on the date that the request is received.

These USCIS statistics on DACA cases from 8/15/12 to 12/13/12 show a total of 355,889 DACA applications accepted for processing, 336,464 biometric services appointments scheduled, 157,151 requests under review, and 102,965 requests approved.

Click —–> These USCIS statistics on DACA cases

Processing time reports as of 9/30/12, which were released 10/29/12, for the National Benefits Center (NBC), the California Service Center (CSC), the Nebraska Service Center (NSC), the Texas Service Center (TSC), and the Vermont Service Center (VSC) are now available on InfoNet.

Click on the link below to check on the processing times.

https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/processTimesDisplayInit.do

One of our processing Deferred Action has been approved on October 2^nd 2012, which was submitted on August 24^th, 2012. It took total time of 39 days to prove the necessity of a labor certification and to receive labor certification.

The AILA NSC liaison committee has received inquiries from members regarding the issuance of biometrics appointments to applicants filing a refugee travel document or reentry permit who are below the age of 14 and over the age of 79, who have not paid the biometrics fee, and whether these applicants are required to attend the biometrics.

The instructions for the I-131 for reentry permits and refugee travel documents state on page 5 that applicants between the ages of 14 and 79 must be fingerprinted, and are required to pay the additional $85 biometric fee. Further, the instructions do not require paper photographs to be submitted with the I-131 for reentry permits.

On a September 13, 2012 stakeholder call, the NSC has advised that all applicants, regardless of age, are now being issued biometrics appointments (AILA Doc. No. 12092748).

For the applicants below the age of 14 and over the age of 79, the purpose of the appointment is to capture a digital photograph, since they are not required to be fingerprinted.

Digital photographs make it easier for the NSC to produce the re-entry permit document.

AILA’s NSC liaison committee asked the NSC whether an applicant below the age of 14 and over the age of 79 could submit the I-131 application with two paper photographs, and if the NSC could issue the document using those photographs without the need for the applicant to attend a biometrics appointment.

NSC confirmed that if the applicant is below the age of 14 and over the age of 79 and submits two paper photographs when filing for the reentry permit, in addition to all other required documentation for the I-131 (including proof he or she was physically present in the country at the time of filing per 8 C.F.R. § 223.2(b)(1) of the regulations), the NSC will issue the reentry permit without requiring the applicant to attend a biometrics appointment.

USCIS wants to notify customers and stakeholders that some work that USCIS performs at the four USCIS service centers (Vermont, Nebraska, Texas and California) will be transferred to a Field Office or the National Benefits Center (NBC) in order to balance the overall workload with processing capacity. The chart below summarizes these changes.