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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced revised filing instructions and addresses for applicants filing an Application for Replacement/Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Document (Form I-102). The new form is dated 1/13/10.  This is part of an overall effort to transition the intake of benefit forms from Service Centers to USCIS Lockbox facilities.  Centralizing form and fee intake to a Lockbox environment allows USCIS to provide customers with more efficient and effective initial processing of applications and fees.

[Federal Register: February 18, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 32)]
[Notices]              
[Page 7293-7294]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr18fe10-59]                        

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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) invites federal contractors and subcontractors affected by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) E-Verify clause to attend a free E-Verify informational seminar on Feb. 23 or 24 at 2451 Crystal Drive, Arlington, Va.

Each two-hour seminar will include a demonstration of the E-Verify system, presentations concerning issues related to the employment verification process, and question and answer segments with government representatives.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced revised filing instructions and addresses for applicants filing Form I-824, Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition.  The new form is dated 12/11/09.  The changes are part of an overall effort to transition the intake of benefit forms from USCIS local offices and Service Centers to USCIS Lockbox facilities.  Centralizing form and fee intake to a Lockbox environment allows USCIS to provide customers with more efficient and effective initial processing of applications and fees.

According to DOL updates as of 1/31/2010, they are working on PERM application filed in the following months:

Analyst Review: April 2009

Audits: December 2007

Standard Appeals: September 2007

Govt's Error Appeal: Current

The U.S. Department of Labor announced that approximately 3,000 workers from companies in 17 states — Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia — are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA).

USCIS Processing Times as of February 17th, 2010.

AAO processing times as of February 01, 2010.

The Board of Immigration Appeals was closed February 5-11, 2010, due to extreme weather conditions in the Washington, DC, area. On this occasion, the Board will apply a temporary "grace period" for the following filings:

(1) the filing was due on any date from Friday, February 5, 2010, to Thursday, February 18, 2010, and

(2) the filing was received on or before February 19, 2010.

The grace period will apply automatically. No request or documentation is required.

Temporary Agricultural Employment of H-2A Aliens in the United States. The Department has published in the Federal Register a Final Rule amending the regulations governing the labor certification process for the temporary agricultural employment of H-2A aliens in the United States, codified at 20 CFR part 655, and enforcement of employer obligations under the H-2A program, codified at 29 CFR Part 501. The new regulations will go into effect on March 15, 2010.