Date: 06/02/2008
Time: 2:00 PM
Place: USCIS office, Callowhill St. Philadelphia PA
Ok,
I just got back and I wanted to let you all know how it went, cause it felt like such an easy process, that I still can't believe it's over.
Our interview was at 10:00 am at the San Francisco office.
We arrived around 9:50 am (parking difficulties). We ended up parking at the corner of Sansome st., which costed $18. At that point I was so nervous that we were gonna be late, I wouldn't have minded paying $100 for parking.
First of all thank you for the very useful immigration.com website. Over the years I have used it frequently to check on the sometimes incredible information the INS (and successors) have told me and gauge how my progress through the INS labyrinth compared to others.
I was born in Mexico and I was brought to the US at the age of 3. Like many other people in my situation, I was brought here by my mom to provide a better education. I am now 18, just started college and due to my status I am struggling to keep up paying my tuition. I am forced to work, and feel that we should all get an equal opportunity in education. Through the years, I have acquired great knowledge thanks to the schools of this great country. I graduated from my High School with the third highest honors Ephebian, and a 3.33 GPA.
The news item and related documents are available here:
http://www.immigration.com/newslette...prmprocss.html
Please note, for now (June 2008), premium processing is only available if you meet ALL of the current requirements:
1. Your are currently on H-1;
2. Your H-1 status is expiring within 60 days when you apply for I-140 premium processing; and
3. You are not eligible to receive 1-year H-1 extensions because your labor certification was filed less than one year ago.
This issue has come up several times. Here is what USCIS says:
USCIS Considerations to expedite Cases
All expedite requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and are granted at the discretion of the Director. The criteria are as follows:
* Severe financial loss to company or individual
* Extreme emergent situation
* Humanitarian situation
* Nonprofit status of requesting organization in furtherance of the cultural and social interests of the United States
This morning, I was working on explaining to a client (whom I respect greatly), one of the foremost musicians from India, how EB1 (Extraordinary Ability) category applies to musicians and performers. As I was sending him the basic information on EB1 category, I thought I will share the general criteria with all of you. This information is for EA, generally and applies to all fields - not just music. See attached.
Regards to all. Rajiv.
The federal government shut down at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on October 1, 2025, the first shutdown in six years. After Congress failed to pass funding legislation before the September 30th deadline, all non-essential federal functions have been suspended.
For those navigating the US immigration system, this creates both disruptions and uncertainty. However, not all immigration services are affected equally. Understanding what's operating, what's shut down, and what you need to do right now is critical.