This nonimmigrant classification applies to people who wish to perform services in a specialty occupation, services of exceptional merit and ability relating to a Department of Defense (DOD) cooperative research and development project, or services as a fashion model of distinguished merit or ability.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) posted a policy memorandum (PDF, 113 KB) (PM) that provides guidance to USCIS adjudicators regarding their discretion to deny an application, petition, or request without first issuing a Request for Evidence (RFE) or Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID) when required initial evidence was not submitted or the evidence of record fails to establish eligibility.
Deportation and Denial Policy 2018
USCIS recently updated the following form(s):
If you are an attorney or accredited representative, you can now file Form N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document for your clients using your myUSCIS online account. There are no substantive changes to the content of the form.
USCIS will no longer provide paper copies of Form N-565. You can file this form online or download a copy from the website.
Discussion Topics, Thursday 19 July 2018:
FAQ: Getting promotions or changing job description while green card is pending || H-1B petition revocation during visa process/reaffirmation || Section 245(K) protection during AOS/I-485 || Specific issues in the Trump NTA policy for denials || Other: Humanitarian parole || How long can a green card holder stay outside the USA || TN TD issues || Registering for Selective Service || Getting married after getting a green card || Applying for advance parole || H-1, H-4 premium processing || Birth certificate for I-130 || F-1 COS denied for H-1B || Correcting priority date errors || H-1B quota where no COS or Visa || I-539 bridge petition
USCIS is introducing the second phase of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Immigration Records SysTem (FIRST), which will allow all FOIA requestors to track their requests through a USCIS online account and receive their documents digitally. During the first phase, requestors reported that they could easily login to their account and download their documents.
Phase two now allows all FOIA requestors to create a USCIS online account, track their cases, and receive their responses electronically.
Fee-funded grants will support citizenship preparation services for lawful permanent residents
WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today it is now accepting applications for two funding opportunities under the Citizenship and Assimilation Grant Program that will provide up to $10 million in grants for citizenship preparation programs in communities across the country.
On July 24, 2018, President Trump signed the Northern Mariana Islands U.S. Workforce Act of 2018 (the Workforce Act), extending the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)-Only Transitional Worker program (the CW-1 program) through 2029 and increasing the CW-1 cap for fiscal year (FY) 2019.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) announced Tuesday the results of a two-phase nationwide operation in which I-9 audit notices were served to more than 5,200 businesses around the country since January. A notice of inspection (NOI) informs business owners that ICE is going to audit their hiring records to determine whether they are complying with existing law.
USCIS announced on July 30, 2018, that it has returned all fiscal year 2019 H-1B cap-subject petitions that were not selected in the computer-generated random selection process.
USCIS previously announced on May 15, that it had completed data entry of all selected cap-subject petitions.
Policy Memorandum 602-0050.1, Updated Guidance for the Referral of Cases and Issuances of Notices to Appear (NTAs) in Cases Involving Inadmissible and Deportable Aliens, was issued on June 28, 2018 and instructed USCIS components to create or update operational guidance on NTAs and Referrals to ICE (RTIs), to be issued within 30 days of the Policy Memorandum. Issuance of the operational guidance is pending; therefore the implementation of PM 602-0050.1 is postponed until the operational guidance is issued.
AAO Processing Times
Discussion Topics, Thursday 5 July 2018:
FAQ: How many days can I stay in the USA after H-1B denial a detailed discussion? || Applying for H-1B transfer while an extension request is under RFE|| Other: Applying for EB-1C, international managers/executives criteria || Desertion charges for military, effect on green card || 151 years for getting green cards ||Age for adoption/adopting a sibling for immigration || Being outside the USA on EAD || H-4 trading stock || TN for Management Consultant || H-1B transfers with approved I-140 || Promotions while green card is pending || H-4 to H-1 change || H-4 change of status || Green card pending changing jobs within the same company||Travel ban || Bridge H-1B petitions || PERM experience letters title, etc.
WASHINGTON — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued updated guidance (PDF, 139 KB) today that aligns its policy for issuing Form I-862, Notice to Appear, with the immigration enforcement priorities of the Department of Homeland Security.
PERM Processing Times (as of 06/30/2018)
USCIS announced on July 8, 2016, that it has returned all fiscal year 2017 H-1B cap-subject petitions that were not selected in our computer-generated random selection process.
USCIS previously announced on May 2, 2016, that it completed data entry of all selected cap-subject petitions.
This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during April for: “Final Action Dates” and “Dates for Filing Applications,” indicating when immigrant visa applicants should be notified to assemble and submit required documentation to the National Visa Center.
For more details please visit this link:
https://immigration.com/visa-bulletin/visa-bulletin-april-2022
We assisted our client in filing an I-129F petition to bring his fiancee to the U.S. in anticipation of their upcoming marriage in the U.S. On Form I-129F the petitioner answered “yes” to the question: “Have you ever been arrested, cited, charged, indicted, convicted, fined, or imprisoned for breaking or violating any law or ordinance in any country, excluding traffic violations (unless a traffic violation was alcohol-or drug-related or involved a fine of $500 or more)?”. We included reference to that issue in the filing.
USCIS recently updated the lockbox filing location information for the following USCIS form(s). Please see the “Where to File” section of the webpage for your form.
On Mar. 1, USCIS added Elgin, Illinois, as a filing location for certain applicants filing Form N-400, Application for Naturalization.
Please visit the Lockbox Filing Locations Updates page for more information.
Release Date
03/02/2022
As part of the credit card payment pilot program, the USCIS service centers are now accepting credit card payments using Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions, for all forms except Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, for H-1B and H-2A petitions.