Immigration News Update

USCIS Issues Reminder on TPS Forms

September 20th, 2008

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a reminder that only the Oct. 17, 2007 version of the Application for Temporary Protected Status (TPS)(Form I-821) will be accepted.  Additionally, only the May 27, 2008 or later version of the Application for Employment Authorization (Form I-765) will be accepted; USCIS will reject all applications using previous editions.   To read the entire USCIS press release, please go to THIS LINK.

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DOS Releases October 2008 Visa Bulletin

September 12th, 2008

The US Department of State released its October 2008 Visa Bulletin.  Unfortunately, employment-based category two (EB2) retrogressed for India and China.  Also, there wasn’t much forward movement for employment-based category three (EB3).  To view the entire Visa Bulletin, please go to THIS LINK.

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USCIS Creates New Web Page for Redesigned Naturalization Test

August 31st, 2008

Do you have a pending application for U.S. citizenship?  Are you hearing ‘chatter’ about a redesigned civics test and want to know which test will apply to you?  The Immigration Service has designed a new web site that will answer all of our questions, as well as provide you with the new test.  To view the site, please go to THIS LINK.

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USCIS Revises Filing Instructions for Application to Remove Conditions on Residency

August 31st, 2008

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has revised the filing instructions for the Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence (Form I-751).  Effective immediately, all petitioners filing a Form I-751 must file with the California or Vermont Service Center, depending on the state in which they reside.

Petitioners who live in Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming must file their Forms I-751 with the California Service Center:

USCIS California Service Center
P.O. Box 10751
Laguna Niguel, CA 92607-1075

Petitioners who live in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, U.S. Virgin Islands, and West Virginia must file their Forms I-751 with the Vermont Service Center:

USCIS Vermont Service Center
75 Lower Welden St.
P.O. Box 200
St. Albans, VT 05479-0001

Beginning September 24, 2008, USCIS will only accept the revised form dated August 25, 2008, and will reject previous versions of the form as well as petitions filed with the incorrect Service Center.

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ICE Scraps Scheduled Departure Program

August 22nd, 2008

Immigration and Customs Enforcement decided to end its Scheduled Departure Program.  We wrote about the enactment of this program a few weeks ago.  It appears that in the nearly three week trial of scheduled departure, only eight people volunteered to leave.  That, of course, is no suprise!  You can read more at THIS LINK.

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DOS Releases September 2008 Visa Bulletin

August 18th, 2008

The U.S. Department of State released its September 2008 Visa Bulletin.  As  usual, there is good news and bad news.  The good news is that the employment-based category two (EB2) for nationals of India and China moved forward two months.  The bad news is that the employment-based category three (EB3) still remains unavailable is likely to remain that way at least until October.  To view the Visa Bulletin, please go to THIS LINK.

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Immigration Service Creates Genealogy Program

August 17th, 2008

Do you want to know about your family’s immigration history? If so, you can now turn to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for help in researching your family’s immigration history through the agency’s new Genealogy Program.

USCIS maintains historical records documenting the arrival and naturalization of millions of immigrants who arrived in the United States since the late 1800s and/or naturalized between 1906 and 1956. Until today, the process to request these records was handled through a Freedom of Information Act / Privacy Act (FOIA) request. The problem with a FOIA request is that it takes a long time for processing. The new genealogy program will create a dedicated queue for genealogists, historians and others seeking genealogical and historical records and reference services. As a result, USCIS will provide more timely responses to requests for records of deceased individuals.

Individuals may submit genealogy records requests by using the new forms, G-1041 -Genealogy Index Search Request, and G-1041A - Genealogy Records Request. Both forms are available on the new USCIS Genealogy Program page at THIS LINK.

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Immigration Service Extends Temporary Protected Status for Sudan

August 17th, 2008

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced an extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals of Sudan until May 2, 2010. The extension will offer those who have already been granted TPS an opportunity to re-register and maintain their status for an additional 18 months. TPS does not apply to Sudanese nationals who entered the United States after Oct. 4, 2007.

USCIS also automatically extended the validity of employment authorization documents (EADs) held by Sudanese nationals in current TPS status from Nov. 2, 2008 to May 2, 2009. This six-month extension will allow sufficient time for eligible TPS beneficiaries to receive their new EADs without a lapse.

The extension of TPS for Sudan is effective Nov. 3 and will remain in effect through May 2, 2010. Nationals of Sudan who have been granted TPS must re-register for the 18-month extension during the 60-day re-registration period from Aug. 14 until Oct. 14, 2008. Sudanese TPS beneficiaries are encouraged to apply as soon as possible following the start of the 60-day period. Applications will not be accepted by USCIS prior to the opening of the re-registration period.

TPS beneficiaries must submit Form I-821 (Application for Temporary Protected Status) without the application fee and Form I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization) in order to re-register for TPS. If the applicant is only seeking to re-register for TPS and not seeking an extension of employment authorization, he or she must submit Form I-765 for data-gathering purposes only, and will not be required to submit the I-765 filing fee. All applicants seeking an extension of employment authorization through May 2, 2010 must submit the required application filing fee with Form I-765. A separate biometric service fee must be submitted by re-registrants, 14-years of age and older.

For more information on TPS re-registration for Sudanese nationals, please go to THIS LINK.

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USCIS Updates Naturalization Processing Times

August 13th, 2008

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it anticipates naturalization application processing will average 10-12 months nationally by the end of September 2008. During Fiscal Year 2007, USCIS received 1.4 million naturalization applications, nearly double the normal annual volume. In July alone, USCIS received 460,000 applications for naturalization prior to the implementation of its July 30, 2007 fee increase.

In response to the surge in applications, USCIS implemented a work plan to reduce the backlog, including implementing an aggressive hiring plan and expanded work hours. As a result of this effort, USCIS anticipates completing more than one million naturalization applications by the end of this fiscal year, including most of the applications received during the summer of 2007. 

USCIS field office projections are listed below. These projections indicate the average time it will take to complete a naturalization case as of the end of September 2008. 

Estimate of Local Office Naturalization Processing Times by September 2008

 

Agana, Guam…………………………. 5.0 Memphis, Tenn……………………….. 8.4

Albany, N.Y…………………………… 5.6 Miami, Fla……………………………. 12.0

Albuquerque, N.M…………………… 8.4 Milwaukee, Wis………………………. 6.6

Anchorage, Alaska………………….. 5.0 Mount Laurel, N.J……………………. 5.0

Atlanta, Ga…………………………….. 6.7 New Orleans, La…………………… 14.5

Baltimore, Md…………………………. 7.0 New York, N.Y…………………….. 10.0

Boise, Idaho………………………….. 10.5 Newark, N.J…………………………… 7.4

Boston, Mass………………………….. 8.8 Norfolk, Va……………………………. 7.2

Buffalo, N.Y………………………….. 7.0 Oklahoma City, Okla………………… 8.6

Charleston, S.C……………………… 14.1 Omaha, Neb…………………………… 5.0

Charlotte Amalie, Virgin Islands….. 7.2 Orlando, Fla……………………………. 9.5

Charlotte, N.C………………………. 14.9 Philadelphia, Pa……………………… 10.0

Chicago, Ill…………………………….. 5.1 Phoenix, Ariz………………………….. 8.6

Cincinnati, Ohio………………………. 7.0 Pittsburgh, Pa…………………………. 6.0

Cleveland, Ohio………………………. 6.8 Portland, Maine………………………. 5.5

Columbus, Ohio………………………. 5.7 Portland, Ore………………………….. 5.4

Dallas, Texas………………………… 11.0 Providence, R.I……………………….. 6.7

Denver, Colo………………………….. 5.2 Reno, Nev……………………………… 5.0

Des Moines, Iowa……………………. 5.7 Sacramento, Calif……………………. 5.0

Detroit, Mich………………………….. 5.0 Salt Lake City, Utah…………………. 5.0

El Paso, Texas………………………… 7.9 San Antonio, Texas………………….. 5.0

Fort Smith, Ark……………………….. 7.6 San Diego, Calif………………………. 5.0

Fresno, Calif…………………………… 6.7 San Francisco, Calif…………………. 5.5

Harlingen, Texas……………………… 5.0 San Jose, Calif………………………… 5.0

Hartford, Conn………………………. 14.3 San Juan, Puerto Rico…………….. 10.4

Helena, Mont………………………….. 5.0 Seattle, Wash…………………………. 9.0

Honolulu, Hawaii…………………….. 5.0 Spokane, Wash……………………….. 5.0

Houston, Texas……………………….. 5.1 St Albans, Vt………………………….. 9.5

Indianapolis, Ind………………………. 5.0 St Louis, Mo…………………………. 10.3

Jacksonville, Fla……………………… .7.4 St Paul, Minn………………………….. 5.5

Kansas City, Mo……………………… 7.0 Tampa, Fla…………………………….. 8.6

Las Vegas, Nev………………………. 9.0 Tucson, Ariz…………………………. 12.0

Los Angeles, Calif………………….. 12.5 Washington, D.C……………………. 12.7

Louisville, Ky………………………….. 7.1 West Palm Beach, Fla………………. 5.0

Manchester, N.H…………………….. 5.3 Yakima, Wash………………………… 5.0

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Immigrant Visa Recapture Bill Introduced in Senate

August 8th, 2008

A bill (S.3414) that would recapture family-sponsored and employment-based immigrant visas lost to bureaucratic delays was introduced in the U.S. Senate.  Similar to the bill passed by the House Judiciary Subcommittee, this bill would also prevent loses of family and employment-based immigrant visas in the future.   To read the entire text of this bill, please go to THIS LINK.

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