Articles Posted in Immigration News

USCIS operations are mostly funded by applicants and petitioners’ fees, with the drop in applications that start in March and has continued until their reopening in June. The drop-in fees are mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic which caused the USCIS facilities closures! USCIS Deputy Director, Joseph Edlow released a statement on USCIS fiscal outlook:

“The effects of the coronavirus pandemic are long reaching and pervasive, leaving few unscathed in its wake. USCIS is still experiencing those very effects, which began with an alarming drop in applications at the end of March. Forecasts predict a crippling budget shortfall that requires assistance from Congress to allow USCIS to maintain current operations.

“Since May, USCIS has worked with Congress to explain the financial situation and educate members and staff on the needs of the agency. Recognizing the need to not let taxpayers carry this burden, USCIS’ proposal to Congress includes a requirement that any funding provided by Congress will be paid back to the U.S. Treasury. Both the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security and the Office of Management and Budget have written to Congress supporting this proposal. Without congressional action before August 3, USCIS will need to furlough over 13,000 staff members, which will have tremendous negative impacts on our mission administering our nation’s lawful immigration system, safeguarding its integrity, and protecting the American people. We urge Congress to provide the funding needed to pay our dedicated staff and ensure our operations continue uninterrupted during these unprecedented times.”

USCIS published a brief statement on the Presidential Proclamation, “Proclamation Suspending Entry of Aliens Who Present a Risk to the U.S. Labor Market Following the Coronavirus Outbreak” issued on June 22^nd by President Trump.

USCIS Deputy Director for Policy, Joseph Edlow stated, “Monday’s presidential proclamation temporarily restricts certain categories of visas from being issued to protect jobs for American workers while our economy recovers from the effects of COVID-19. This does not affect those currently working in the U.S. on valid H-1B or similar visas. The proclamation also does not prevent individuals in possession of valid visas prior to the effective date of the proclamation from entering or re-entering the country, if they have been abroad, provided they have not otherwise rendered themselves inadmissible. The U.S. will continue to honor these already valid visas as we help American workers get back on their feet.”

Source of Information:

As of June 4^th, USCIS is open for non-emergency services to the public. The dates for USCIS Application Support Centers have not been announced but will resume soon. I have listed COVID-19 safety guidelines for entering any USCIS Facility below:

Guidelines for Entering USCIS Facilities

– Visitors may not enter a USCIS facility if they:

USCIS is warning Congress that it may have to furlough part of its workforce this summer if Congress does not provide emergency funding soon! The problem is that they sent more money during their temporary shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this month, USCIS told Congress that it needed 1.2 Billion dollars to fill a budget shortfall caused by their response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Joseph Edlow, Deputy Director for Policy USCIS, stated, “Unfortunately, as of now, without congressional intervention, the agency will need to administratively furlough a portion of our employees on approximately July 20,”.

Please visit this CNN News Article for more information: Federal immigration agency to furlough employees unless Congress provides funding

With USCIS preparing to resume public services on Thursday, June 4, 2020. They will start by opening USCIS facilities as ready. Below are the general guidelines for entering a USCIS facilities following COVID-19 safe guides. Remember to look for specific guidelines for the buildings that you must enter for in-person USCIS services.

Guidelines for Entering USCIS Facilities

– Visitors may not enter a USCIS facility if they:

USCIS announced on Wednesday, May 27^th, that they are opening some of their domestic offices and will resume non-emergency public services on or after Thursday, June 4^th! Routine in-person services and most of the USCIS facilities have been temporarily closed since March 18^th.

 
*As services begin to reopen, offices will reduce the number of appointments and interviews to ensure social distancing, allow time for cleaning and reduce waiting room occupancy. Appointment notices will contain information on safety precautions that visitors to USCIS facilities must follow.

If you are feeling sick, please do not go to your appointment. Follow the instructions on your appointment notice to reschedule your appointment for when you are healthy. There is no penalty for rescheduling your appointment if you are sick. *USCIS

USCIS announced on Friday, May 1st, that they were extending the flexibilities that they originally announced on March 30th. These flexibilities are for responding to certain requests from the USCIS, some are listed below:

• Requests for Evidence;
• Continuations to Request Evidence (N-14);

USCIS announced on March 18th that they have suspended routine in-person services, they have now extended that public closure until at least June 4th. This step is being taken to slow the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19)! USCIS will continue to operate but without public personal contact. USCIS will provide very limited emergency services that require personal contact; you must contact the USCIS Contact Center for more information.

Please visit this USCIS News Alert for more information: USCIS Offices Preparing to Reopen on June 4

Source of Information:

USCIS is launching a new Interactive Voice Response (IVR) telephone system for calls to the USCIS Contact Center. Interactive Voice Response (IVR) telephone system is a technology that allows a computer system to interact and communicate with humans using voice and phone keypad tones. The new telephone system will be available in both English and Spanish, but it is a limited roll-out across the country.

This new system will personalize the caller’s experience by:

• Speak to the system rather than selecting keypad options;