Processing Time reports for all of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) Service Centers were released on 9/15/16 with processing dates as of 7/31/16.
If you filed a petition with one of the Service Centers, please review the links below to determine the applicable processing time associated with your particular case.
We wanted to find a new way to engage our reader base. Every other Friday, we will post the ten (10) best/most frequently asked questions received during the week from our h1bvisalawyerblog, Facebook, and Twitter readers. We will answer those questions and provide the Q&A on our H-1B Visa Lawyer Blog.
If you have a burning question, are seeking assistance with a difficult immigration related case, wish to discuss your views on Comprehensive Immigration Reform, DREAMers, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, priority dates, the monthly visa bulletin, adjustment applications, etc., please contact us by submitting your question/comment/viewpoint in our comment box provided on our H-1B Visa Lawyer Blog.
Our next “Q & A Forum” will take place this Friday, Sept. 30, 2016. Act now and submit your questions!
The Department of State, Office of Visa Services is warning the public of an increase in fraudulent emails and letters sent to Diversity Visa (DV) program (Visa Lottery) applicants. They warned that scammers may try to pose as U.S. government officials, trying to deceive applicants and possibly trying to take their money and private information. They warned DV applicants to only interact with the U.S. Department of State (DOS). Applicants should visit https://www.dvlottery.state.gov/ for official U.S. government information on the program.
DOS began taking online registration for the FY2018 Diversity Visa Program on 10/4/16. The registration period will end on Monday, 11/7/16. Again, please visit https://www.dvlottery.state.gov/ for official U.S. government information on the program and more details.
Source of Information:
Processing Time reports for all of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) Service Centers were released on 9/15/16 with processing dates as of 7/31/16.
If you filed a petition with one of the Service Centers, please review the links below to determine the applicable processing time associated with your particular case.
Annually, the United States government issues a maximum of 50,000 green cards through a computer-generated random lottery drawing. Applications for the DV-2018 random lottery will be accepted from noon (EDT) (GM-4) Tuesday, October 4, 2016 through noon (EST) (GM-5) Monday, November 7, 2016. Paper entries will not be accepted, eligible participants may access the electronic Diversity Visa entry form (E-DV) to apply during this period. Early entry is recommended and they strongly encourage applicants not to wait until the last week of the registration period to enter!
These green cards are only available to those eligible participants from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. Please check the “INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE 2018 DIVERSITY IMMIGRANT VISA PROGRAM (DV-2018)” for the complete list of countries/areas whose natives are eligible for DV-2018.
Note: Please review the list of countries/areas whose natives are eligible for DV-2018 because it also includes the countries that are not eligible. Natives of countries that sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the U.S. in the previous five years are not eligible.
The Immigration Policy Center (IPC) has released all fifty states, the District of Columbia and the United States (Overall), for a total of fifty-two updated fact sheets with accompanying info graphics and other details. These fact sheets highlight the demographic and economic impact of Immigrants, Asians and Latinos in each state. The Immigration Policy Center (IPC) is the research and policy division of the American Immigration Council (AIC).
With national immigration policy being discussed as part of Presidential Elections, we thought that it would be a good time to provide some statistics on the Immigrant population in the United States as provided by this IPC research. Once a week we will be posting a blog with information on three states at a time. This week we will highlight; Georgia, Hawaii & Idaho.
The IPC has compiled research which shows that Immigrants, Latinos and Asians are an essential part of each of these states’ economy, labor force and tax base. Immigrants and their children are a growing economic and political force as consumers, taxpayers and entrepreneurs. With the nation working towards economic recovery, immigrants and their children will continue to play a key role in shaping the economic and political future of each of these states.
MVP Law Group, P.A. makes available the information and materials in this forum for informational purposes only. The information is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice or any contractual obligations. Further, the use of this site, and the sending or receipt of this information, does not create an attorney-client relationship between us. Therefore, your communication with us through this forum will not be considered as privileged or confidential.
Question #1 – H1B Nonimmigrant Work Visa
How long can my employer continue to request three year extensions based on my approved I-140? I have completed my 6 years on H-1B status.
Constitution Day and Citizenship Day are observed on the same day each year, September 17th. This day is set aside to celebrate the signing of the U.S. Constitution in 1787 and also to observe and recognize the responsibilities of all U.S. citizens! Because the holiday follows on a Saturday, it will be observed on Friday, September 16th.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will mark this occasion by holding special naturalization ceremonies across the country starting on September 16th. Many of the ceremonies will be held using museums, historic and public libraries, government landmarks and national park sites as their backdrop. The U.S. Courts will live stream naturalization ceremonies from Ellis Island and Lincoln Memorial, “Constitution Day & Citizenship Day Coverage Live on Sept. 16”, on September 16th at 10:45 a.m. (ET). You can also follow the actives on @USCIS on Twitter and Facebook.com/USCIS.
Source of Information:
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Committee: Full Committee Border and Maritime Security Counterterrorism Title: Shutting Down Terrorist Pathways Into America
The Department of State has released its latest Visa Bulletin.
Click here to view the October 2016 Visa Bulletin
The monthly Visa Bulletin has changed. The bulletin now summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during the reported month for: “Application Final Action Dates” (consistent with prior Visa Bulletins) and “Dates for Filing Applications,” indicating when immigrant visa applicants should be notified to assemble and submit required documentation to the National Visa Center using Consular Processing (outside of the US) or file on their own with USCIS Form I-485 (within the US).
H1B Visa Lawyer Blog