OUTSIDE THE BOX THINKING, DELIVERING CUTTING EDGE SOLUTIONS!

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has extended the time period for information collection for Form I-824, Application for Action on an Approved Application until July 9, 2010.

During this period, USCIS will be evaluating whether to revise Form I-824.

This form has multiple purposes: to request a duplicate approval notice, to request an approval notice be sent to another U.S. Consulate, or to request an approval notice be sent to a U.S. Consulate for derivative visas for family members.

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) is seeking public comment on a proposed federal rule that would adjust most fees by 10% for immigration benefit applications and petitions.

USCIS is a fee-based organization with about 90% of its budget coming from fees paid by applicants and petitioners to obtain immigration benefits. The law requires USCIS to conduct fee reviews every two years to determine whether its costs to administer the nation’s immigration laws, process application, and provide the infrastructure needed to support those activities. A fee adjustment, as detailed in the proposed rule, is necessary to ensure that the USCIS recovers the cost of their operations while also meeting the application processing goals identified in the 2007 fee rule.

Members of the public are encouraged to submit comments and/or suggestions to USCIS.

Big changes are coming to E-Verify in June that will enhance its usability, security, accuracy and efficiency. The newly redesigned E-Verify features a clean and modern design, easy and intuitive navigation, and clear and simple language. A new home page, a reimagined case alerts feature, improved case management and a streamlined tutorial are among the dozens of improvements coming to E-Verify.

Check out the new E-Verify Redesign section of the E-Verify website to learn more about what’s coming and how to prepare. The new section highlights several of the exciting new features and offers information on how to get a sneak preview in June before the site launches.

Want to know more about the redesigned E-Verify? USCIS is offering a sneak preview Webinar the week before the new site is launched. The 90-minute Webinar will be conducted by a member of the redesign team and will feature a presentation of the changes as well as a question and answer session.

The Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) Processing Times were released on June 8, 2010 with processing dates as of May 1, 2010.

If you filed an appeal, please review the links below to determine the applicable processing time associated with your particular case.

Administrative Appeals Office

Secretary Janet Napolitano of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on June 3, 2010 that the U.S. and France have established an arrangement to implement the Immigration Advisory Program (IAP), which allows for the identification of high-risk travelers at foreign airports before they board aircraft bound for the U.S. This arrangement has been launched at Paris’ Charles De Gaulle International Airport. A similar arrangement was entered into on July 1, 2009, implementing IAP at Madrid Barajas International Airport.

The purpose of the IAP is to allow specialized U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel posted in foreign airports to utilize current targeting and passenger analysis information and/or an assessment of passengers’ documentation to identify high-risk persons bound for the U.S. and to make “no board” recommendations to carriers and host governments.

Secretary Napolitano believes that the IAP arrangements will enhance the capabilities of both the U.S. and foreign countries in which we have collaborated with to protect our immigration systems as well as the global aviation network from abuse by terrorists and transnational criminals.

The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently updated their list of Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) approved schools. The schools listed have all been certified to participate in the program.

The program allows foreign students interested in obtaining an education in the United States to complete a visa petition, pay the required fee, and attend a U.S. College or University.

Interested Foreign students: There is a process in obtaining a student visa, but it is not a difficult one. The student must first obtain Form I-20 from the U.S. College or University from which he/she intends to enroll, pay the required visa fee (Form I-901) and contact a local U.S. Consulate/Embassy to schedule an interview. The SEVP procedures differ among U.S. Consulates/Embassies; contact your U.S. Consulate/Embassy NOW to determine its particular procedure on applying for a visa before planning for the interview.

The Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals (BALCA) recently affirmed the final determination of a Certifying Officer (CO) denying labor certification (LC) for three alien workers for the position of “Senior Programmer Analyst.”

The employer filed a LC which was accepted for processing on August 15, 2007. ETA Form 9089 indicated that the job duties consisted of “design, develop, plan, coordinate and implement advance software module components in complex computing environment. For specific skills, the employer required: C++, ASP, COM/DCOM, Scripting, Win NT/2000/98, UNIX, Oracle and VB. Thereafter, the CO issued an Audit Notification letter requesting evidence of recruitment and other required documentation. The Employer responded by submitting copies of its newspaper advertisements, as well as the other required documentation. Thereafter the CO denied certification for several reasons: (1) the Notice of Filing did not contain the location of the job opportunity; and (2) the Employer did not provide adequate documentation of the mandatory print advertisements as requested. Specifically, the tear sheets submitted were not legible. The Employer responded by requesting reconsideration and submitted enlarged, legible copies of its newspaper advertisements. The CO issued a letter of reconsideration indicating that denial was proper because the advertisements contained additional job requirements not listed on the ETA Form 9089. Specifically, the newspaper advertisements stated that travel was required for the position.

PERM Regulation 20 C.F.R. § 656.17(f)(7) controls and it provides:

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has updated the count of H-1B petitions received and counted towards the 65,000 cap.

As of May 28, 2010, 20,800 H-1B Regular CAP subject non-immigrant visa petitions have been filed with the USCIS towards the 65,000 cap.

As of May 28, 2010, 8,700 H-1B Masters Degree CAP subject non-immigrant visa petitions have been filed with the USCIS towards the 20,000 cap.

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has announced that several more forms will be transitioning from the Service Centers to the Lockbox Network. USCIS believes that by centralizing form and fee intake to a Lockbox environment, USCIS will improve consistency and integrity in the intake process.

The forms scheduled for the transition include:

I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker;

Contact Information