I have listed the general COVID safety guidelines for entering a USCIS facilities below. Remember to check for the specific guidelines that you must follow for any building that you may personally need to enter for official USCIS related business.
Guidelines for Entering USCIS Facilities
– Visitors may not enter a USCIS facility if they:
List of some of the Top News Stories related to Trump and Biden on Immigration:
American Action Forum, 9/8/20:
USCIS announced on Friday, September 11th, 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:
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.
9.11.01 We Remember
Question #1 – Employment Based Green Card Sponsorship
On August 25th, Secretary Pompeo, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, announced expanded ability of consular officers to waive the in-person interview requirement for individuals applying for a nonimmigrant visa in the same classification. Before this new expansion, only those applicants whose nonimmigrant visa expired within 12 months were eligible for an interview waiver.
Review the Department of State (DOS) U.S. Visa News Article, “DOS Expands Interview Waiver Eligibility” for more details!
Source of Information:
USCIS has now updated their Policy Manual with guidance on the final fee rule! The final fee rule adjusts the fees USCIS charges for certain immigration benefit applications and petitions, in this case mostly increases. The final rule was published in the Federal Register on August 3, 2020 and the fees changes will take effect on Friday, October 2nd.
Link to the Final Rule on the USCIS fee changes, includes the new fee charts: Final Rule
Please visit the USCIS news alert for more detailed information: USCIS Issues New Policy Guidance on Final Fee Rule
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, September 11, 2020. Act now and submit your questions!
The Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals (BALCA) recently affirmed the decision of a Certifying Officer (CO) to deny labor certification for the position of “Senior Software Engineer.”
The CO denied the labor certification stating the alternative requirements for the position were different (not substantially equivalent) from the primary job requirements on the ETA Form 9089. The Employer mentions as an alternative requirement for this position – 12 years of related experience as being equivalent to possessing a Bachelor’s degree. On the Form, the Employer lists the “primary requirements of a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Electronic Engineering, or a closely related field, and 60 months of experience” in the job offered. The CO cited a violation of PERM Regulation 20 C.F.R. § 656.17(h)(4)(i).
The Employer requested reconsideration of the denial stating it only listed one education and experience requirement; therefore, it did not accept an alternative combination of education & experience. They argued that their recognition of 12 years of experience as the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree is a widely used standard in the IT industry and amongst U.S. educational institutions.
On August 25th, President Trump via Twitter, nominated acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Chad F. Wolf to top role at DHS. Trump twitted, “I am pleased to inform the American Public that Acting Secretary Chad Wolf will be nominated to be the Secretary of Homeland Security. Chad has done an outstanding job and we greatly appreciate his service!”. Acting Secretary Wolf has been in the acting position since November 13, 2019! Wolf must now be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
Source of Information:
CNN, 8/25/20, News Article:
USCIS announced that the agency has canceled a scheduled administrative furlough of more than 70% of their workforce, around 13,000 employees! The USCIS furlough was scheduled to begin August 30th, but because of spending cuts and a steady increase in daily revenue they claim they are now solvent enough to finish the fiscal year with their workforce.
Review the USCIS News Release, “USCIS Averts Furlough of Nearly 70% of Workforce” for more details!
Source of Information:
H1B Visa Lawyer Blog