On June 18, 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration announced initiatives to enhance the efficiency of obtaining employment-based nonimmigrant visas for U.S. college graduates with job offers. This effort aims to expedite visa processing for eligible individuals. As part of these measures, the Department will provide clearer guidelines to consular officers on recommending waivers of ineligibility to the Department of Homeland Security…
Effective May 6, 2024, USCIS has relocated the processing of Forms I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition, for following-to-join refugees (FTJ-R) from the Asylum Vetting Center to the USCIS International Operations Division. This change aims to enhance efficiency in handling these petitions by establishing a dedicated team for initial domestic processing. All pending Form I-730 FTJ-R petitions will automatically transfer from the…
There have been widespread reports of USCIS experiencing issues with erroneous rejections and delays in issuing receipts. Stakeholders, including various organizations, have raised concerns and provided numerous examples to USCIS. They are urging USCIS to allow affected parties to refile with updated forms and fees established before April 1, while recognizing original receipt dates. Efforts to address these issues continue…
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed amendments to clarify regulations regarding the 9-11 Response & Biometric Entry-Exit Fee for H-1B and L-1 Visas. The proposed changes aim to interpret statutory language more clearly, requiring covered employers to submit the 9-11 Biometric Fee for all extension-of-stay petitions, including those without a change of employer. This fee will continue to…
USCIS has completed the transition of their email messaging service to a “.gov” email address. Moving forward, emails from this feed will originate from the sender address “uscis@messages.dhs.gov” and will no longer display the “@public.govdelivery.com” handle. This change is to ensure transparency and authenticity in the messages. Remzi Guvenc Kulen, Esq. Kulen Law Firm, P.C.
The Department of State has issued a final rule allowing private attorneys, interpreters, and others to accompany individuals during certain appointments at passport agencies, U.S. embassies, and consulates abroad to assist the applicant. This rule applies specifically to appointments related to passport applications, requests for Consular Reports of Birth Abroad or Certificates of Loss of Nationality, and certain other services…
USCIS determined that for June 2024, applicants in all family-sponsored preference categories must use the Dates for Filing chart and all employment-based preference categories must use the Final Action Dates chart. According to the June 2024 visa bulletin, the priority date for the Second preference (F2A) – spouses and children (unmarried and under 21 years of age) of lawful permanent…
The San Francisco Asylum Office of USCIS is establishing another temporary site in Oakland, California. Started from May 15, asylum seekers falling under the jurisdiction of the San Francisco Asylum Office might be notified to attend their interview at the Oakland location instead. Remzi Guvenc Kulen, Esq. Kulen Law Firm, P.C.
There have been reports regarding an updated address for filing replacement employment authorization card applications due to an error by USCIS. The address listed on the Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-765 page is causing delivery issues for both FedEx and UPS courier services. The updated address is USCIS, Lee’s Summit Production Facility, Attn: I-765 Replacement Cards, 7 Product Way,…
USCIS has announced the selection of 114,017 beneficiaries, totaling 120,603 registrations in the initial selection for the FY2025 H-1B cap. There was a notable decrease in the total number of registrations compared to FY 2024, including fewer registrations for beneficiaries with multiple registrations. The number of eligible registrations dropped significantly for FY 2025 (470,342) compared to FY 2024 (758,994), marking…
