USCIS provides immigration relief to victims of various crimes—including domestic violence and human trafficking—by granting one of two forms of relief: T nonimmigrant status and U nonimmigrant status.
Principal victims granted T or U nonimmigrant status may additionally apply or petition USCIS on behalf of overseas family members for derivative T or U nonimmigrant status so that these family members can join them in the United States.
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Posted on April 7, 2012 | Category: Immigration News
WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it extended an accommodation for H-2A workers in the sheepherding industry to transition to the three-year limitation of stay requirements. USCIS will require H-2A sheepherders who have reached their maximum three-year period of stay to depart the United States by Aug. 16, 2012. These sheepherders must then remain outside the country for at least three months before petitioning for H-2A classification again.
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Posted on April 7, 2012 | Category: Immigration News
WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has established an expedited process for reviewing and correcting decisions resulting from certain administrative errors. This process enables customers to request an expedited review of their case and correction of the decision where data entry and/or an administrative error resulted in a denial or rejection of their petition or application.
A customer or his or her authorized representative may contact the National Customer Service Center (NCSC) at 1-800-375-5283 to request that an expedited service request be created if he or she believes that an adverse adjudicative action fits within the criteria listed below:
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Posted on April 7, 2012 | Category: Immigration News
WASHINGTON – On April 2, 2012, USCIS will issue Form I-797C, Notice of Action, with a new look and feel. We will print the Form I-797C on plain bond paper. This change is estimated to save the agency about $1.1 million per year.
This form change will help reduce public perception that the Form I-797C demonstrates evidence of an immigration benefit or status. The top of the new Form I-797C will clearly display: “THIS NOTICE DOES NOT GRANT ANY IMMIGRATION STATUS OR BENEFIT.” The following is a sample of how this disclaimer will appear on the Form I-797C
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Posted on April 3, 2012 | Category: Immigration News
Proposal would reduce time that U.S. citizens are separated from immediate relatives
WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today posted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register that would reduce the time U.S. citizens are separated from their spouses, children, and parents (i.e. immediate relatives) who must obtain an immigrant visa abroad to become lawful permanent residents of the United States. This rule would allow certain immediate relatives of U.S. citizens to apply for a provisional waiver of the unlawful presence ground of inadmissibility while still in the United States if they can demonstrate that being separated from their U.S. citizen spouse or parent would cause that U.S. citizen relative extreme hardship. The proposed rule will not alter how USCIS determines eligibility for a waiver of inadmissibility or how an individual establishes extreme hardship.
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Posted on April 3, 2012 | Category: Immigration News
