Employment Based Green Card
USCIS to Destroy Returned Green Cards, EADs, & Travel Documents after 60 Days
USCIS announced recently that, beginning April 2nd, all Permanent Resident Cards, Employment Authorization Cards (EADs), and Travel Documents returned as undeliverable by the United States Postal Service (USPS) will be destroyed after 60 business days unless USCIS is contacted by the recipient. A change of address, without proper reporting to USCIS, could result in a…
Read MoreUSCIS Processing Times Gain Transparency
USCIS recently announced exciting news for those with pending USCIS cases. A new pilot website now offers a user-friendly platform that estimates the processing time for your application. The website is still in the testing stages and will first offer the service to four types of forms. Clearer Processing Times Several factors impact the processing…
Read MoreWhat documents do I Need to Travel Outside the United States? (Lawful Permanent Residents)
Planning a trip outside of the United States requires a great deal of preparation, and often times, a great deal of documentation. For lawful permanent residents (LPR), the documentation and identification requirements outlined by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) for re-entry into the U.S. may come as a surprise. The types of documentation…
Read MoreGreen Card Renewals: Special Requirements for Minors (Biometrics)
Typically, a lawful permanent resident card, or green card, expires ten years after the issue date. Adults must then file a I-90 application to replace green card once it is time to renew. However, if your child received their green card before their 14th birthday, USCIS requires additional documentation and processing the minor’s renewal BEFORE…
Read MoreScheduling an InfoPass Appointment: Online Services Could Soon End
InfoPass is a free online service that allows individuals to schedule an appointment with a USCIS immigration officer. The online platform offers 12 different languages to make scheduling an in-person appointment easier. InfoPass is accessible from both computers and mobile devices to make scheduling available anywhere. The appointments scheduled through InfoPass are intended for specific…
Read MoreUSCIS Travel Documents: Advance Parole
Recently, unpredictable changes to Immigration Law has made travel outside of the US extremely risky for foreign nationals. Lawful non-immigrants with pending Adjustment of Status (AOS) or refugees/asylees with pending immigration applications may face circumstances that demand travel outside the United States. Upon return to the US, foreign nationals with pending immigration applications, who previously…
Read MoreNew USCIS Requirements: Valid Signature
Last week, USCIS released a memo outlining stricter requirements for petitioners and applicants seeking immigration benefits. The memo outlines that a petitioner or applicant must provide a “valid signature” to receive approval from a USCIS. A valid signature is defined by USCIS as any handwritten mark or sign by an individual to signify his or…
Read MoreWalk-in Biometric Appointment
Although an application support center (ASC) may refuse a walk-in, some applicants for permanent immigration benefits have successfully completed biometric appointments at a local ASC on a date before their scheduled appointment notice. If you decide to walk-in to your nearest ASC, you may have to wait for few hours because the center will prioritize…
Read MoreH-1B Cap Exemptions for Physicians: J-1 Home Residency
Last year in Fiscal Year (FY) 2018, the USCIS received enough petition towards H-1B visa lottery to satisfy the statutory cap of 65,000 as well as the advanced-degree exemption of 20,000 in less than five days. For petitioning employers that did not submit petitions before April 7th, 2017 or those who were unable to make…
Read MorePublic Charges Must Go: Changes to FAM
While the debate over immigration continues in Washington, a lot of questions have emerged regarding “public charge” non-citizens. Last week, the White House released proposed guidance for DACA recipients in which “Status is subject to revocation for criminal conduct or public safety and national security concerns, public charge, fraud, etc.” The announcement comes in addition…
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