Category: Immigration

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the U.S. Embassy in Bern announced on February 1, 2017, the expansion of Global Entry to citizens of Switzerland. Global Entry, a CBP Trusted Traveler Program, allows for expedited clearance of pre-approved, low-risk travelers. Swiss citizens can begin applying for Global Entry on February 1, 2017 following clearance from the Swiss Federal

https://www.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo The USCIS Announcement for September 2017 states that both family-based and employment-based adjustment of status applicants must use the “Final Action Dates” chart in the Department of State Visa Bulletin. https://travel.state.gov/

As of August 1, 2017, Nebraska Service Center transferred some of the Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, filed by some applicants with a pending asylum application seeking an initial Employment Authorization Document cases to the Texas Service Center: Please visit the USCIS Workload Transfer Updates page for more information.

The Foreign Affairs Manual states the dependent of a principal in the US in a Non-immigrant visa (NIV) status may obtain the NI Visa as long as the principal maintains the status in the U.S. 9 FAM 402.1-6 ISSUANCE OF NONIMMIGRANT VISAS (NIV) TO SPOUSES AND/OR CHILDREN WHEN PRINCIPAL IS IN STATUS BUT HAS NO VISA. Derivative beneficiaries are entitled

  Lawful permanent residents who file the online Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card, without assistance from an attorney or accredited representative, can now file their form and upload evidence entirely on a mobile device. There are no substantive changes to the policy or content of the form, and the online version has parity with the questions and

POLICY ALERT – Biometrics Requirements for Naturalization July 26, 2017 https://www.uscis.gov/policymanual/HTML/PolicyManual-Updates.html ​U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to specify that every naturalization applicant must provide biometrics regardless of age, unless the applicant qualifies for a fingerprint waiver due to certain medical conditions.

USCIS Resumes H-1B Premium Processing for Certain Cap-Exempt Petitions U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will resume premium processing for certain cap-exempt H-1B petitions effective immediately; July 24, 2017. The H-1B visa has an annual cap of 65,000 visas each fiscal year. Additionally, there is an annual “master’s cap” of 20,000 petitions filed for beneficiaries with a U.S. master’s degree

Arrival/Departure Forms: I-94 and I-94W Foreign visitors to the U.S. arriving via air or sea no longer need to complete paper Customs and Border Protection Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record or Form I-94W Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver Arrival/Departure Record. Those who need to prove their legal-visitor status-to employers, schools/universities or government agencies-can access their CBP arrival/departure record information online. CBP now gathers

Executive Order 13780 Travel Ban Close Family Member Update July 13, 2017 The Department of State (DOS) updated the FAQ on the its Announcement Page regarding the Travel Ban after the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii overturned the DOS and DHS FAQs noted below and concluded that the travel ban cannot be enforced against: • Grandparents, grandchildren,

USCIS will release the latest Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, on July 17. Employers will be able to use this revised version or continue using Form I-9 with a revision date of 11/14/16 N through Sept. 17. On Sept. 18, employers must use the revised form with a revision date of 07/17/17 N. Employers must continue following existing storage and