USCIS

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reminds employers that they must use the revised Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification (Revision 03/08/13)N for all new hires and reverifications. All employers are required to complete and retain a Form I-9 for each employee hired to work in the United States.

The revision date of the new Form I-9 is printed on the lower left corner of the form. Employers should not complete a new Form I-9 for existing employees, however, if a properly completed Form I-9 is already on file.

Redline version of the Senate “Gang of Eight” Sponsors’ Amendment to S.744, released 5/1/13, to be introduced for markup in Senate Judiciary Committee.

Please check the attachment.

U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released the new Form I-9 for immediate use by all employers! Some of the new features include:

USCIS is moving the existing online payment for the USCIS Immigrant Fee to its Electronic Immigration System (USCIS ELIS). Customers will soon pay the $165 USCIS Immigrant Fee using USCIS ELIS after they receive their immigrant visa package from the Department of State and before they depart for the United States. USCIS ELIS is easy to use and provides direct access to case status updates. New immigrants will also use USCIS ELIS to file future applications and petitions when they become available in the system.

Since March 4, 2013, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has been accepting applications for Provisional Unlawful Presence Waivers (Form I-601A).  USCIS, however, rejected many of these applications because customers did not provide proof that the required Immigrant Visa Application Fee was paid to the U.S. Department of State (DOS).

REMINDER: USCIS cannot accept a Form I-601A unless it includes evidence that the applicant paid the Immigrant Visa Application Fee to DOS.

Please make sure you:

USCIS has resumed processing of all Form I-129 H-2B petitions for temporary non-agricultural workers.  On March 22, 2013, USCIS temporarily suspended adjudication of most Form I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker, H-2B petitions while the government considered appropriate action in response to the Court order in Comite de Apoyo a los Trabajadores Agricolas et al v.

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today the availability of the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program, a competitive grant opportunity which promotes immigrant civic integration and prepares permanent residents for citizenship. The program will provide nearly $10 million in funding for citizenship preparation programs in communities across the country. Applications are due by May 22, 2013.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reached the statutory H-1B cap of 65,000 for fiscal year (FY) 2014 within the first week of the filing period, which ended on April 5, 2013. USCIS also received more than 20,000 H-1B petitions filed on behalf of persons exempt from the cap under the advanced degree exemption.  

WASHINGTON—U.S.