USCIS

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Earlier known as INS. USCIS is responsible for providing immigration benefits to applicants. Homepage http://wwww.uscis.gov

USCIS Continues to Accept FY 2013 H-1B Petitions

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced it continues to accept H-1B nonimmigrant petitions that are subject to the fiscal year (FY) 2013 cap. The agency began accepting these petitions on April 2, 2012.

USCIS has received approximately 17,400 H-1B petitions counting toward the 65,000 cap, and approximately 8,200 petitions toward the 20,000 cap exemption for individuals with advanced degrees.

USCIS Grants Temporary Extension of Accommodation for Sheepherders in H-2A Status

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced 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.

USCIS to Expedite Review for Certain Cases Affected by Specific Administrative Inaccuracies

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.

USCIS Publishes FAQ on F-1 OPT And H-1B Cap-Gap Regulations

Introduction

These Questions & Answers address the automatic extension of F-1 student status in the United States for certain students with pending or approved H-1B petitions (indicating a request for change of status from F-1 to H-1B) for an employment start date of October 1, 2012 under the Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 H-1B cap.

Questions & Answers

Q1. What is “Cap-Gap”?