Published by: The Economic Times - Date: February 28, 2022
Synopsis
This question has created much confusion amongst the employers and the employees Because of a new declaration introduced by the USCIS. Every employer who signs up an H-1B employee for the lottery registration must now declare “under penalty of perjury:”
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FAQ's answered in The Economic Times NRI Helpdesk: How long can I stay outside the US without losing my Green Card?
Published by: The Economic Times: February 27, 2022
Question: I am a US green card holder. I traveled from the US in September 2021 and am currently in India. I need to stay here longer due to personal reasons. How long can I stay outside the US without my GC being affected? Alternatively, would it suffice if I pay a week’s visit to the US before March 2022?
Published by: CNBC TV18: February 23, 2022
Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:
“The USCIS wants to approve as many green cards as they can as there has been a huge spillover from the family quota. This has not happened in the past in such large numbers,” Economic times quoted Rajiv S Khanna, Managing Attorney of Immigration.com.
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Release Date
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services encourages eligible applicants to consider requesting to transfer the underlying basis of their adjustment of status application to the first (priority workers) or second (noncitizens in professions with advanced degrees or with exceptional ability) employment-based preference categories, because there is an exceptionally high number of employment-based immigrant visas available in these categories during this fiscal year (October 2021 through September 2022).
We assisted in responding to an RFE questioning the employer’s educational requirements for an E-3 (Specialty Occupation Workers from Australia) Petition filed for a software developer position.
The dates reflect the month and year in which applications were filed (request date) or submission date of the appeal request for Redeterminations or Center Director Review. The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) encourages employers to request a prevailing wage determination for the H-2B program at least 60 days before the date the determination is needed. For various reasons, OFLC may be completing the processing of applications filed prior to the month posted.
The Biden administration earlier announced changes in immigration policy treatment of STEM fields that provide welcome opportunities to the people holding F-1 and J-1 visas in the United States.
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today published updated policy guidance to change the maximum validity period that may be granted for Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) issued to certain applicants, as well as to provide general guidance on adjudicating Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization.
Starting today, USCIS will generally grant new and renewed EADs that are valid for two years to applicants in the following categories:
How to Make Your Communication with the USCIS Contact Center More Effective
The USCIS Contact Center has made changes to reduce reliance on telephonic live assistance while promoting the use of online self-help tools and digital inquiry channels. This is the result of financial limitations and resource constraints that make it impossible for USCIS to offer live assistance to every customer in the face of increased inquiry volumes.
When does it make sense to reach out to the USCIS Contact Center?