What's New?

USCIS Issues Additional Information to Employers Whose H-1B Petitions for Health Care Specialty Occupations Have Been Denied
July 17, 2009 - USCIS issued guidance today to certain employers who received a denial of Form I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker, requesting H-1B classification for a beneficiary to practice in a health care specialty occupation prior to May 20, 2009.

Secretary Napolitano Strengthens Employment Verification with Administration's Commitment to E-Verify
July 8, 2009 - Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today strengthened employment eligibility verification by announcing the Administration’s support for a regulation that will award federal contracts only to employers who use E-Verify to check employee work authorization.

USCIS Reminds Applicants for Adjustment of Status, Asylum, Legalization and TPS Beneficiaries to Obtain Advance Parole Before Traveling Abroad

May 29, 2009 - USCIS reminds such individuals that they must obtain advance parole before leaving the United States or risk being unable to return to the U.S. and their pending applications may be denied or closed.

Law Extends Non-Minister Special Immigrant Religious Worker Program
May 4, 2009 - USCIS advises its customers that Public Law 111-9, signed by President Obama on March 20, 2009, extends the non-minister special immigrant religious worker program through Sept. 29, 2009. The program had expired on March 6, 2009.

USCIS Revises Direct Mail Program for the Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (Form I-90)
Applicants to File Supporting Documentation with Applications to Lockbox in Phoenix

USCIS Delays Rule Changing List of Documents Acceptable to Verify Employment Eligibility
Reopens Public Comment Period for 30 days
January 30, 2009 - USCIS announced today it has delayed until April 3, 2009, the implementation of an interim final rule entitled "Documents Acceptable for Employment Eligibility Verification" published in the Federal Register on Dec. 17, 2008. The rule streamlines the Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9) process.

Delay for Federal Acquisition Regulation Policy Requiring Federal Contractors to Use E-Verify System
January 12, 2009 - Implementation of the final rule requiring federal contractors and subcontractors to begin using USCIS’ E-Verify system has been delayed until 2/20/09. An amendment providing notice of this postponement will publish in the Federal Register on Wednesday, 01/14/09. The final rule will be legally final and effective on 01/19/09, but Federal contracting officers will not begin to insert the new E-Verify clause into federal contracts and solicitations until 2/20/09.

USCIS Announces Change in Filing Location for EB-5 Related Items
January 12, 2009 - USCIS announced that petitions and applications related to the Alien Entrepreneur (EB-5) program, including Regional Center Proposals, must be filed at the California Service Center, effective January 26, 2009.

100,000 Employers Use E-Verify Program
January 8, 2009 - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that more than 100,000 employers have signed up to participate in E-Verify, a free, easy to use online system that equips participating employers with the tools to quickly and effectively verify the employment eligibility of newly-hired employees.

E-Verify Fact Sheet
Strengthening the Employment Eligibility Document Review Process for the Nation’s Employers

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) Re-registration Period for Nationals of Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador Ended Dec 30, 2008
January 7, 2009 - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reminds its customers that the re-registration period for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or nationals of Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador ended Dec 30, 2008.

USCIS Revises Direct Mail Program for the Application for Naturalization (Form N-400)
December 23, 2008 - USCIS announces that, effective January 22, 2009, non-military Form N-400s should be filed with the Lockbox facilities and not at a USCIS Service Center. Military cases should continue to be filed with Nebraska Service Center.

USCIS Revises Employment Eligibility Verification Form
December 12, 2008 - USCIS announced that it has submitted an interim final rule to the Federal Register that will streamline the Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9) process.

Employment Authorization Documents Extended for Nationals of El Salvador
December 12, 2008 - USCIS announced an automatic extension of the validity of Employment Authorization Documents for eligible Salvadoran TPS beneficiaries through Sept. 9, 2009.

USCIS Publishes Final Rule for Religious Worker Visa Classifications
November 21, 2008 - USCIS announced that it will make significant revisions to the special immigrant and nonimmigrant (R-1) religious worker visa classification regulations.

Temporary Protected Status Re-Registration Period Extended for Honduran and Nicaraguan Nationals
November 21, 2008 - WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced an extension to the re-registration period for nationals of Nicaragua and Honduras who have been granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and are now eligible to re-register and maintain their status an additional 18 months.

USCIS Issues TPS Registration Reminder to Eligible Hondurans, Nicaraguans and Salvadorans
October 28, 2008 — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today reminded Hondurans, Nicaraguans and Salvadorans, who are eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), to file a re-registration application for TPS before the end of the re-registration period, (Dec. 1, 2008 for Hondurans and Nicaraguans, and Dec. 30, 2008 for Salvadorans).

USCIS Makes Major Strides During 2008
November 6, 2008 - More than one million new citizens took the Oath of Allegiance during fiscal year 2008, just one of the significant accomplishments of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in the past year

A Better, Not Harder Citizenship Test
Leadership Journal October 15, 2008 entry by Jonathan “Jock” Scharfen, Acting Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

USCIS Delays Implementation of Direct Mail Program For N-400, Application for Naturalization
October 9, 2008 - USCIS announced today it will delay implementation of the Direct Mail Program for the N-400, Application for Naturalization. A Federal Register notice is scheduled to be published Oct 10, 2008, announcing the delay.

USCIS Announces 18-Month Extension of Temporary Protected Status for Nationals of Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador
September 26, 2008 - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced today that it will extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to nationals of Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador. The extension will last 18 months. (Link to USCIS Update on Nicaragua; links to Updates on Honduras and El Salvador can be found in this article.)

USCIS Reminds Naturalization Applicants of the New Naturalization Test
September 2 - USCIS will begin administering a new naturalization test on October 1, 2008. USCIS has issued a revised list of civics questions and answers. Applicants and organizations should use the list dated 8/08 when preparing for the new naturalization test.

USCIS Establishes Genealogy Program
August 13, 2008 - Customers can now turn to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for help in researching their family’s immigration history through the agency’s new Genealogy Program.

Zoster Vaccine Shortage
August 12, 2008 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have informed USCIS that the Zoster vaccine is currently unavailable due to shipping delays by the manufacturer.

USCIS Updates Projected Naturalization Processing Times
August 11, 2008 - USCIS now anticipates naturalization application processing will average 10-12 months nationally by the end of September 2008 – a substantial improvement from its estimated average processing time of 16-18 months first announced last year.

USCIS Extends Validity Period of Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) for Refugees
July 11, 2008 - In an effort to provide better customer service to refugees, USCIS will extend the validity of initial work authorization documents for refugees to two years after arrival in the U.S.

USCIS Issues Fact Sheet on Iraqi Refugee Processing
June 23, 2008 - Since the program began last spring, a total of 27,940 Iraqi individuals have been referred for resettlement. USCIS has interviewed 18,926 applicants, approved 13,067 for resettlement and 6,480 Iraqi refugees have arrived in the U.S. as of June 4, 2008.

USCIS to Offer Premium Processing for Certain I-140 Petitions
June 11, 2008 - USCIS announced today that on June 16, 2008, it will begin accepting Premium Processing Service requests for Form I-140 (Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker) filed on behalf of alien workers who are nearing the end of their sixth year in H-1B nonimmigrant status.

USCIS Moves Lockbox to New Site in Chicago
Private Courier Deliveries Automatically Forwarded For 90 Days - Does Not Affect U.S. Mail

USCIS Modifies Application for Temporary Protected Status
May 28, 2008 - USCIS announces that it has revised the Application for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Form I-821. The new form must be used as of June 27, 2008.

We're Listening: USCIS Acting Director Jonathan Scharfen writes to the DHS Leadership Journal
"We all appreciate that immigration benefits granted by USCIS, including citizenship, employment authorization, and permanent residency for immigrants and their families, are incredibly important to you"

USCIS Issues Revised Guidance on Child Status Protection Act (CSPA)
Policy changes toward aliens who had aged out prior to enactment of the CSPA

USCIS Releases Projected Naturalization Processing Times for Local Offices
April 22, 2008 - USCIS released the projected times for local offices to complete processing of applications for citizenship filed by individuals during the summer of 2007.

USCIS to Allow F-1 Students Opportunity to Request Change of Status
Short-term, Immediate Measure for Beneficiaries of Selected H-1B Petitions

USCIS National Benefits Center Provides Helpful Hints to Applicants
Important information to assist applicants, petitioners, attorneys and representatives in filing applications and petitions with the National Benefits Center or Chicago Lockbox.

USCIS Reaches H-1B Cap for FY 2009
April 8, 2008 - USCIS announced today that it has received enough H-1B petitions to meet the cap for fiscal year 2009. USCIS also received more than 20,000 H-1B petitions under the "advanced degree" exemption.

USCIS and FBI Release Joint Plan to Eliminate Backlog of FBI Name Checks
April 2, 2008 - USCIS and the FBI announced a joint plan to eliminate the backlog of name checks pending with the FBI by June 2009.

Statement by USCIS Director Emilio Gonzalez on Naturalization Application Processing
March 14, 2008 - USCIS has lowered its original processing projections for naturalization applications received during the summer of 2007 to 14-16 months.

USCIS Issues Revised Instructions for Travel Document Application
Revised March 7, 2008 - USCIS has issued revised instructions for Form I-131, Application for Travel Document. The instructions require applicants for re-entry permits and refugee travel documents to provide biometrics at USCIS Application Support Centers. The changes became effective March 5.

USCIS Announces Centralized Filing Location for Certain H-1B Cap Exempt Petitioners (54KB PDF)

Naturalization Delays: Causes, Consequences and Solutions (203KB PDF)
January 17, 2008 - Emilio T. Gonzalez, Director, USCIS, testifed before the House Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security and International Law, January 17, 2008

USCIS Answers Frequently Asked Questions about Receipting and Processing Delays
Updated January 16, 2008 - USCIS has revised and updated its frequently asked questions on receipt and processing delays to reflect the current situation.

USCIS Issues Update on Permanent Resident Card Replacement Proposal
December 13, 2007 - On August 22, 2007, USCIS published a proposed rule in the Federal Register that, when implemented, would require lawful permanent residents to replace permanent resident cards (Form I-551) with no expiration date. The comment period closed on September 21, 2007. USCIS is currently reviewing the 298 comments received.

Secretary Chertoff Extends Temporary Protected Status for Eligible Hondurans, Nicaraguans, and Salvadorans (27KB PDF)
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced his decision to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for eligible nationals of Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador for 18 months.

USCIS Advises I-130 Petitioners Overseas: Do Not Re-File (28KB PDF)
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services advises anyone who filed a Petition for Alien Relative (Form I-130), with an American embassy or consulate since July 2006 that they do not need to re-file the petition. USCIS is working with the Department of State to process those petitions.

Change Your Address Online
You can now change your address with USCIS online. Before using this online tool, you should have: (1)USCIS receipt number (if you have a case pending with USCIS); (2) New and old addresses; (3) Names and biographical information for any family members for whom you've filed; and (4) Date and location (port of entry) of your last entry into the United States.