USCIS announced on Wednesday, July 1st, that they were extending the flexibilities that they originally announced on March 30th. These flexibilities are for responding to certain requests from the USCIS, some are listed below:
The American Immigration Council (AIC) has released all fifty states and the District of Columbia, for a total of fifty-one updated state-by-state fact sheets highlighting immigration data and facts. These fact sheets highlight the demographic and economic impact of Immigrants in each state.
With national immigration policy being discussed, we thought that it would be a good time to provide some statistics on the Immigrant population in the United States as provided by this AIC research. Once a week we will be posting a blog with information on three states at a time. This week we will highlight; Massachusetts, Michigan and Minnesota!
The AIC has compiled research which shows that Immigrants are an essential part of each of these states’ economy, labor force and tax base. As our economy continues to grow, Immigrants and their children are a growing economic and political force as consumers, taxpayers and entrepreneurs. As United States economic continues to grow, immigrants and their children will continue to play a key role in shaping the economic and political future of each of these states.
On Monday, July 6th, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced new rules for international students with F-1 or M-1 visas ahead of this fall semester. These changes could force some international students to transfer colleges or leave the country.
International students with F-1 or M-1 visas cannot take only online college courses! They must take an in-person class during the upcoming fall semester to remain in the United States. They will be forced to transfer or willing leave the country, if not they will face possible deportation.
New Fall Semester Rules for International Students:
You can now check USCIS processing times online at the USCIS web site. All you need to enter is your form number, and the office processing your case. USCIS has made processing times easier to understand and provide a more realistic date range.
The processing time range is how long it is taking for USCIS to process your type of case from the date they received it. USCIS processes cases in the order they receive them, and they normally update this information monthly. The estimated time range displayed is based on data captured over the last two months.
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Question #1 – Visa Bulletin
Where can I find the visa bulletin numbers?
USCIS announced on Wednesday, July 1st, that they were extending the flexibilities that they originally announced on March 30th. These flexibilities are for responding to certain requests from the USCIS, some are listed below:
With USCIS preparing to resume public services on Thursday, June 4, 2020. They will start by opening USCIS facilities as ready. Below are the general guidelines for entering a USCIS facilities following COVID-19 safe guides. Remember to look for specific guidelines for the buildings that you must enter for in-person USCIS services.
Guidelines for Entering USCIS Facilities
– Visitors may not enter a USCIS facility if they:
USCIS operations are mostly funded by applicants and petitioners’ fees, with the drop in applications that start in March and has continued until their reopening in June. The drop-in fees are mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic which caused the USCIS facilities closures! USCIS Deputy Director, Joseph Edlow released a statement on USCIS fiscal outlook:
“The effects of the coronavirus pandemic are long reaching and pervasive, leaving few unscathed in its wake. USCIS is still experiencing those very effects, which began with an alarming drop in applications at the end of March. Forecasts predict a crippling budget shortfall that requires assistance from Congress to allow USCIS to maintain current operations.
“Since May, USCIS has worked with Congress to explain the financial situation and educate members and staff on the needs of the agency. Recognizing the need to not let taxpayers carry this burden, USCIS’ proposal to Congress includes a requirement that any funding provided by Congress will be paid back to the U.S. Treasury. Both the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security and the Office of Management and Budget have written to Congress supporting this proposal. Without congressional action before August 3, USCIS will need to furlough over 13,000 staff members, which will have tremendous negative impacts on our mission administering our nation’s lawful immigration system, safeguarding its integrity, and protecting the American people. We urge Congress to provide the funding needed to pay our dedicated staff and ensure our operations continue uninterrupted during these unprecedented times.”
We wanted to find a new way to engage our reader base. Every other Friday, we will post the ten (10) best/most frequently asked questions received during the week from our h1bvisalawyerblog, Facebook, and Twitter readers. We will answer those questions and provide the Q&A on our H-1B Visa Lawyer Blog.
If you have a burning question, are seeking assistance with a difficult immigration related case, wish to discuss your views on Comprehensive Immigration Reform, DREAMers, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, priority dates, the monthly visa bulletin, adjustment applications, etc., please contact us by submitting your question/comment/viewpoint in our comment box provided on our H-1B Visa Lawyer Blog.
Our next “Q & A Forum” will take place this Friday, July 3, 2020. Act now and submit your questions!
USCIS published a brief statement on the Presidential Proclamation, “Proclamation Suspending Entry of Aliens Who Present a Risk to the U.S. Labor Market Following the Coronavirus Outbreak” issued on June 22nd by President Trump.
USCIS Deputy Director for Policy, Joseph Edlow stated, “Monday’s presidential proclamation temporarily restricts certain categories of visas from being issued to protect jobs for American workers while our economy recovers from the effects of COVID-19. This does not affect those currently working in the U.S. on valid H-1B or similar visas. The proclamation also does not prevent individuals in possession of valid visas prior to the effective date of the proclamation from entering or re-entering the country, if they have been abroad, provided they have not otherwise rendered themselves inadmissible. The U.S. will continue to honor these already valid visas as we help American workers get back on their feet.”
Source of Information:
H1B Visa Lawyer Blog