Immigration Help Available to Those Affected by Natural Disasters and Other Unforeseen Circumstances

 USCIS is reminding the public that we offer immigration services that may help people affected by unforeseen circumstances such as natural disasters. Examples of unforeseen circumstances include, but are not limited to, the wildfires in the western United States and the recent building collapse in Surfside, Florida.

The following measures may be available on a case-by-case basis upon request:

• Changing a nonimmigrant status or extending a nonimmigrant stay for an individual currently in the United States. Failure to apply for the extension or change before expiration of your authorized period of admission may be excused if the delay was due to extraordinary circumstances beyond your control;
• Re-parole of individuals previously granted parole by USCIS;
• Expedited processing of advance parole requests;
• Expedited adjudication of requests for off-campus employment authorization for F-1 students experiencing severe economic hardship;

Read more at: https://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/immigration-help-available-to-those-affected-by-natural-disasters-and-other-unforeseen-circumstances

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

Employers May File H-2B Petitions for Returning Workers for FY 2021

 USCIS is announcing today that employers may file H-2B petitions for returning workers under the FY 2021 H-2B supplemental visa temporary final rule. Employers may take this action if they are likely to suffer irreparable harm without these additional workers. A petitioner must file a new Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, together with an approved and valid temporary labor certification that states an employment start date for the second half of the fiscal year, and attest that these noncitizens will be returning workers. Returning workers are defined as workers who were issued an H-2B visa or otherwise granted H-2B status in FY 2018, 2019, or 2020. Read more at: https://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/employers-may-file-h-2b-petitions-for-returning-workers-for-fy-2021

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

USCIS Expands Credit Card Payment Pilot Program to Form I-140 When Requesting Premium Processing

 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced that it has expanded a previously announced pilot program at the Nebraska Service Center (NSC) for accepting credit card payments using Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions, for certain applicants applying for premium processing.

On July 19, the NSC started accepting credit card payments using Form G-1450 for petitioners filing Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, with Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service, or when filing Form I-907 to upgrade a pending Form I-140 to premium processing. Read more at: https://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/uscis-expands-credit-card-payment-pilot-program-to-form-i-140-when-requesting-premium-processing

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

DHS Publishes Federal Register Notice Extending and Re-Designating Yemen for Temporary Protected Status

 WASHINGTON—The Department of Homeland Security today published a Federal Register notice (FRN) extending and re-designating Yemen for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months, from Sept. 4, 2021, through March 3, 2023. The extension and re-designation of Yemen for TPS is due to ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions that prevent Yemeni nationals (or individuals having no nationality who last habitually resided in Yemen) from safely returning.

The extension of TPS for Yemen allows approximately 1,700 current beneficiaries to retain TPS through March 3, 2023, so long as they meet TPS eligibility requirements. The re-designation of Yemen for TPS allows an estimated 480 additional Yemeni nationals (or individuals having no nationality who last habitually resided in Yemen) who have been continuously residing in the United States since July 5, 2021, and continuously physically present in the United States since Sept. 4, 2021, to file initial applications to obtain TPS, if they are otherwise eligible. Read more at: https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/dhs-publishes-federal-register-notice-extending-and-re-designating-yemen-for-temporary-protected

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

DHS releases Interagency Strategy for Promoting Naturalization

 WASHINGTON – Today the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services released the Interagency Strategy for Promoting Naturalization (PDF, 3.77 MB), a whole-of-government approach to breaking down barriers to U.S. citizenship and promoting naturalization to all who are eligible, as outlined in President Biden’s Executive Order 14012. 

“Becoming a United States citizen is a tremendous privilege,” said Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas.  “New citizens, strengthened with the power and responsibilities that American citizenship brings, make our Nation better. This strategy will ensure that aspiring citizens are able to pursue naturalization through a clear and coordinated process.” Read more at: https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/dhs-releases-interagency-strategy-for-promoting-naturalization

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

USCIS Naturalization Policies Issued Since January 2021

 The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to making the naturalization process both welcoming and accessible to all who are eligible. As part of that effort, President Biden issued Executive Order 14012: Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration System and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New Americans. Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued the following naturalization policies designed to support implementation of this Executive Order:

Reinstatement of the 2008 Civics Test-Revising Guidance on Naturalization Civics Educational Requirement (PDF, 320.79 KB) Read more at: https://www.uscis.gov/news/all-news/uscis-naturalization-policies-issued-since-january-2021

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.