USCIS Extends Flexibility for Responding to Agency Requests

 In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is extending the flexibilities it announced on March 30, 2020, to assist applicants, petitioners and requestors who are responding to certain:

• Requests for Evidence;
• Continuations to Request Evidence (N-14);
• Notices of Intent to Deny;
• Notices of Intent to Revoke;
• Notices of Intent to Rescind;
• Notices of Intent to Terminate regional centers; and
• Motions to Reopen an N-400 Pursuant to 8 CFR 335.5, Receipt of Derogatory Information After Grant.

Read more at: https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/uscis-extends-flexibility-for-responding-to-agency-requests

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

USCIS Awards FY 2021 Citizenship and Integration Grants

On Sept. 20, 2021, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced the award of $10 million in grants to 40 organizations that prepare lawful permanent residents (LPRs) for naturalization. The grants also aim to promote prospective citizens’ integration into American civic life by funding educational programs designed to increase their knowledge of English, U.S. history and civics. Located in 25 states, these organizations will receive federal funding to support citizenship preparation services for LPRs through September 2023. Read more at: https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/uscis-awards-fy-2021-citizenship-and-integration-grants

Contact Darren Heyman,
immigration attorney, for more information.

USCIS to Welcome 21,000 New Citizens in Celebration of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day

 WASHINGTON— U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will celebrate Constitution Day and Citizenship Day this year by welcoming 21,000 new citizens in 335 naturalization ceremonies across the country between Sept. 17 and 23.

“It is an honor to welcome so many new Americans this Citizenship Day and Constitution Day,” said USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou. “Citizenship Day and Constitution Day are special days at USCIS – an agency where many people come to work every day to help those at home and abroad realize the full meaning of U.S. citizenship. As we take time to reflect on what citizenship means to each of us, let us share in the commitment to invest fully in this country’s promise to be a place of hope and possibilities for all.” Read more at: https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/uscis-to-welcome-21000-new-citizens-in-celebration-of-constitution-day-and-citizenship-day

Contact Darren Heyman,
immigration attorney, for more information.

USCIS Extends Evidence of Status for Conditional Permanent Residents to 24 Months with Pending Form I-751 or Form I-829

 Starting Sept. 4, 2021, USCIS is extending the time that receipt notices can be used to show evidence of status from 18 months to 24 months for petitioners who properly file Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, or Form I-829, Petition by Investor to Remove Conditions on Permanent Resident Status. We are making the change from 18 to 24 months to accommodate current processing times for Form I-751 and Form I-829, which have increased over the past year.

Conditional permanent residents who properly file Form I-751 or Form I-829 will receive a receipt notice that can be presented with their Form I-551, Permanent Resident Card (also known as a Green Card), as evidence of continued status for up to 24 months past the expiration date on their Green Card, while their case remains pending with USCIS. Read more at: https://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/uscis-extends-evidence-of-status-for-conditional-permanent-residents-to-24-months-with-pending-form

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

HSI Phoenix, police arrest 2 men for alleged sexual exploitation of a minor

 SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. – Two area men were arrested in the past 72 hours on various counts of sexual exploitation of a minor as a result of ongoing investigations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Sierra Vista Police Department (SVPD).

“Innocent children are irreparably harmed in the production of child pornography, and individuals who distribute such revolting material continue to victimize them,” said Scott Brown, special agent in charge of HSI Phoenix. “Protecting the most innocent members of our society is a top priority for HSI and we will not concede in our efforts to take child predators off our streets by putting them where they belong - behind bars.”

Read more at: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/hsi-phoenix-police-arrest-2-men-alleged-sexual-exploitation-minor

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.