FY 2021 H-1B Cap Petitions May Be Filed as of April 1

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced that H-1B cap-subject petitions for fiscal year (FY) 2021, including those petitions eligible for the advanced degree exemption, may now be filed with USCIS if based on a valid selected registration.

A petitioner is only eligible to file an FY 2021 H-1B cap-subject petition if they electronically registered the beneficiary in the H-1B registration process and USCIS selected the registration submitted for the beneficiary through the random selection process.

The H-1B electronic registration process was well-received by users, who provided a high satisfaction score with the system. Nearly 275,000 unique registrations were submitted during the initial registration period. Roughly 46% of all registrations were for prospective beneficiaries with U.S. advanced degrees. There were more than 40,000 registration accounts created, and nearly 81% of submitted registrations were for potential beneficiaries from India (67.7%) and China (13.2%). Prior to the launch of the electronic registration system, USCIS conducted robust public outreach to ensure users were equipped to effectively use the new system. Read more at: https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/fy-2021-h-1b-cap-petitions-may-be-filed-april-1

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information www.greencardadvice.com.

Just letting everyone know we are still open for business. If you have any immigration issues you have been putting off, or know anyone who has, there is no better time than now to deal with them.  Feel free to reach out! www.greencardadvice.com

ICE Air flying home 466 US citizens from Central America during COVID-19 outbreak

WASHINGTON – On March 27, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), working with the U.S. Department of State, brought home a total of 257 United States citizens on the return leg of three separate removal flights via ICE Air Operations, bringing the total to 466 US citizens returning home since March 22. U.S. citizens occupied the Space Available (“Space A”) seats on flights to the United States from Honduras and El Salvador.

ICE removed Honduran nationals and Salvadoran nationals with final orders of removal from the United States to their home countries on March 27. On the return flights to the United States, ICE facilitated the transportation of U.S. citizens in accordance with the OMB Circular A-126 and the DHS MD 0020.1. In total, ICE brought home 130 US citizens from Honduras on two separate flights, and 127 US citizens from El Salvador. Read more at: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-air-flying-home-466-us-citizens-central-america-during-covid-19-outbreak

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information www.greencardadvice.com.

What is ICE doing in response to the COVID-19 virus?

Law enforcement agencies across the country, to include ICE, are paying close attention to this pandemic. While our law enforcement officers and agents continue daily enforcement operations to make criminal and civil arrests, prioritizing individuals who threaten our national security and public safety, we remain committed to the health and safety of our employees and the general public. It is important for the public to know that ICE does not conduct operations at medical facilities, except under extraordinary circumstances. ICE policy directs our officers to avoid making arrests at sensitive locations – to include schools, places of worship, and health care facilities, such as hospitals, doctors’ offices, accredited health clinics, and emergent or urgent care facilities – without prior approval for an exemption, or in exigent circumstances. See our FAQ for more.

Consistent with federal partners, ICE is taking important steps to further safeguard those in our care. As a precautionary measure, ICE has temporarily suspended social visitation in all detention facilities. Read more at: https://www.ice.gov/covid19

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information www.greencardadvice.com.

USCIS Announces Flexibility in Submitting Required Signatures During COVID-19 National Emergency

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced that, due to the ongoing COVID-19 National Emergency announced by President Trump on March 13, 2020, we will accept all benefit forms and documents with reproduced original signatures, including the Form I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker, for submissions dated March 21, 2020, and beyond. 
USCIS already accepts various petitions, applications and other documents bearing an electronically reproduced original signature. This means that a document may be scanned, faxed, photocopied, or similarly reproduced provided that the copy must be of an original document containing an original handwritten signature, unless otherwise specified. HYPERLINK "" \l "[1] For forms that require an original “wet” signature, per form instructions, USCIS will accept electronically reproduced original signatures for the duration of the National Emergency. This temporary change only applies to signatures. All other form instructions should be followed when completing a form.
Individuals or entities that submit documents bearing an electronically reproduced original signature must also retain copies of the original documents containing the “wet” signature.  USCIS may, at any time, request the original documents, which if not produced, could negatively impact the adjudication of the immigration benefit.

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

ICE Homeland Security Investigations special agents make MS-13 arrests

SAN FRANSICO, Calif. – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents arrested six suspected MS-13 gang members at a number of locations in San Francisco, Daly City, Mountain View, Menlo Park, and South San Francisco on March 12.

During the arrests, HSI special agents recovered two handguns with ammunition. They also recovered a machete, which is known as a weapon of choice for MS-13 gang members.

The investigation led to 17 Bay Area residents being indicted by a federal grand jury for a broad range of racketeering crimes including RICO conspiracy, attempted murder, and assault. The superseding indictment handed down Feb. 18 and unsealed today catalogues a litany of crimes allegedly perpetrated in and around the Mission District of San Francisco, according to U.S. Attorney David L. Anderson. Read more at: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-homeland-security-investigations-special-agents-make-ms-13-arrests

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information www.greencardadvice.com.

USCIS Temporarily Closing Offices to the Public March 18-April 1

Effective March 18, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is suspending in-person services at its field offices, asylum offices and Application Support Centers (ASCs) to help slow the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). This suspension of services will be effective until at least April 1. In the meantime, USCIS will provide limited emergency services. Please call the Contact Center for assistance with emergency services.

USCIS field offices will send notices to applicants and petitioners with scheduled appointments and naturalization ceremonies impacted by this closure. USCIS asylum offices will send interview cancellation notices and automatically reschedule asylum interviews. When the interview is rescheduled, asylum applicants will receive a new interview notice with the new time, date and location of the interview. When USCIS again resumes normal operations, USCIS will automatically reschedule ASC appointments due to the office closure. You will receive a new appointment letter in the mail. Individuals who had InfoPass or other appointments must reschedule through the USCIS Contact Center once field offices are open to the public again. Please check to see if your field office has been reopened before reaching out to the USCIS Contact Center.  Read more at: https://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/uscis-temporarily-closing-offices-public-march-18-april-1

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information www.greencardadvice.com.