USCIS Policy Review Survey

USCIS has launched a survey that will run for two weeks starting April 15, 2010. This survey will allow the public to identify which visas they want USCIS to give top priority or concentrate on first. To make a difference in USCIS policies, go to www.uscis.gov and take the survey. This survey will be available up to April 29, 2010.

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) Filing Deadline for Haitian is July 20, 2010

USCIS reminds Haitian nationals that they have until July 20, 2010 to file their Temporary Protected Status (TPS)applications. Haitian nationals must have continuously resided in the U.S. since January 12, 2010 and must meet other TPS eligibility before filing. Contact us at www.aislaw.com or at 1-888-509-5901 to find out if you are eligible.

Immigration Benefits for Chilean Nationals

In response to recent natural catastrophes in Chile, USCIS reminds Chilean nationals that certain immigration benefits are available to them. These relief are available upon request, so contact us as soon as possible to see if we can assist in applying for these immigration benefits. Temporary relief may include the following:

The grant of an application for change or extension of nonimmigrant status on behalf of a Chilean national who is currently in the United States, even in cases where the request is submitted after the individual’s authorized period of admission has expired;
Re-parole of individuals granted parole by USCIS;
Extension of certain grants of advance parole, expedited processing of advance parole requests;
Expedited adjudication and approval, where possible, of requests for off-campus employment authorization due to severe economic hardship for F-1 students;
Expedited processing of immigrant petitions for immediate relative(s) of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs);
Expedited issuance of employment authorization where appropriate; and
Assistance to LPRs stranded overseas without documents in coordination with the Department of State.

Fiscal Year 2011 H-1B Cap Not Yet Reached

USCIS announced yesterday that it has not reached its 2011 fiscal year H-1B general cap of 65,000 and U.S. master's degree or higher educational exemption cap of 20,000. To date USCIS has received approximately 13,500 H-1B petitions counting toward the 65,000 H-1B cap and 5,600 petitions for individuals with advanced degrees.

Employers who want to employ foreign workers for specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in fields, such as, but not limited to scientists, engineers, or computer programmers should contact wwww.aislaw.com or 1-800-509-5901 as soon as possible so that we can ensure timely filing of your application toward the cap.

Special Humanitarian Parole Program for Haitian Orphan Ends April 14, 2010

The Haitian government requested that the U.S. bring its special humanitarian parole program for Haitian orphans to a close. The special parole policy and process, developed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as part of the overall U.S. government response to the January 12, earthquake will end on April 14, 2010. The program affects the following prospective adoptive or adoptive parents of Haitian orphans:

• those who either had full and final adoptions completed by United States citizen parents before the earthquake or,
• who were far enough along in the adoption process that both the governments of Haiti and the United States could verify the identity and eligibility of the children for adoption, and the United States government could confirm the suitability of the adoptive parents.

More than 1,000 Haitian orphans have been approved for travel to the United States to join their adoptive families under this expedited process. USCIS is in the process of considering several hundred more requests and anticipates that ultimately some 1,200 children will benefit from this program.

If you are in the class of adoptive parents that may be affected by this deadline, contact us at 888-509-5901 or email us or contact us as www.aislaw.com for further assistance.