The Trump administration is now allowing international students to enter the US to attend colleges and universities even if all their courses for the fall 2020 semester are online. The administration rescinded a temporary rule that would have required international students to transfer or leave the country if their college or university held classes entirely online because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The rescission of the temporary rule comes after Harvard, MIT, and other colleges and universities filed suit, and university leaders, students, and educational advocates criticized the temporary rule noting that it would have jeopardized the health of students, teachers, and university staff and led to a potential dramatic loss of revenue for many educational institutions and the towns where they are located.
Read moreUSCIS Texas Service Center (TSC) Moved to a New Address On June 26
The US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) Texas Service Center (TSC) moved to a new address on June 26, 2020. USCIS states that the new facility will "help streamline processes by consolidating operations in the new location" and that the TSC "will continue to provide prompt and efficient service in processing requests for immigration benefits." Although the move was scheduled for June 26, USCIS could not accept mail at the new address until Monday, June 29. The updated address for the service center is:
Texas Service Center
6046 N Belt Line Rd.
Irving, TX 75038-0001
Those filing cases with the TSC should consult the filing address pages on USCIS.gov to find the specific address information, including suite numbers, that applicants should include when they are submitting. USCIS also adds a reminder that service centers do not provide in-person services, conduct interviews, or receive walk-in applications or petitions or questions.
PRESIDENT TRUMP ISSUES PROCLAMATION SUSPENDING CERTAIN WORK VISAS INCLUDING H-1B’S FOR THOSE OUTSIDE THE US (UPDATED JULY 2, 2020)
President Trump today issued a proclamation temporarily suspending certain employment-based work visas for those outside the United States through December 31, 2020. This order, which does not affect foreign national workers already in the US in any category, could effectively bar hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals from coming to work in the US. President Trump claims his actions are necessary to protect US jobs amid the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Read moreJuneteenth 2020
Today our office is closed in observance of the Juneteenth Holiday, which over the last thirty years has gained "prominence as an African American celebration of freedom and heritage," writes journalist Afi-Odelia Scruggs. (Scruggs also dispels five myths about Juneteenth). Originally celebrated as the anniversary of when Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger issued orders to free enslaved people in Texas on June 19, 1865 (almost two years after the Emancipation Proclamation), the holiday is receiving additional attention this year amid protests against police brutality and racial violence.
This morning we visited the #BlackLivesMatter mural on Fulton Street between Marcy and Tompkins Avenues in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Artists and local residents will add to the mural names of those killed due to racial violence in the US. “We would hope that this would be a plaza where we can come and gather, and really have conversations about the future,” Councilman Robert Cornegy Jr. tells CBS New York. “And really just a focal point for the change that we seek.”
Many are calling for Juneteenth to be a federal holiday. “Recognizing Juneteenth as a national holiday would be a small gesture compared with the greater social needs of black people in America,” musician and entrepreneur Usher writes. “But it can remind us of our journey toward freedom, and the work America still has to do.” He adds: “As we celebrate today, let’s stay open to possibility. Let’s support black-owned businesses today and every day. Let’s uplift our resilient history. Let’s honor our people. Happy Juneteenth, America.”
The Washington Post: "Supreme Court blocks Trump’s bid to end DACA, a win for undocumented 'dreamers'"
The Supreme Court today rejected the Trump administration's attempt to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protects undocumented immigrants brought to United States as children from removal (commonly called deportation) and provides them work permission. This decision provides a reprieve, if only temporary, for nearly 650,000 recipients commonly referred to as “Dreamers.” Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. wrote the 5-to-4 decision and he was joined by the court’s four liberals.
Read moreUSCIS Resumes Premium Processing for I-129 and I-140 Petitions In Phases Beginning June 1
US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced that the agency will resume premium processing for Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, and Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, in phases over the next month. On March 20, USCIS previously announced the temporary suspension of premium processing for all Form I-129 and I-140 petitions due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Read moreUSCIS Preparing to Reopen Some Offices and Resume Public Services on June 4
US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced they are continuing to prepare some domestic offices to reopen and resume non-emergency public services on or after June 4, 2020. Previously, on March 18, USCIS temporarily suspended routine in-person services at its field offices, asylum offices, and application support centers (ASCs) to help slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). USCIS announced in April they were planning on reopening offices in June. The latest information on the status of individual offices can be checked on the office closures page at USCIS.gov.
Read moreMemorial Day Weekend
As we head into the long Memorial Day weekend, we hope that everyone can (safely) enjoy the unofficial start of summer and take some time to watch a beautiful sunset. Whatever you do, stay safe, and have a good Memorial Day.
USCIS Accepts Re-filing of Rejected I-140 Petitions with E-certification or Electronically Reproduced Signatures
On March 20, 2020, US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced it would accept electronically reproduced signatures in benefit requests during the coronavirus (COVID-19) national emergency. Additionally, on March 24, 2020, the Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) announced that ETA Forms 9089, Application for Permanent Employment Certification (ETA 9089), will be issued electronically to employers and their authorized attorneys or agents. After these announcements, USCIS notes that the agency “inadvertently rejected some Forms I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, that included these e-certified ETA-9089s or blue ETA-9089s with electronically reproduced signatures.”
USCIS is requesting that affected petitioners re-submit their Form I-140 with the blue ETA Form 9089s or e-certified ETA-9089s with “either wet original signatures and/or scanned copies of the original signatures as well as a copy of the rejection notice.” If the petitioner’s inadvertently rejected ETA-9089 expired between March 20 and May 18, 2020, USCIS notes the agency will accept the re-filed Form I-140 petition along with the inadvertently rejected, expired ETA-9089 for the duration of the national emergency.
DHS Offers Flexibilities to Increase Food Security & Stabilize US Supply Chain During COVID-19 Pandemic
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a temporary final rule to change certain H-2B requirements to “help support the U.S. food supply chain, maintain essential infrastructure operations and reduce the impact from the coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency.” The H-2B nonimmigrant classification applies to foreign national workers seeking to perform nonagricultural services or labor of a temporary nature in the US, usually lasting no longer than one year, for which able, willing, and qualified US workers are not available. DHS notes that these temporary measures apply solely to foreign nationals already present in the US with a valid H-2B nonimmigrant status, and also notes that the temporary final rule does not increase H-2B visas above the congressionally mandated 66,000 visa cap through the remainder of fiscal year (FY) 2020.
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