Immigration Documents Help

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The USCIS lockbox facilities have received a significant increase in filings in recent weeks. This increase, along with facility capacity restrictions necessary to protect the health and safety of the lockbox workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic, is causing significant delays for processing receipt notices. We continue to work to minimize delays. Once we process your submission, we will review your package. If you properly filed your form, we will send a receipt notice to t...he mailing address provided on your form, normally within 30 days. If your submission is incomplete or improperly filed, we will reject it per current procedures. You can take steps to decrease the time it takes us to process and send your receipt notice or find out the status of your case: File online (if this option is available for your form type) and receive immediate confirmation that we have received your form instead of waiting for the mail; Create a free USCIS online account and check the status of your case from your mobile device, anywhere, anytime using our case status online tool; or Complete Form G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance, and clip it to the front of your form to request a text message and/or email when we accept your form. We also encourage you to follow the tips below when submitting evidence with your application package: Review the form instructions and checklist of required initial evidence on the form webpage (if this option is available for your form); Submit single-sided photocopies of requested documents, unless the form instructions specifically state you must submit an original document; With the exception of passport photos, please copy photographs to an 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper instead of sending originals. Always send in original passport photos where requested; Submit only the required evidence and supporting documentation listed in the form instructions. If we need additional information, we will request it from you; and If you cannot provide the required primary evidence when filing a form, review the form instructions for appropriate secondary evidence. For more information about USCIS filing tips, please visit our Form Filing Tips webpage. Kind regards, Public Engagement Division U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Stakeholder Message - USCIS Lockbox Updates.pdf logo small

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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced updated guidance expanding the discretionary criteria USCIS officers use to determine whether to interview applicants filing Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, based on refugee or asylee status. The updated criteria are well within the parameters of USCIS’ regulatory authority to determine, on a case-by-case basis, whether an interview is necessary to determine the admissibility o...f an alien applying for lawful permanent resident status under INA 209. The updates do not change the eligibility requirements to adjust status. The list of interview criteria can be found in the Policy Manual, Volume 7, Part L, Chapter 5, Part B. The updated list provides greater parity with the criteria USCIS applies in determining whether to interview other adjustment of status applicants. Each determination by USCIS to waive or require an interview will continue to be made at the discretion of the USCIS officer on a case-by-case basis. While the updated criteria may result in more applicants requested to appear for an interview, the changes are necessary to help ensure program integrity and support USCIS’ efforts to detect and prevent fraud and risks of harm to the United States.

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El Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS) anunció hoy la publicación de una notificación en el Registro Federal que extiende la validez del Estatus de Protección Temporal (TPS) y de la documentación relacionada con TPS para los beneficiarios bajo las designaciones de El Salvador, Haití, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua y Sudán. La notificación extiende automáticamente la validez de los Documentos de Autorización de Empleo (EAD); Formularios I-797, Notificación de Acción; y los Fo...Continue reading

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En respuesta a la pandemia de coronavirus (COVID-19), el Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de Estados Unidos ha ampliado las flexibilidades que anunció el 30 de marzo para ayudar a los solicitantes y peticionarios que responden a ciertas(os): Solicitudes de Evidencia, Continuaciones a Solicitudes de Evidencia (N-14), Notificaciones de Intención de Denegación,... Notificaciones de Intención de Revocación, Notificaciones de Intención de Rescindir y Notificaciones de Intención de Cancelación de centros de inversión regionales, y Requisitos de fechas de presentación del Formulario I-290B, Aviso de Apelación o Moción. Fecha de Emisión de la Notificación/Solicitud/Decisión Esta flexibilidad aplica a los documentos listados arriba si la fecha de emisión indicada en la solicitud, notificación o decisión es entre el 1 de marzo de 2020 y el 1 de julio de 2020, inclusive. Fecha Límite para Respuestas USCIS considerará cualquier respuesta a las solicitudes o notificaciones si la recibe dentro de los 60 días calendario posteriores a la fecha límite de respuesta indicada en la solicitud o notificación, antes de tomar cualquier acción. USCIS considerará cualquier Formulario I-290B recibido hasta 60 días calendario a partir de la fecha de la decisión antes de tomar cualquier acción. Para más Información USCIS proporcionará actualizaciones adicionales a medida que se desarrolle la situación y seguirá las guías de los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades. Por favor, visite la página uscis.gov/es/coronavirus para conocer los últimos hechos y obtener actualizaciones. Cordialmente, División de Enlace Público Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de Estados Unidos logo small

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is no longer issuing Form N-560AB, Certificate of Citizenship, effective Friday, April 10, 2020. USCIS is now issuing Form N-560A for all Certificates of Citizenship associated with Forms N-600, N-600K and Child Citizenship Act adopted children. Previously issued Forms N-560AB will remain valid. Form N-560AB and N-560A have identical security features. ... N-560AB For more information on USCIS and our programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis), Facebook (/uscis) and Instagram (@USCIS).

Updates Align with Board of Immigration Appeals Decision and Statute U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced it is updating its Policy Manual to align with the Department of Justice’s Board of Immigration Appeals’ (BIA) precedent decision in Matter of Zhang. Decided in June 2019, the BIA held in this decision that false claims of U.S. citizenship do not need to be knowingly made to make an alien deportable under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The... Policy Manual also applies the BIA’s decision to the false claim to U.S. citizenship ground of inadmissibility, as it is virtually identical to the ground of deportability. Under the law, an alien is inadmissible or deportable if the alien falsely represents him or herself to be a citizen of the United States for any purpose or benefit under immigration law or under other federal or state law. The only exception Congress provided to the false claim to U.S. citizenship ground of inadmissibility requires that each parent of the alien is or was a U.S. citizen, the alien permanently resided in the United States before the age of 16, and the alien reasonably believed he or she was a U.S. citizen when claiming to be one. Aliens applying for refugee status and for adjustment of status based on refugee or asylee status, as well as legalization applicants, may be eligible to apply for a waiver of this ground of inadmissibility. This ground of inadmissibility does not apply to special immigrant juveniles seeking adjustment of status, or to registry applicants. Matter of Zhang clarified that it is not necessary for the government to show intent when it comes to false representations to U.S. citizenship. This guidance aligns with that decision and addresses inadmissibility for falsely claiming U.S. citizenship for any purpose or benefit under the INA or any other federal or state law, provided that the alien made the false claim on or after Sept. 30, 1996. Please do not reply to this message. See our Contact Us page for phone numbers and e-mail addresses. USCIS signature Emma STAY CONNECTED: Visit Us on Twitter Visit us on Facebook Visit us on YouTube

On March 18, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services temporarily suspended in-person services at its field offices, asylum offices, and application support centers (ASCs) to help slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). USCIS is readying offices to re-open in compliance with local and state orders, on or after June 4. Employees in these offices are continuing to perform mission-essential services that do not require face-to-face contact with the public while the offices a...re temporarily closed. During this time, individuals may still submit applications and petitions to USCIS. Online filing remains the most convenient and interactive way to submit forms, check the status of your case, and receive notices. Field Office and ASC Appointments, Naturalization Ceremonies, InfoPass USCIS field offices will send notices to applicants and petitioners with scheduled appointments and naturalization ceremonies impacted by the extended temporary closure. When USCIS again resumes normal operations, USCIS will automatically reschedule ASC appointments due to the temporary office closure. Individuals will receive a new appointment letter in the mail. Those who had InfoPass or other appointments must reschedule through the USCIS Contact Center once field offices are open to the public again. Asylum Office Interviews 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. Please check to see if the respective office has been reopened before calling the USCIS Contact Center. In-Person Public Engagements Additionally, USCIS is postponing all in-person public engagement and outreach events for the duration of the temporary office closure. Please contact [email protected] if you have an immediate engagement question during this time. For More Information USCIS will provide further updates as the situation develops and will continue to follow CDC guidance in response to this situation. Please visit uscis.gov/coronavirus for updates. Education and precautions are the strongest tools against infection. Get the latest facts by visiting the CDC’s COVID-19 website. Continue to practice good health habits, refrain from handshakes or hugs as greetings, and clean hands and surfaces appropriately. Kind regards, Public Engagement Division U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services USCIS June 4 Extension of Closure.pdf logo small

Retrasos en Extensiones de Estadía y Cambios de Estatus Causados por Circunstancias Extraordinarias Relacionadas con COVID-19 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Mon, Apr 13, 2020 at 1:39 PM Reply-To: [email protected] To: [email protected] El Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS, por sus siglas en inglés) reconoce que hay retos relacionados a inmigración debido a la pandemia del coronavirus (COVID-19). Continuamos el a...Continue reading

Para proteger a nuestra fuerza laboral y ayudar a mitigar la propagación del coronavirus (COVID-19) en nuestras comunidades, el 18 de marzo USCIS suspendió temporalmente los servicios rutinarios en persona con nuestros solicitantes en todas nuestras oficinas, incluidas las entrevistas y ceremonias de naturalización. La suspensión temporal ha sido extendida hasta el 3 de mayo, y las oficinas de USCIS reabrirán el 4 de mayo, a menos que el cierre de servicios al público se prol...Continue reading

Regulation promotes self-sufficiency and immigrant success Today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a final rule that clearly defines long-standing law to better ensure that aliens seeking to enter and remain in the United States either temporarily or permanently are self-sufficient and rely on their own capabilities and the resources of family members, sponsors, and private organizations rather than on public resources. This final rule amends DHS r...Continue reading

Family 2A Category Will Become Current On July 1, 2019 family 2A category On May 17, 2019, the U.S. State Department announced that the family 2A category (spouses and unmarried children of lawful permanent residents) will become current for the first time in many years. The State Department’s Charlie Oppenheim who is responsible for the monthly Visa Bulletin announced this momentous development at the Immigration Conference of the Federal Bar Association in Austin, Texas.... Currently, the family 2A category is backlogged approximately 2 years so this is a huge leap forward! This is great news for green card holders who have petitioned, or want to petition, their spouses and children. If your spouse and children are present in the U.S., they will be able to file applications for adjustment of status (form I-485) starting on July 1, 2019. This packet should include an application for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) and an Advance Parole (AP) international travel document.

The designation of Honduras for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is set to expire on July 5, 2018. After reviewing country conditions and consulting with appropriate U.S. Government agencies, the Secretary of Homeland Security has determined that because conditions in Honduras no longer support its designation for TPS, ... termination of the TPS designation of Honduras is required by statute. To provide time for an orderly transition, the Secretary is terminating the designation effective on January 5, 2020, which is 18 months following the end of the current designation. Nationals of Honduras (and aliens having no nationality who last habitually resided in Honduras) who have been granted TPS and would like to maintain their TPS and receive TPS-based Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) valid through January 5, 2020, must re- register for TPS in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Notice. After January 5, 2020, nationals of Honduras (and aliens having no nationality who last habitually resided in Honduras) who have been granted TPS under the Honduras designation will no longer have TPS. DATES: The designation of Honduras for TPS is terminated effective at 11:59 p.m., local time, on January 5, 2020. The 60-day re-registration period runs from June 5, 2018 through August 6, 2018. (Note: It is important for re-registrants to timely re-register during this 60-day period.) FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: You may contact Samantha Deshommes, Chief, Regulatory Coordination Division, Office of Policy and Strategy, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 20 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20529-2060; or by phone at 800- 375-5283. For further information on TPS, including guidance on the re-registration process and additional information on eligibility, please visit the USCIS TPS web page at http://www.uscis.gov/tps. You can find specific information about this termination of Honduras's TPS by selecting ``Honduras'' from the menu on the left side of the TPS web page. If you have additional questions about Temporary Protected Status, please visit uscis.gov/tools. Our online virtual assistant, Emma, can answer many of your questions and point you to additional information on our website. If you are unable to find your answers there, you may also call our USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283. Applicants seeking information about the status of their individual cases may check Case Status Online, available on the USCIS website at http://www.uscis.gov, or call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833). Service is available in English and Spanish. Further information will also be available at local USCIS offices upon publication of this Notice.

Re-Registration Period Now Open for Temporary Protected Status for Nepal U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services sent this bulletin at 05/22/2018 12:00 PM EDT WASHINGTONU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that current beneficiaries of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) under Nepal’s designation who want to maintain their status through the effective termination date of June 24, 2019, must re-register between May 22, 2018, and July 23, 2018. Re-r...egistration procedures, including how to renew employment authorization documents (EADs), have been published in the Federal Register and on uscis.gov/tps. All applicants must submit Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status. Applicants may also request an EAD by submitting a completed Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, at the time they file Form I-821, or separately at a later date. Both forms are free to download from the USCIS website at uscis.gov/tps. USCIS will issue new EADs with a June 24, 2019 expiration date to eligible Nepali TPS beneficiaries who timely re-register and apply for EADs. Given the timeframes involved with processing TPS re-registration applications, however, USCIS recognizes that not all re-registrants will receive new EADs before their current EADs expire on June 24, 2018. Accordingly, USCIS has automatically extended the validity of EADs issued and currently valid under the TPS designation of Nepal for 180 days, through Dec. 21, 2018. On April 26, 2018, Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen announced that the statutory conditions supporting Nepal’s TPS designation on the basis of an environmental disaster are no longer met and terminating the designation was required by statute. Secretary Nielsen made her decision after reviewing country conditions and consulting with appropriate U.S. government agencies. To allow time for an orderly transition, she delayed the effective date of the termination for 12 months from the current expiration date of June 24, 2018. As a result of the delayed effective date, Nepal’s TPS designation will end on June 24, 2019. For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis), and Facebook (/uscis).

On May 14, 2018, USCIS will begin recalling approximately 8,543 Permanent Resident Cards (also known as Green Cards) due to a production error. The Green Cards were for approved Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions of Residence for spouses of U.S. citizens. The cards were printed with an incorrect Resident Since date and mailed between February and April 2018. USCIS will send notices to individuals who received the incorrect Green Cards and to their attorneys of record..., if they have one. The affected individuals should return their incorrect Green Card to USCIS in the provided pre-paid envelope within 20 days of receiving the notice. They may also return their cards to USCIS field offices. USCIS will send replacement Green Cards within 15 days of receiving the incorrect card. The recall does not affect these Green Card holders’ status as lawful permanent residents. If affected individuals need to travel internationally or prove their lawful permanent residence while they wait for a replacement card, they may contact the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 to determine if they need additional proof. Spouses of U.S. citizens may apply for naturalization after three years of permanent residency and must meet other requirements. The incorrect date on these cards could lead applicants to wait longer than necessary to apply to become U.S. citizens.