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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>ARTIST VISA USA | EB1A GUIDE FOR ARTISTS</title> <atom:link href="https://www.artistvisausa.com/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://www.artistvisausa.com</link> <description>Your guide to the american dream</description> <lastBuildDate>Mon, 11 Jul 2022 18:03:54 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.3.4</generator> <image> <url>https://www.artistvisausa.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/cropped-1600-1-32x32.png</url> <title>ARTIST VISA USA | EB1A GUIDE FOR ARTISTS</title> <link>https://www.artistvisausa.com</link> <width>32</width> <height>32</height></image> <item> <title>Green Card for Employment-Based Immigrants</title> <link>https://www.artistvisausa.com/green-card-for-employment-based-immigrants/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Artist Visa USA]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 11 Jul 2022 18:03:08 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.artistvisausa.com/?p=1835</guid> <description><![CDATA[U.S. immigration law provides aliens with a variety of ways to become lawful permanent residents (get a Green Card) through employment in the United States. These employment-based (EB) “preference immigrant” categories include: First preference (EB-1) – priority workersAliens with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics;Outstanding professors […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>U.S. immigration law provides aliens with a variety of ways to become lawful permanent residents (get a Green Card) through employment in the United States. These employment-based (EB) “preference immigrant” categories include:</p> <p>First preference (EB-1) – priority workers<br>Aliens with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics;<br>Outstanding professors and researchers; or<br>Certain multinational managers and executives.<br>Second preference (EB-2) – aliens who are members of the professions holding advanced degrees or who have exceptional ability (including requests for national interest waivers).<br>Third preference (EB-3) – skilled workers, professionals, or other workers.<br>This page provides specific information for aliens in the United States who want to apply for lawful permanent resident status in the EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 categories while in the United States. This is called “adjustment of status.” You should also read the Instructions for Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (PDF, 551.22 KB) before you apply.</p> <p>For more information on other types of employment-based immigrants, see our pages on Green Cards for EB-4 special immigrants (for example, religious workers and special immigrant juveniles) and EB-5 immigrant investors.</p> <p>If you are currently outside the United States, see Consular Processing for information about how to apply for a Green Card as a family preference immigrant.</p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>USCIS to Implement Premium Processing for Certain Previously Filed EB-1 and EB-2 Form I-140 Petitions</title> <link>https://www.artistvisausa.com/uscis-to-implement-premium-processing-for-certain-previously-filed-eb-1-and-eb-2-form-i-140-petitions/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Artist Visa USA]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 09 Jun 2022 01:17:51 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.artistvisausa.com/?p=1830</guid> <description><![CDATA[Release Date 05/24/2022 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is implementing premium processing for certain petitioners who have a pending Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, under the EB-1 and EB-2 classifications. This expansion of premium processing only applies to certain previously filed Form I-140 petitions under an E13 multinational executive and […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Release Date 05/24/2022</p> <p>U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is implementing premium processing for certain petitioners who have a pending <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/i-140">Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers</a>, under the EB-1 and EB-2 classifications. This expansion of premium processing only applies to certain previously filed Form I-140 petitions under an E13 multinational executive and manager classification or E21 classification as a member of professions with advanced degrees or exceptional ability seeking a national interest waiver (NIW). Petitioners who wish to request a premium processing upgrade must file <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/i-907">Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service</a>.</p> <p>The expansion will occur in phases:</p> <ul><li>Beginning June 1, 2022, we will accept Form I-907 requests for E13 multinational executive and manager petitions received on or before Jan. 1, 2021.</li><li>Beginning July 1, 2022, we will accept Form I-907 requests for E21 NIW petitions received on or before June 1, 2021, and E13 multinational executive and manager petitions received on or before March 1, 2021.</li><li>As the expansion of premium processing is being implemented in a phased approach, we will continue working towards premium processing availability of additional Form I-140 petitions, Form I-539 and Form I-765 in fiscal year 2022. USCIS will also adhere to the congressional requirement that the expansion of premium processing must not cause an increase in processing times for regular immigration benefit requests.</li></ul> <p>We will reject premium processing requests for these Form I-140 classifications that are filed before their start date of June 1, 2022, or July 1, 2022. USCIS has 45 days to complete premium processing for these newly included Form I-140 classifications. We will not accept new (initial) Forms I-140 with a premium processing request at this time.</p> <p>We will reject premium processing requests for these classifications that are filed before their start date of June 1, 2022, or July 1, 2022. We will not accept new (initial) Forms I-140 with a premium processing request at this time.</p> <p>On May 24, 2022, we published a new version of Form I-907, dated 05/31/22. For the month of June, we will accept both the 09/30/20 and the 05/31/22 editions of Form I-907. Starting July 1, we will reject the older 09/30/20 edition of Form I-907.</p> <p>As <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/uscis-announces-new-actions-to-reduce-backlogs-expand-premium-processing-and-provide-relief-to-work">previously announced</a>, we are expanding premium processing to additional form types as part of our efforts to increase efficiency and reduce burdens to the overall legal immigration system.<gwmw style="display:none;"></p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>USCIS Announces New Actions to Reduce Backlogs</title> <link>https://www.artistvisausa.com/uscis-announces-new-actions-to-reduce-backlogs/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Artist Visa USA]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sun, 03 Apr 2022 02:04:47 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.artistvisausa.com/?p=1822</guid> <description><![CDATA[WASHINGTON— Today on 03/29/2022, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is announcing a trio of efforts to increase efficiency and reduce burdens to the overall legal immigration system. USCIS will set new agency-wide backlog reduction goals, expand premium processing to additional form types, and work to improve timely access to employment […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>WASHINGTON</strong>— Today on 03/29/2022, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is announcing a trio of efforts to increase efficiency and reduce burdens to the overall legal immigration system. USCIS will set new agency-wide backlog reduction goals, expand premium processing to additional form types, and work to improve timely access to employment authorization documents. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resource constraints resulting from the prior administration, USCIS inherited a significant number of pending cases and increased processing times. Through today’s actions by the Biden administration, USCIS is acting to reduce these caseloads and processing times, while also ensuring that fair and efficient services are available to applicants and petitioners.</p> <p>“USCIS remains committed to delivering timely and fair decisions to all we serve,” said USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou. “Every application we adjudicate represents the hopes and dreams of immigrants and their families, as well as their critical immediate needs such as financial stability and humanitarian protection.”</p> <p><strong>Reducing Processing Backlogs</strong></p> <p>To reduce the agency’s pending caseload, USCIS is establishing <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/forms/filing-guidance">new internal cycle time goals</a> this month. These goals are internal metrics that guide the backlog reduction efforts of the USCIS workforce and affect how long it takes the agency to process cases. As cycle times improve, processing times will follow, and applicants and petitioners will receive decisions on their cases more quickly. USCIS will increase capacity, improve technology, and expand staffing to achieve these new goals by the end of FY 2023.</p> <p>The agency’s publicly posted <a href="https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/">processing times</a> show the average amount of time it took USCIS to process a particular form – from when the agency received the application until a decision was made on the case. Internally, USCIS monitors the number of pending cases in the agency’s workload through a metric called “cycle times.” A cycle time measures how many months’ worth of pending cases for a particular form are awaiting a decision. As an internal management metric, cycle times are generally comparable to the agency’s publicly posted median processing times. Cycle times are what the operational divisions of USCIS use to gauge how much progress the agency is, or is not, making on reducing our backlog and overall case processing times.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/images/home/CycleTimeGoals.jpg" alt="new cycle time goals"/></figure> <p><strong>Expanding Premium Processing</strong></p> <p>Today the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a final rule that aligns premium processing regulations with the Emergency Stopgap USCIS Stabilization Act. The rule codifies premium processing fees and adjudication timeframes provided by Congress.</p> <p><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/forms/all-forms/how-do-i-request-premium-processing">Premium processing</a> is an expedited adjudication service now available only to petitioners filing a <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/i-129">Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker</a>, and to certain employment-based immigrant visa petitioners filing a <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/i-140">Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers</a>. This final rule expands the categories of forms ultimately eligible for premium processing services, including <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/i-539">Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status</a>; <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/i-765">Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization</a>; and additional classifications under Form I-140.</p> <p>USCIS intends to begin implementing, through a phased approach, premium processing availability of Form I-539, Form I-765 and Form I-140 in fiscal year 2022. USCIS will also adhere to the congressional requirement that the expansion of premium processing must not cause an increase in processing times for regular immigration benefit requests.</p> <p>USCIS plans to begin this phased implementation process by expanding premium processing eligibility to Form I-140 filers requesting EB-1 immigrant classification as a multinational executive or manager, or EB-2 immigrant classification as a member of professions with advanced degrees or exceptional ability seeking a national interest waiver.</p> <p><strong>Improving Access to Employment Authorization Documents</strong></p> <p>USCIS continues to make progress toward a <a href="https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eoDetails?rrid=232262">temporary final rule</a> currently named “Temporary Increase of the Automatic Extension Period of Employment Authorization and Documentation for Certain Renewal Applicants.”</p> <p>In recent months, USCIS has begin streamlining many EAD processes, including extending validity periods for certain EADs and providing expedited work authorization renewals for healthcare and childcare workers. The temporary final rule aims to build on this progress and to ensure certain individuals will not lose their work authorization status while their applications are pending.<gwmw style="display:none;"></p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>United States: DHS Issues Final Rule to Expand USCIS Premium Processing Program in Phases</title> <link>https://www.artistvisausa.com/united-states-dhs-issues-final-rule-to-expand-uscis-premium-processing-program-in-phases/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Artist Visa USA]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 30 Mar 2022 02:10:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.artistvisausa.com/?p=1825</guid> <description><![CDATA[At a glance The regulation will expand premium processing service to additional case types, including additional categories of I-140 petitions, certain Form I-765 employment authorization document (EAD) applications, and some Form I-539 applications to change or extend status. The rule will take effect 60 days after publication in the Federal […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>At a glance</p> <ul><li>The regulation will expand premium processing service to additional case types, including additional categories of I-140 petitions, certain Form I-765 employment authorization document (EAD) applications, and some Form I-539 applications to change or extend status.</li><li>The rule will take effect 60 days after publication in the Federal Register, but implementation will occur in phases over a period of at least three years and dependent on DHS’s capacity.</li><li>The phased implementation is expected to begin this fiscal year with EB-1 Multinational Manager and EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW) I-140 petitions, Form I-539 applications to change to F, J, or M status, and Form I-765 applications for F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT) and J exchange visitor employment authorization.</li><li>In FY 2025, premium processing is expected to become available for Form I-539 applications for extensions and changes of status for dependents of H, L, E, O, P, and R principal nonimmigrants, and for Form I-765 applications for an as yet unspecified additional group of EAD application types.</li><li>The rule also announces a new method for determining when the premium processing clock starts for new case types, based on when USCIS receives “all prerequisites for adjudication,” which could lengthen the actual wait time for action on a case.</li></ul> <p>The issue</p> <p>On March 30, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will publish a long-awaited <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2022-06742/implementation-of-the-emergency-stopgap-uscis-stabilization-act">final regulation</a> that sets the groundwork for expansion of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) premium processing program to several additional immigration benefit case types, but defers the start of implementation until later this fiscal year.</p> <p>USCIS <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/uscis-announces-new-actions-to-reduce-backlogs-expand-premium-processing-and-provide-relief-to-work">announced</a> the new rule as part of its actions to reduce backlogs and to provide certain relief to work permit holders. The rule is intended to implement legislation that was signed into law in October 2020 as part of the <a href="https://www.fragomen.com/insights/stopgap-spending-measure-broadens-uscis-premium-processing-temporarily-extends-expiring-immigration-programs.html">Emergency Stopgap USCIS Stabilization Act</a>, and largely mirrors the premium processing case types, fees, and adjudication timeframes detailed in that legislation. In February 2021, <a href="https://www.fragomen.com/insights/uscis-expands-premium-processing-to-e-3-nonimmigrant-petitions.html">USCIS expanded premium service to E-3 petitions</a> pursuant to the legislation but until now, the agency had not initiated expansion to any other case types.</p> <p>Lengthy phase-in for expanded premium processing</p> <p>The final rule takes effect 60 days after publication in the Federal Register, but the actual implementation of expanded premium processing will be phased in over a period of at least three years and is likely to impose conditions or limitations on the availability of premium service.</p> <p>By September 30, 2022, the end of this fiscal year, USCIS plans to expand premium processing eligibility to Form I-140 immigrant worker petitions in the EB-1 Multinational Manager and EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW) categories, Form I-539 applications to change to F, J, or M nonimmigrant status, and Form I-765 applications for F-1 OPT and J exchange visitor employment authorization. USCIS will announce on its website the premium processing availability details and any conditions that may apply.</p> <p>The expanded list of eligible case types, revised fee schedule, and processing timeframes set forth in the final rule are as follows.</p> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Case Type</strong></td><td><strong>Processing Timeframe*</strong></td><td><strong>Premium Processing Fee**</strong></td><td><strong>Expected Implementation Timeline</strong></td></tr><tr><td>Most Form I-140 EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 petitions</td><td>15 calendar days (current)</td><td>$2,500</td><td>Current</td></tr><tr><td>Form I-140 EB-1 Multinational Manager & Form I-140 EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW)</td><td>45 calendar days</td><td>$2,500</td><td>FY 2022</td></tr><tr><td>Form I-129 Nonimmigrant Worker Petitions except H-2B and R</td><td>15 calendar days (current)</td><td>$2,500</td><td>Current</td></tr><tr><td>Form I-129 Nonimmigrant Worker Petitions for H-2B and R</td><td>15 calendar days (current)</td><td>$1,500</td><td>Current</td></tr><tr><td>Form I-539 Change of Status to F, J, or M</td><td>30 calendar days</td><td>$1,750</td><td>FY 2022</td></tr><tr><td>Form I-539 Change or Extension of Status for E, H, L, O, P, and R Dependents</td><td>30 calendar days</td><td> $1,750</td><td>FY 2025</td></tr><tr><td>Form I-765 Application for Employment Authorization for F-1 OPT and J exchange visitor EADs</td><td>30 calendar days</td><td>$1,500</td><td>FY 2022</td></tr><tr><td>Form I-765 Application for Employment Authorization for not yet specified additional group of EAD applicants</td><td>30 calendar days</td><td>$1,500</td><td>FY 2025</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <p>* The “processing timeframe” refers to the deadline by which USCIS must issue either an approval notice, a Request for Evidence (RFE), a Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID), or a denial notice.</p> <p>** Consistent with the provisions of the enabling legislation, the Final Rule also permits USCIS to adjust the premium processing fees on a biannual basis, based on changes in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U).</p> <p>USCIS is expected to make an announcement on its website as each new case type becomes eligible for premium processing. The website announcement may also place conditions on the availability of premium processing for new case types. Such conditions may include limiting the availability of premium processing to cases that have been pending for a minimum period of time, or delaying the start of the premium processing clock for administrative reasons, such as the running of a required selection lottery.</p> <p>In addition<strong>, </strong>for new case types becoming eligible for premium processing, the processing clock will only begin to run upon the date USCIS receives “all prerequisites for adjudication”– meaning that the agency would begin to count the processing timeframe only after it receives all necessary documentation, information from interviews, biometrics, or background checks, as appropriate for the case type. Depending on the case type and its requirements, this means that petitioners and applicants could wait longer than the official premium processing timeframes to see action on their cases.</p> <p>Related USCIS initiatives</p> <p>In a related development, in an effort to reduce backlogs and lengthy processing times, USCIS also <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/uscis-announces-new-actions-to-reduce-backlogs-expand-premium-processing-and-provide-relief-to-work">announced</a> a forthcoming temporary final regulation that is expected to temporarily expand the automatic extension of Form I-765 employment authorization for certain renewal applicants. It is not yet clear whether the final regulation would lengthen the automatic extension period, expand the categories of EADs eligible for the automatic extension, or both. </p> <p>What this means for employers and foreign nationals</p> <p>Until the final rule takes effect and USCIS announces the premium processing availability details for the newly eligible cases, premium processing will only be available for the currently eligible I-129 and I-140 petition case types.</p> <p>However, employers and foreign nationals should be aware that USCIS does not intend to include all EAD applications in the premium processing program. The final rule suggests that a substantial percentage of EAD application case types may ultimately not benefit from premium expansion. This fiscal year, only F-1 OPT and J exchange visitor EAD applications are expected to become eligible for premium processing, categories which DHS indicates represent only about 10% of EAD application filings. Expansion to other EAD categories is not expected until FY 2025, and although the rule does not identify which other EAD categories may become eligible in that year, data provided in the final rule suggest that the FY 2025 expansion may cover only an additional 5% or so of overall EAD filings.</p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>USCIS Resumes Premium Processing for Certain Petitions</title> <link>https://www.artistvisausa.com/changes-are-coming/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Artist Visa USA]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 06 May 2020 04:23:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.artistvisausa.com/?p=355</guid> <description><![CDATA[U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced that it 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.  Effective June 1, 2020, USCIS will accept Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service for all eligible Form I-140 petitions. Effective June 8, USCIS will accept premium processing requests for:  H-1B petitions filed before June 8 that are […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced that it will resume premium processing for <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/i-129" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker</a> and <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/i-140" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers</a>, in phases over the next month. </p> <p>Effective June 1, 2020, USCIS will accept <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/i-907" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service</a> for all eligible Form I-140 petitions.</p> <p>Effective June 8, USCIS will accept premium processing requests for: </p> <ul><li>H-1B petitions filed before June 8 that are pending adjudication and are cap-exempt (for example, petitions filed by petitioners that are cap-exempt and petitions filed for beneficiaries previously counted toward the numerical allocations). </li><li>All other Form I-129 petitions (non H-1B petitions) for nonimmigrant classifications eligible for premium processing filed before June 8 that are pending adjudication.</li></ul> <p>Effective June 15, USCIS plans on resuming premium processing for: </p> <ul><li>H-1B petitions requesting premium processing by filing an I-907 concurrently with their I-129 (or request for a petition filed on or after June 8) and are exempt from the cap because: </li><li>The employer is cap-exempt or because the beneficiary will be employed at a qualifying cap-exempt institution, entity or organization (such as an institution of higher education, a nonprofit research organization or a governmental research organization); or </li><li>The beneficiary is cap-exempt based on a Conrad/IGA waiver under INA section 214(l).</li></ul> <p>Effective June 22, USCIS plans on resuming premium processing for all other Form I-129 petitions, including: </p> <ul><li>All H-1B cap-subject petitions (including those for fiscal year 2021), including change of status from F-1 nonimmigrant status, for both premium processing upgrades and concurrently filed I-907s. </li><li>All other Form I-129 petitions for nonimmigrant classifications eligible for premium processing and requesting premium processing by filing an I-907 concurrently with their I-129.</li></ul> <p>All dates are subject to change as USCIS continues to take on more premium processing requests and USCIS will announce any changes to these dates accordingly.</p> <p>On March 20, USCIS <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/temporary-workers/uscis-announces-temporary-suspension-premium-processing-all-i-129-and-i-140-petitions-due-coronavirus-pandemic" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">announced</a> the temporary suspension of premium processing for all Form I-129 and I-140 petitions due to the coronavirus (COVID-19). USCIS continues to process any petition with a previously accepted Form I-907, in accordance with the premium processing service criteria. Petitioners who had already filed Form I-129 or Form I-140 using the premium processing service before the March 20 suspension, but received no action and a refund, may refile their Form I-907 consistent with the timeline above, barring any changes USCIS may announce in the future.</p> <p></p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>USCIS Offices Preparing to Reopen on June 4</title> <link>https://www.artistvisausa.com/great-news/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Artist Visa USA]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 25 Apr 2020 01:19:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.artistvisausa.com/?p=381</guid> <description><![CDATA[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 reopen on or after June 4. Employees in these offices are continuing to perform […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>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 reopen 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 are closed.</p> <p>While offices are temporarily closed, USCIS will continue to provide limited emergency in-person services. Please call the <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/contactcenter">USCIS Contact Center</a> for assistance with emergency services.</p> <p>USCIS field offices will send notices to applicants and petitioners with scheduled appointments and naturalization ceremonies impacted by the extended temporary 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 operations for in-person services, 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 <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/contactcenter">USCIS Contact Center </a>once field offices are open to the public again. Please check to see if the respective office has been reopened before calling the Contact Center.</p> <p>Please also visit <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/uscis-response-covid-19">uscis.gov/coronavirus</a> for updates. For the latest information on the status of an office, visit <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/uscis-office-closings">https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/uscis-office-closings</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>EB-1A Guide February 2020 update! I-944 requirement.</title> <link>https://www.artistvisausa.com/eb1a-i-944-requirement/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Artist Visa USA]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 27 Feb 2020 23:06:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Guide updates]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.artistvisausa.com/?p=1717</guid> <description><![CDATA[New Form I-944, Declaration of Self-Sufficiency for Extraordinary ability applicants. USCIS implemented the Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds final rule nationwide, including in Illinois, on Feb. 24, 2020. Previously EB1-A applicants were exempt from public charge requirements. Now according to the final rule that you can read here all applicants adjusting a status […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>New Form I-944, Declaration of Self-Sufficiency for Extraordinary ability applicants.</strong></h3> <p>USCIS implemented the Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds final rule nationwide, including in Illinois, on Feb. 24, 2020. Previously EB1-A applicants were exempt from public charge requirements. Now according to the final rule that you can read <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-08-14/pdf/2019-17142.pdf">here</a> all applicants adjusting a status (Filling I-485) require to file this form (except those who are exempt). Here is the excerpt from the document: <em>“One commenter requested that individuals applying for lawful permanent resident status via approved EB–1A (extraordinary ability alien), EB–1B (outstanding researcher or scientist), or National Interest Waiver (NIW) petitions be added to the list of those exempted from the rule. The commenter stated that the vast majority of these individuals may need to resort to using the designated benefits, and it would be completely contrary to the intent of Congress in passing the EB–1A, EB–1B and NIW statutes to deny scientific researchers green cards who would otherwise be benefiting the lives of literally millions of U.S. citizens.<br>Response: DHS disagrees that this rule is contrary to congressional intent in passing the EB–1A, EB–1B and NIW statutes. Congress did not exempt employment-based EB–1A or EB–1B categories, or those seeking an NIW, from the public charge ground of inadmissibility.”</em></p> <p>This form must be accompanied with newly introduced evidences such as: </p> <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>1) Proof of Household income</strong></h4> <p>Your household’s annual gross income should be at least 125 percent (100 percent if you are on active duty, other than in training, in the U.S. Armed Forces) of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for the most recent year as set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for the household size you listed in Part 2. See</p> <p><a href="https://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty-guidelines">https://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty-guidelines</a></p> <p>The supporting evidence can include:</p> <p>a. IRS Tax return transcript</p> <p>b. Form W-2 or a Social Security Statement </p> <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>2) Household’s Assets and Resources</strong></h4> <p>a. Checking and savings account statements;</p> <p>b. Annuities;</p> <p>c. Stocks and bonds (cash value)/certificates of deposit;</p> <p>d. Retirement accounts and educational accounts;</p> <p>e. Net cash value of real estate holdings; and</p> <p>f. Any other evidence of substantial assets that can be easily converted into cash.</p> <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>3) Credit Report and Score</strong></h4> <p><em>“You can obtain a free credit report once a year under the Fair Credit Reporting Act from each one of the three credit<br>reporting agencies. You are only required to provide one credit report from any of the three nationwide credit reporting<br>agencies, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. See <a href="https://www.usa.gov/credit-reports">https://www.usa.gov/credit-reports</a> for more information. If there<br>are any errors in the credit report, you should provide evidence from the credit reporting agency that demonstrates that<br>you reported the error and that the error is under investigation or has been resolved.”</em> </p> <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>4) Health Insurance </strong></h4> <p>If you don’t have one, you may provide information on how you plan to pay for reasonably anticipated medical costs.</p> <p>You can find information on how to obtain each evidence and in-depth explanation in the official instruction for the I-944 form here: <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/i-944">https://www.uscis.gov/i-944</a></p>]]></content:encoded> </item> </channel></rss> If you would like to create a banner that links to this page (i.e. this validation result), do the following:
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