The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have published a memorandum regarding the numerical limitation exemption for temporary workers in H nonimmigrant classifications employed in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and Guam. The memorandum provides guidance for processing and adjudicating Form I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker filed on behalf of H-1B “Specialty Occupation” and H-2B “temporary nonagricultural” workers under the  Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 (CNRA).

For complete information, please click: USICS Memo on the Numerical Limitation Exemption for H Nonmmigrants Employed in the CNMI and Guam

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have alerted customers of certain Notices of Approval (Forms I-797) issued to between January 20, and 27, 2010, with incorrect or missing information. The issuance of these incorrect approval notices impacted Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker (Form I-129) and Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status (Form I-539). USCIS has started mailing all corrected approval notices to affected petitioners and applicants, and advices them not to use the earlier defective approval notices.

For complete information, please click: USCIS to Issue Revised Approval Notices for Certain Forms I-129 and I-539

Providing opportunity to employers whose Form I-129, H-1B petitions for health care workers were denied prior to May 20, 2009, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued a following update. It states, if the Form I-129 was denied solely on the basis that the beneficiary did not possess a Master’s or higher degree in the field, the petition may be reopened on service motion and will be adjudicated in accordance with the May 20, 2009 memorandum. Further, USCIS will only review denials of petitions for which it has received a written request for review from the petitioning employer or its representative. USCIS is requesting that employers whose petitions were denied on the above basis send an email to the Service Center that issued the denial of Form I-129 to request review of the denial. Requests should include “PT/OT Service Motion Request” in the subject line of the email and will be accepted through August 14, 2009. This is a special accommodation provided by USICS to public by initiating Service Motions to Reopen in lieu of requiring petitioners to file an appeal.

For complete information, please click USCIS Issues Additional Information to Employers Whose H-1B Petitions for Health Care Specialty Occupations Have Been Denied

The USCIS states that from now on petitioners of H-2A agricultural temporary workers and H-2B non-agricultural temporary worker are required to use new Form I-129 “Non-Immigrant Worker’s Petition.” The final rules for above two categories were published in December 2008 with effective dates of January 17 and 18, 2009 respectively. Petitioners who file using the old version will experience delay because they will receive a request for the revised H Classification Supplement to the Form I-129.

Please click below for complete news:

New Form I-129 for H-2A and H-2B Petitioners