Department of State Releases March 2012 Visa Bulletin
February 11, 2012
The U.S. State Department released the March 2012 Visa Bulletin on
February 11, 2012. Visa Dates are announced by the U.S. Department of State every month. Movement in the EB-2 Category continues to advance rapidly, while EB-3 continues to move very little. It appears that across the board we see about a week of movement in priority dates for EB-3. We can only hope that next month reflects greater advancement. Pursuant to INA § 245(a)(3), aliens with priority dates prior to the cut-off dates shown on the Visa Bulletin will be eligible to file adjustment of status applications during the month of January 2012. We at GLC post these dates for your convenience on our website under Visa Bulletin as soon as they become available from U.S. Department of State.
FY2012 H-2B Cap Count Updated
February 7, 2012
USCIS receipted 29,301 petitions toward the 33,000 H-2B cap amount for the first half of the fiscal year. This count includes 21,689 approved and 7,612 pending petitions. The H-2B non agricultural temporary worker program allows U.S. employers to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary non-agricultural jobs.
iCERT Prevailing Wage Module Enhancements
February 6, 2012
The U.S. Department of Labor has indicated that the iCERT System will be unavailable from 8AM to approximately 1PM Eastern Time on Monday, February 6, 2012 so that they may implement enhancements to the iCERT Prevailing Wage Module. Enhancements will include Improved Data Quality Checks, Elimination of Separate Employer Wage Survey Submissions, Electronic Requests for NPWC Center Director Review, and Additional Customer E-mail Notifications.
DOS looks to increased Visa Demand in hopes of Spurring Economic Growth
February 5, 2012
The White House unveiled new initiatives to promote the United States as a premier destination for international travelers by making our processes for moving people and goods more secure and more efficient. The Department of State indicates that they are taking the necessary steps to improve the visa process for travelers wishing to visit the US. It is well known that travel and tourism strengthens the U.S. economy by creating jobs in communities across the United States.
Expedited Biometrics for Re-Entry Permits
January 18, 2012
The Re-Entry Permit is a travel document that may be issued to lawful permanent residents based on filing an application on Form I-131. The regulation requires permanent residents to be physically present in the United States when the application is filed. 8 C.F.R. §223.2(b). Once the application has been filed, the applicant may depart the United States, and the approved document can be delivered abroad.
However, the application also requires biometrics to be completed, and as a practical matter, the applicant must be physically present in the United States to complete the biometrics. This has led to difficulties when permanent residents are temporarily living abroad and return to the United States in order to file Form I-131 and wait for the biometrics appointment.
If the applicant needs expedited processing, the Form I-131 instructions provide specific information for submitting pre-paid express mailers with your Form I-131 for USCIS to send your receipt and ASC appointment notice, as well as the completed re-entry permit or refugee travel document, if approved. A request for expedited processing should contain the applicant's reasons for such processing so that USCIS may determine whether he or she qualifies for expedited processing.
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