​USCIS Launches Online Form to Request a Field Office Appointment.

On August 21, 2023, USCIS announced a new online form for individuals, attorneys, and accredited representatives to request an in-person appointment for certain customer service-related appointment requests, such as ADIT stamp or emergency advanced parole, at their local field office without having to call the USCIS Contact Center.
Individuals can visit my.uscis.gov/appointment to submit a request for a specific date, time, and type of appointment with their local field office.

This online appointment request form is not a self-scheduling tool and does not guarantee an appointment for the preferred date or time requested. The Contact Center will review and validate each request before confirming the appointment date and time.
Individuals, attorneys, and accredited representatives will still have the option to call the USCIS Contact Center to request an appointment. However, USCIS strongly encourages users to use the new online appointment request form to improve their overall customer experience. Using the online appointment request form will save time, increase efficiency, and reduce call volume to the USCIS Contact Center.
Visit my.uscis.gov/appointment for more information.

Appointment requests at USCIS offices are for matter relating to the following categories:

• ADIT Stamp: The Alien Documentation Identification and Telecommunication (ADIT) stamp (also known as an I- 551 stamp) provides temporary evidence of lawful permanent resident status that may be issued to Legal Permanent Resident (LPRs) in limited circumstances. It authorizes the holder to work in the United States and be re-admitted to the United States following travel outside of the country. The ADIT stamp is stamped on the individual's unexpired passport or the Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record when the applicant is unable to obtain a passport or if the passport is expired. If you are not in possession of a valid passport, please ensure you bring two passport-style photos to your appointment.
  Note: If you were issued an extension notice after filing, and you are in possession of your expired Legal Permanent Resident card, please show these two documents as your valid proof of status upon request. If you are not in possession of your expired Legal Permanent Resident card, your extension notice is no longer valid, please make an appointment to obtain proof of status.
  Check your case status online.

Emergency Advance Parole: 

Field offices sometimes receive emergency requests for issuance of an advance parole document. Whether or not to grant a request for emergency advance parole document depends on if the travel need is considered emergent. “Emergent” means “arising unexpectedly,” while “emergency” means “calling for prompt action.” If you are experiencing an extremely urgent situation, you may request an emergency advance parole appointment at your local field office. You should bring the following items to your appointment.

• A completed and signed Form I-131, Application for Travel Document
• Valid Passport;
• The correct I-131 filing fee;
• Evidence to support the emergency request (e.g., death certificate, medical documentation); and
• Two passport-style photos.

Determine if you are eligible for Emergency Advance Parole: Emergency Travel

• Note: Asylum applicants, asylees, refugees, and lawful permanent residents who obtained such status based on their asylum or refugee status are also subject to special rules regarding traveling outside the United States. Additional information regarding traveling outside the United States as well as the consequences that could result if an asylum applicant, an asylee, a refugee, or a lawful permanent resident who obtained such status based on his or her asylum or refugee status returns to his or her country of claimed persecution may be found in the Fact Sheet entitled Traveling Outside the United States as an Asylum Applicant, and Asylee, or a Lawful Permanent Resident Who Obtained Such Status Based on Asylum Status.
  Note: Asylees (individuals who have been granted asylum) and Lawful permanent residents who obtained such status based on their asylum status may travel abroad with the prior approval of the Secretary of Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Such prior approval comes in the form of a refugee travel document. A refugee travel document is valid for one year and is issued to an asylee to allow his or her return to the United States after temporary travel abroad. Like advance parole, a refugee travel document does not guarantee admission into the United States. Rather, the asylee must still undergo inspection by an immigration inspector from CBP to review the Form I-131, Application for Travel Document.
• Immigration Judge Grant: When an applicant is granted permanent residence or asylum by an Immigration Judge (IJ) during immigration court proceedings or by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), USCIS is responsible for producing the applicants Permanent Resident Card (PRC) or providing proof of status. Typically, the applicant is required to go into the local field office to initiate card production or obtain evidence of status. Please ensure you are in possession of your copy of the Final Order, as well as photo identification and passport to your appointment.
  • IJ Asylum grant applicants should also bring two passport-style photos to the appointment.
  • IJ LPR grant applicants, who do not possess a valid passport, need to bring two passport-style photos to the appointment. Applicants that do not have valid fingerprints on file may be scheduled for an Application Support Center appointment to produce the I-551 LPR Card.

Briefly in Russian:

21 августа 2023 USCIS объявил о новой онлайн функции, где можно самостоятельно получить дату для посещения местного иммиграционного офиса. По этому линку вы сможете послать запрос на время и дату, это не гарантировано когда вы получите дату для посещения офиса. Запрос можно послать самостоятельно или через адвоката. Это будет полезно, например, если вам срочно нужно получить разрешениа на выезд и въезд в США (emergency advance parole).

On June 28, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services launched a new self-service tool allowing benefit requestors, and their attorneys and accredited representatives, to reschedule most biometric services appointments before the date of the appointment.
Previously, benefit requestors and accredited representatives could only request to reschedule a biometric services appointment by calling the USCIS Contact Center. With this new tool, those individuals who have or create a USCIS online account can reschedule most requests for biometric services appointments without having to call the Contact Center.

The new tool, however, cannot be used to reschedule an appointment that already has been rescheduled two or more times, is within 12 hours, or that has already passed.
The biometric services appointment rescheduling tool can be accessed via a USCIS online account regardless of whether the pending case was submitted online or by mail. Benefit requestors and accredited representatives will still have the option to call the USCIS Contact Center to reschedule an appointment, but USCIS strongly encourages users to use the new tool to save time, increase efficiency, and reduce call volume to the USCIS Contact Center.
USCIS is also issuing guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to explain that the agency may consider an untimely request to reschedule a biometric services appointment and the effect of failing to appear for an appointment, and to explain how the agency considers a timely request to reschedule a biometric services appointment for “good cause.” Good cause exists when the reschedule request provides sufficient reason for the benefit requestor’s inability to appear on the scheduled date.

Sufficient reasons may include, but are not limited to:

• Illness, medical appointment, or hospitalization;
• Previously planned travel;
• Significant life events such as a wedding, funeral, or graduation ceremony;
• Inability to obtain transportation to the appointment location;
• Inability to obtain leave from employment or caregiver responsibilities; and
• Late delivered or undelivered biometric services appointment notice.

USCIS only accepts untimely rescheduling requests made to the USCIS Contact Center and does not accept untimely requests to reschedule by mail or in-person at a USCIS office or through the myUSCIS online rescheduling tool.

The estimated wait time to receive an interview appointment at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate can change weekly. These are estimates only and do not guarantee the availability of an appointment.

Note: Embassies and Consulates may have a separate process for visa cases where the in-person interview requirement is waived.  In general wait times for those cases are shorter, but they are not reflected in the table below.  Please check the individual Embassy or Consulate website to determine if your case is eligible for a waiver of the in-person interview. 

​Here is the global visa wait times link.

На официальном вебсайте Госдеп США еженедельно публикует список сроков ожидания интервью на не-иммиграционные визы в посольствах и конслуьствах США по всему миру.

Этот список полезен для выбора посольства, куда лучше подать заявление на туристическую или студенческую визу, т.к. сроки ожиданяи интервью очень различаются по разным посольствам.

Информация обновляется каждую неделю: 
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/global-visa-wait-times.html

On December 13, 2021, USCIS reminded the public that they offer immigration services that may help people affected by unforeseen circumstances such as natural disasters. Examples of unforeseen circumstances include, but are not limited to, the recent tornadoes in Kentucky and surrounding states.
The following measures may be available on a case-by-case basis upon request:

• Changing a nonimmigrant status or extending a nonimmigrant stay for an individual currently in the United States. Failure to apply for the extension or change before expiration of your authorized period of admission may be excused if the delay was due to extraordinary circumstances beyond your control;
• Re-parole of individuals previously granted parole by USCIS;
• Expedited processing of advance parole requests;
• Expedited adjudication of requests for off-campus employment authorization for F-1 students experiencing severe economic hardship;
• Expedited adjudication of employment authorization applications, where appropriate;
• Consideration of fee waiver requests due to an inability to pay;
• Flexibility for those who received a Request for Evidence or a Notice of Intent to Deny but were unable to submit evidence or otherwise respond in a timely manner;
• Flexibility if you were unable to appear for a scheduled interview with USCIS;
• Expedited replacement of lost or damaged immigration or travel documents issued by USCIS, such as a Permanent Resident Card (Green Card), Employment Authorization Documents, and Arrival/Departure Record (Form I-94); and
• Rescheduling a biometric services appointment.

Note: When making a request, please explain how the impact of unforeseen circumstances, such as a natural disaster, created a need for the requested relief. If you lost all forms of evidence in an unforeseen circumstance, include an explanation in your description and a copy of a police report, insurance claim, or other report, if available, to support your request.
Visit Special Situations page or call us for more information about how we provide assistance to individuals affected by unforeseen circumstances. To learn how to request these measures, call us at 800-375-5283. For people with disabilities: (TTY) 800-767-1833 or (VRS) 877-709-5797.

​

​USCIS Provided COVID-19 Updates During a Conference Call on June 18, 2020:

1.  On June 18, 2020, I attended a conference call where USCIS representatives advised the attorneys and public about their new and updated post-Covid19 procedures.
2. The purpose of new procedures is to ensure safety of the USCIS personnel, staff, customers and visitors.
3. On June 4, 2020, USCIS local field office started to reopen. Offices will reopen depending on situation in the local community and existing safety concerns. USCIS is following CDC COVID-19 guidelines. It is expected that it will take at least several more weeks for the appointments to be rescheduled. Because the number of daily appointments will be significantly reduced, it will result in longer delays and wait time for an interview will be longer than before COVID-19 pandemic.
4. July 13, 2020 is an estimate when many ASC will reopen and biometrics will resume. Biometrics appointment will be available ONLY at the time and date in the appointment notice. Walk-ins will not be allowed. There will be much less people scheduled every day, so USCIS will have time to clean up and prepare for the next customer. USCIS will reschedule all cancelled Biometrics appointments unless they are deemed unnecessary. When mailing a new appointment notice, a biometrics worksheet will be mailed too. In the past, it was completed during the appointment. Now, the customers will be required to complete the worksheet and bring it with them to the appointment.
5. During pandemic, USCIS was able to reuse some biometrics if they were already on file (taken during previous applications) and the case was ready for adjudication.
6. Some USCIS offices (not consular sections) will start reopening in July 2020. It is expected that USCIS office in Rome will reopen in July 2020. It is expected that USCIS London office will be permanently closed.
7. Priority number one after reopening of the local USCIS offices will be Naturalization ceremonies.
8. Second priority is rescheduling cancelled adjustment of status or green card interviews.
9. Some employment-based green card interviews can be waived on a case-by-case basis and only if it is deemed unnecessary.
10. It is expected that all cancelled and delayed Naturalization ceremonies will be complete by the end of July 2020 (about 100,000 people are waiting).
11. Naturalization ceremonies will be very brief, there will be no big crowds, no family members or friends will be allowed to attend, no video, information will be given in printed format.
12. Asylum interviews will follow different format from other USCIS’ field office interviews.
13. When attending any USCIS appointment, customers are advised to bring their own blue or black pens, wear a face covering (face mask). People not wearing an appropriate face covering will not be allowed to enter. During the interview or biometrics appointment, customers can be asked to remove face covering for a brief period (to identify, to take photo).
14. Customers are advised not to arrive earlier than 15 minutes before an interview, or 30 minutes before naturalization interview.
15. Interpreters are not allowed to attend interviews at USCIS offices in person. Interpreters can interpret by phone.
16. Attorneys can attend in person or by phone.
17. Waiting room sitting will be limited. Number of appointments per day will be significantly reduced. There will be a COVID-19 specific screening for all customers
18. Customers and staff will be required to practice social distancing. The USCIS officer and an applicant can be in different rooms communicating via video call.
19. USCIS is advising all customers to use online tools for contacting USCIS, and to have online accounts.
20. USCIS advises customers who are feeling sick or unwell not to attend the interview, but to follow the instructions in the appointment letter to reschedule an appointment.

How to Check a Non-Immigrant Visa Appointment Wait Times at Different U.S. Embassies and Consulates Around the World?

If you plan to apply for a nonimmigrant visa to come to the United States as a temporary visitor, please review the current wait time for an interview using the tool at the link below. Examples of nonimmigrant visas: student F-1, visitor B-1/B-2, exchange visitor J-1, H-1B, L visa, etc.

Please note that K-1 fiancee visa is a nonimmigrant visa which has its own scheduling system because it is processed at the Immigrant Visa Unit of the U.S. embassy or consulate.

Click here for visa appointment times.

​To schedule a consultation with an attorney, please email.

,​All Houston Application Support Centers (ASCs) will resume operations Sept. 5 2017 at 8 a.m. (Central) for basic services, such as collection of fingerprints, photos, and signatures. However, the ASCs will not be fully staffed. This means customers requiring additional services (such as looking up case information or issuing extension stickers) may need to return to the ASC after all USCIS staff have been able to return to duty.

Many Houston-area applicants are unable to travel to their scheduled ASC appointments. If you cannot attend your biometrics appointment between Aug. 25 and Sept. 22:

• USCIS will automatically reschedule your appointment.
• You will receive a new appointment notice by mail approximately 4 weeks from your original appointment date. 

 If you do not receive a new appointment by mail, you can contact the National Customer Service Center (NCSC) at 800-375-5283.

If you have an emergency and cannot wait for a new appointment notice by mail, please call the NCSC or visit an ASC as a walk-in customer. 
If you cannot receive mail at your location and wish to be processed at a different location, please call the NCSC or take your current appointment notice to another ASC. If you do not have a copy of your current appointment notice, any ASC can print one for you.
​
Please check USCIS Office Closings page to get the latest updates before coming to an appointment.

If you are scheduled to attend an interview in one of the USCIS field offices in the United States (most commonly, an adjustment of status or "green card" interview), and if you don't speak and/or understand English fluently, it would be wise to bring an interpreter with you.

An interpreter should be someone who is sufficiently fluent in both languages and who is competent to interpret from one language to another (English and your native language) -- not like the guy in the picture who only pretends to interpret. 

An interpreter doesn't have to be a certified or professional interpreter.

Most important qualifications of an interpreter are the following: 

an interpreter is someone who is impartial and unbiased, not prejudiced, not interested in the outcome of your interview, who is not your attorney or a lawyer, or other legal representative, or your attorney's paralegal, who is over 18 years of age, and who is not a witness in your case. 

Some derivative beneficiaries may not be allowed to serve as an interpreter (for example, a spouse or a child), unless there is a "good cause" to excuse this restriction..

Before an interpreter is allowed to serve as an interpreter, a USCIS officer will have to make a determination and have him sign a Form G-1256. 

Please keep in mind that an interpreter may hear or learn some personal and confidential things about you during the interview, and you might consider a professional impartial interpreter rather than a friend, a relative, a co-worker or an acquaintance if only because of confidentiality considerations.

Your attorney, paralegal or other legal representative can't be allowed to interpret during the interview, under the USCIS guidance (because they are not impartial to the outcome of the interview and have your interests in mind).

Please keep in mind that USCIS has no obligation to provide a "free interpreter" during the interview with some exceptions (for example, if it's an asylum interview). An applicant has right to have an interpreter present, but the government doesn't have to provide an interpreter for you. If you don't speak and understand English fluently, you should plan in advance and be ready to hire and bring with you a qualified interpreter.

On November 25, 2015, USCIS published this helpful draft of a new memo. This document provides detailed guidance as to who can and can't be an interpreter in USCIS office.

In Russian: 

Российская газета "Новые Известия" опубликовала дельную статью про опасность "бесплатных юридических консультаций". Журналисты проинтервьюировали некоторых моих московских партнеров и коллег. 

Как известно, бесплатный сыр бывает только в мышеловке. Ты получаешь то, за что заплатил.

Хороший компетентный и этический адвокат НЕ будет предоставлять консультацию (давать юридический совет) бесплатно. В оказании юридических услуг самое главное - это получить правильный совет и знать что делать и как поступить.  

Среди "юридических фирм" и "иммиграционных консультантов" попадается немало мошенников или недобросовестных и малограмотных "специалистов". Особенно много вебсайтов на интернете, которые в поисковике выходят в самом начале как реклама (так как вебсайт платит за такое выгодное размещение) и нелицензированных "иммиграционных консультантов" или "нотариусов", которые предлагают "первую" консультацию бесплатно и готовы перезвонить потенциальному клиенту в течение 5 минут. Что следует дальше, об этом люди не задумываются. А им навязывается контракт на завышенную сумму, с ненужными сервисами или предлагаются ненужные или вредные для дела действия (которые дорого стоят). После предоставления бесплатной консультации, такому специалисту ведь нужно как-то заработать на клиенте (на которого было потрачено время) -- если уж не брать оплату за консультацию, то ее используют как ловушку для доверчивых граждан, готовых повестись на обман.

Следует иметь в виду, что хороший опытный адвокат не будет и не имеет права давать "гарантии" успеха или гарантии выигрыша вашего дела. Опытный адвокат ценит свое и ваше время, и для того, чтобы проконсультировать клиента ей/ему нужно изучить ваши обстоятельства и проанализировать возможные варианты и осложнения перед тем как давать платный (ни в коем случае не бесплатный совет). 

Хорошая статья обо всем этом в Новых Известиях, с консультациями моих Московских партнеров и коллег.

Applicants from all over the world who registered for the DV-2016 program were selected at random from 11,391,134 qualified entries (17,573,350 with derivatives) received during the application period that ran from noon, Eastern Daylight Time on Wednesday, October 1, 2014 until noon, Eastern Daylight Time on Monday, November 3, 2014. 

The visas have been apportioned among six geographic regions with a maximum of seven percent available to persons born in any single country. 

The Kentucky Consular Center registered and notified the winners of the DV-2016 diversity lottery. Approximately 91,563 applicants have been registered and notified and may now make an application for an immigrant visa (so called"selectees" or "winners"). Some of the first *50,000 persons registered will not pursue their cases to visa issuance, this larger number (91,563 selectees) should insure that all DV-2016 numbers will be used during fiscal year 2016 (October 1, 2015 until September 30, 2016).

During the visa interview, principal applicants must provide proof of a high school education or its equivalent, or show two years of work experience in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience within the past five years. Those selected will need to act on their immigrant visa applications quickly. Applicants should follow the instructions in their notification letter and must fully complete the information requested. 

Registrants living legally in the United States who wish to apply for adjustment of status instead of consular processing of their visas, must apply through USCIS Department of Homeland Security (** Please note that you have to be eligible for adjustment of status. Therefore, if you were selected as a winner in the Green Card lottery and you live in the United States, it's advisable to consult an experienced attorney before applying for your green card). 

Once the total *50,000 visa numbers have been used, the program for fiscal year 2016 will end. Selected applicants (aka "selectees" or "winners") who do not receive visas by September 30, 2016 will derive no further benefit from their DV-2016 registration. Similarly, spouses and children accompanying or following to join DV-2016 principal applicants are only entitled to derivative diversity visa status until September 30, 2016.

Section 203(c) of the INA provides up to 55,000 immigrant visas each fiscal year to permit additional immigration opportunities for persons from countries with low admissions during the previous five years. The NACARA stipulates that beginning with DV-99, and for as long as necessary, up to 5,000 of the 55,000 annually-allocated diversity visas will be made available for use under the NACARA program. This resulted in reduction of the DV-2015 annual limit to 50,000. DV visas are divided among six geographic regions.  No one country can receive more than seven percent of the available diversity visas in any one year.

P.S. Our office would be happy to assist you with your DV visa application or adjustment of status should you be selected as a winner. Please email us to schedule a phone or Skype consultation. Please remember that a visa must be issued prior to September 30th of the current fiscal year (09-30-2016 for DV-2016 winners). No visas will be issued after this date. If selected as a winner you should act fast and submit your applications and required documents in a timely matter. Assistance of a qualified and experienced immigration attorney would be of great help to many. 

The following is the statistical breakdown by foreign-state chargeability of those registered for the DV-2016 program: 

AFRICA

ALGERIA  1,952

ETHIOPIA  4,000

NIGER  102

ANGOLA  108

GABON  32

RWANDA  412

BENIN  914

GAMBIA, THE  67

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE  2

BOTSWANA  4

GHANA  3,179

SENEGAL  427

BURKINA FASO  199

GUINEA  1,818

SEYCHELLES  0

BURUNDI  208

GUINEA-BISSAU  4

SIERRA LEONE  2,141

CABO VERDE  6

KENYA  2,729

SOMALIA  272

CAMEROON  3,047

LESOTHO  5

SOUTH AFRICA  535

CENTRAL AFRICAN REP.  23

LIBERIA  4,430

SOUTH SUDAN  17

CHAD  40

LIBYA  240

SUDAN  3,216

COMOROS  3

MADAGASCAR  75

SWAZILAND  7

CONGO  124

MALAWI  17

TANZANIA  93

CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE  4,475

MALI  114

TOGO  1,241

COTE D’IVOIRE  1,129

MAURITANIA  15

TUNISIA  227

DJIBOUTI  92

MAURITIUS  41

UGANDA  453

EGYPT  4,024

MOROCCO  1,993

ZAMBIA  57

EQUATORIAL GUINEA  0

MOZAMBIQUE  11

ZIMBABWE  152

ERITREA  544

NAMIBIA  18

ASIA

AFGHANISTAN  406

JAPAN  302

QATAR  42

BAHRAIN  13

JORDAN  349

SAUDI ARABIA  267

BHUTAN  22

NORTH KOREA  0

SINGAPORE  39

BRUNEI  1 

KUWAIT  143

SRI LANKA  704

BURMA  236

LAOS  1

SYRIA  460

CAMBODIA  1,229

LEBANON  225

TAIWAN  297

HONG KONG SPECIAL
ADMIN. REGION  151

MALAYSIA  95

THAILAND  73

INDONESIA  126

MALDIVES  3

TIMOR-LESTE  0

IRAN  4,501

MONGOLIA  185

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES  103

IRAQ  330

NEPAL  3,801

YEMEN  724

ISRAEL  162

OMAN  12

EUROPE

ALBANIA  1,931

GREECE  93

NORWAY  35

ANDORRA  0

HUNGARY  186

POLAND  629

ARMENIA  1,277

ICELAND  3

PORTUGAL  58

AUSTRIA  50

IRELAND  89

  Macau  23

AZERBAIJAN  380

ITALY  410

ROMANIA  626 

BELARUS  811

KAZAKHSTAN  376

RUSSIA  2,200

BELGIUM  47

KOSOVO  244

SAN MARINO  0

BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA  92

KYRGYZSTAN  209

SERBIA  283

BULGARIA  865

LATVIA  73

SLOVAKIA  70

CROATIA  67

LIECHTENSTEIN  0

SLOVENIA  33

CYPRUS  28

LITHUANIA  153

SPAIN  193

CZECH REPUBLIC  74

LUXEMBOURG  0

SWEDEN  108

DENMARK  35

MACEDONIA  258

SWITZERLAND  122

ESTONIA  40

MALTA  0

TAJIKISTAN  337

FINLAND  57

MOLDOVA  1,854

TURKEY  1,795

FRANCE  510

MONACO  0

TURKMENISTAN  124

  French Polynesia  1

MONTENEGRO  8

UKRAINE  4,507

  Saint Martin  1

NETHERLANDS  81

UZBEKISTAN  4,300

  Wallis and Futuna  1

  Aruba  4

VATICAN CITY  0

GEORGIA  571

  Curacao  2

GERMANY  678

NORTHERN IRELAND  9

NORTH AMERICA

BAHAMAS, THE  16

OCEANIA

AUSTRALIA  832

NAURU  12

SAMOA  5

  Cocos Islands  1

NEW ZEALAND  208

SOLOMON ISLANDS  0

FIJI  393

  Cook Islands  4

TONGA  26

KIRIBATI  4

PALAU  4

TUVALU  0

MARSHALL ISLANDS  0

PAPUA NEW GUINEA  3

VANUATU  5

MICRONESIA, FEDERATED STATES OF  3

SOUTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA, AND THE CARIBBEAN

ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA  0

DOMINICA  6

SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS  2

ARGENTINA  68

GRENADA  7

SAINT LUCIA  5

BARBADOS  0

GUATEMALA  31

SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES  7

BELIZE  0

GUYANA  14

SURINAME  3

BOLIVIA  49

HONDURAS  73

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO  51

CHILE  17

NICARAGUA  58

URUGUAY  21

COSTA RICA  50

PANAMA  5

VENEZUELA  1,038

CUBA  1,488

PARAGUAY  7

P.S. Natives of the following countries were not eligible to participate in DV-2016: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (mainland-born, excluding Hong Kong S.A.R., Macau S.A.R., and Taiwan), Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and Vietnam. 

Our office would be happy to assist you with your DV visa application or adjustment of status should you be selected as a winner. Please email us to schedule a phone or Skype consultation. Please remember that a visa must be issued prior to September 30th of the current fiscal year (09-30-2016 for DV-2016 winners). No visas will be issued after this date. If selected as a winner you should act fast and submit your applications and required documents in a timely matter. Assistance of a qualified and experienced immigration attorney would be of great help to many. 

Immigration Relief Measures for Nepali Nationals.

On May 5, 2015, USCIS had made the following announcement:

USCIS several immigration relief measures that may be available to Nepali nationals who are affected by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Nepal on April 25, 2015.

Measures that may be available to eligible Nepali nationals upon request include:

• Change or extension of nonimmigrant status for an individual currently in the United States, even if the request is filed after the authorized period of admission has expired;
• A grant of re-parole;
• Expedited processing of advance parole requests;
• Expedited adjudication and approval, where possible, of requests for off-campus employment authorization for F-1 students experiencing severe economic hardship;
• Expedited adjudication of employment authorization (work permit) applications, where appropriate;
• Consideration for waivers of fees associated with USCIS benefit applications, based on an inability to pay; and
• Assistance replacing lost or damaged immigration or travel documents issued by USCIS, such as Permanent Resident Cards (green cards).

To learn more, consult an attorney, or visit uscis.gov/humanitarian/special-situations or call the National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283 (TDD for the hearing impaired: 1-800-767-1833).

See here. 
 

USCIS launched a new interactive webportal myUSCIS. 

See at: https://my.uscis.gov/

USCIS recently introduced another useful webportal, where customers can submit e-request to ask questions about a pending case, report non-delivery of a document (work permit, green card, etc) or official letter (Receipt or Approval Notice, Form I-797), request certain accommodations. I found it to be a very useful tool.

See at: https://egov.uscis.gov/e-Request/Intro.do?locale=en_US

There are a few things that went wrong in this sad story and several important tips and rules for every immigrant in USA to remember:

1) almost every immigrant living in the United States, especially, a conditional resident, is required by law to notify USCIS of their new address within 10 days, which can be done online by submitting an electronic version of the form AR-11. Here is the link: https://egov.uscis.gov/coa/displayCOAForm.do 

2) any conditional resident MUST file a petition to remove conditions from residence within the 90-day period before expiration of their green card (USCIS form I-751). There are some exceptions. Forgetting to do so, can result in a removal order (deportation). Here is the link to the form and instructions: http://www.uscis.gov/i-751 

3) if your green card had expired (there is always an expiration date printed on your card), you should not travel internationally,... and Mexico is a foreign country.

4) you should never hire an "immigration consultant" or "Notario" -- but only hire an "immigration attorney" or "immigration lawyer", who is a licensed professional authorized to offer legal advice. Consultants, tax preparers, notarios are not authorized to give advice regarding your immigration situation and can't help with immigration paperwork, they are breaking the law.

5) also, keep in mind that even an attorney doesn't have an obligation to remind you about the deadlines for any *future* immigration petitions you might have to file (petition to remove conditions, application to renew a green card, application for citizenship). It's up to you to calendar these important dates and keep a track of important future applications with USCIS. I usually remind my former clients about these deadlines, but I am not required to do so because an attorney's representation ends at the conclusion of each case.

6) if her conditional green card was indeed "extended", then she should have had an official Receipt Notice, USCIS Form I-797, with the date granting her one-year extension.

If you need legal help, you are welcome to email our office. Don't wait until it's too late!

Story follows below...

Tuesday, February 10, 2015 
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (KABC) --

Sergey Nikitin lives with his wife and five children in West Hollywood. The Los Angeles realtor, however, is being kept apart from his family from what he says is a clerical error that's turned into an immigration nightmare. 

Nikitin's wife, Anya Bondareva, is currently behind bars. She was detained by federal authorities while trying to cross the border near San Diego. 

"She was crying and she was in shock. She couldn't believe what was even happening," Nikitin said. 

He became a U.S. citizen 15 years ago and married his wife, a Russian native, in 2008. Following their marriage, Nikitin hired an immigration consultant in L.A. to handle her paperwork.

Bondareva received a conditional green card, but Nikitin says the consultant failed to secure a permanent green card.

"I should have checked it myself. It was just one of those things that I relied that they would tell me when it comes up and it needs to be done," Nikitin said. 

Bondareva was granted an extension on her conditional green card that had expired. Earlier this year, the couple flew to Mexico and crossed back into the U.S. without any problems. Nikitin says they even met with immigration officials assuming their paperwork was being processed. 

"When they called the immigration service he was under the impression that it was still pending," said Stephanie Alcala, Nikitin's attorney. 

But last week when the couple tried to cross back into the U.S. from Mexico, Bondareva was detained. 

"That was the worst feeling ever," Nikitin said.

It turns out, after Bondareva's green card expired, a deportation order was issued. Nikitin says that because of a change of address in L.A., they were not notified of a hearing, leading to her being taken in.

Nikitin spoke to his wife over the telephone and says that she broke down in tears when she learned that she could be behind bars for weeks, perhaps months.

"She was crying for some time. She couldn't even speak," Nikitin said. "It's horrible. The children keep asking for her, and I can't even imagine what she is going through. This seems like extreme punishment for a paperwork issue."

Bondareva is being held in a federal detention facility near San Diego. Nikitin's five children are currently staying with relatives in Russia. He is staying in a San Diego hotel to be near his wife.

Alcala says Bondareva will likely be deported. Once that happens, she will have to request an in-person hearing to reapply for the permanent green card.

Read at http://abc7.com/news/west-hollywood-family-split-apart-due-to-immigration-paperwork-foul-up/512688/

The Vermont Service Center USCIS is currently experiencing problems with its biometric scheduling system, which has resulted in a temporary halt in sending biometrics notices in all cases at VSC with the exception of TPS-related applications. 

The glitch affects cases that were filed with VSC USCIS in December 2014 and January 2015. VSC is working on the problems and expects to begin sending notifications on or around February 12, 2015 to individuals whose applications were filed in December and January.