Category: US Immigration

Effective June 9, 2023, through July 31, 2024, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will consider, on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit, a two-year extension of the original parole period for Afghan parolees who have already applied for asylum or for adjustment to lawful permanent resident (LPR) status (such…

Effective June 8, 2023, certain additional Afghan parolees are employment authorized incident to parole. This updated guidance applies to certain Afghan parolees whose unexpired Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record, contains a class of admission of “PAR” and indicates Afghanistan as the country of citizenship on the document, if their parole has not been terminated. These parolees…

USCIS has updated the Lockbox Filing Location Updates page on our website to now include service center filing location updates as well: Lockbox and Service Center Filing Location Updates. You can now keep track of filing location changes between the lockboxes or service centers on this page. We sometimes change or adjust filing locations among…

Effective today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has changed the filing location for certain affirmative asylum applications submitted by mail. We expect this change to help streamline asylum processing and improve adjudication efficiency by digitizing paper filings. You should now mail your Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal, to the lockbox…

The U.S. government is granting advance travel authorization for up to 30,000 noncitizens each month to come to the United States to seek parole on a case-by-case basis under the processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans. Due to high interest in these processes, USCIS is updating the review process effective May 17, 2023. We…

We now are affirmatively creating and providing documented evidence of their status to certain new asylees and lawful permanent residents upon our receiving notification that an immigration judge or the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) has granted status. Individuals granted asylum and lawful permanent resident status are still instructed and encouraged to contact the USCIS…

Eligible Hong Kong residents may apply for EADs through Feb. 5, 2025 WASHINGTON— U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today posted a Federal Register notice on the extension and expansion of eligibility for Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Hong Kong residents. The notice also explains how eligible residents of Hong Kong may apply for Employment…

Effective immediately, we are updating Volumes 5 and 12 of the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify how U.S. citizenship and naturalization provisions apply to adopted children. This policy manual update consolidates and clarifies existing information in Volume 5 and supplements policy in Volume 12 of the Policy Manual on citizenship and naturalization. The updated guidance:…

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today released its 2023-2026 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) Strategic Plan (PDF, 3.28 MB), marking the agency’s first comprehensive strategy to incorporate a culture of DEIA principles as a foundational element of its daily work. This effort is consistent with the USCIS core value to champion people, and the recently…

USCIS has extended the temporary suspension of the biometrics submission requirement for certain applicants filing Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, requesting an extension of stay in or change of status to H-4, L-2, or E nonimmigrant status. The previously announced suspension, which was initially in place until May 17, 2023, has been extended through…