USCIS Enhances Guidance on Religious Workers

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released updated policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to streamline and elaborate on existing directives concerning special immigrant and nonimmigrant religious workers.

This revision aims to enhance clarity in the guidance for special immigrant religious workers, offering a more organized structure and comprehensive details on the filing process, evidence verification, and the site-inspection procedure.

Temporary waiver extends 60-day rule for Form I-693 signatures

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced the extension of the temporary waiver concerning the 60-day rule for civil surgeon signatures on Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record. Originally set to expire on September 30, 2022, this waiver has now been prolonged until March 31, 2023, aiming to alleviate processing delays and challenges associated with timely completion of immigration medical examinations.

Aid for Immigration Amid Unforeseen Events

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) underscores its commitment to providing immigration assistance to individuals affected by unforeseen circumstances, including natural disasters both within the United States and abroad. Notable instances include the flooding in Pakistan and hurricanes Fiona in Puerto Rico and Ian in Florida.

USCIS updates guidance for Calixto class

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued revised guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual following the resolution of the Calixto v. Department of the Army case. The settlement agreement, known as the Calixto Agreement, became effective on September 22, 2022, and involves the U.S. Army certifying Form N-426, Request for Certification of Military or Naval Service, for members of the Calixto class.

CW-1 Status Extension Petition Filing Guide

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced special considerations for certain CW-1 petitions seeking an extension of status for temporary workers in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). In light of processing delays in the Temporary Labor Certification (TLC) by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), USCIS will accept these petitions as timely filed even if received after the current CW-1 petition validity expires.