- 2019 H-1B Cap-subject Petitions. On April 6, 2018, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reached the congressionally mandated 65,000 H-1B visa cap for the government’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 and received in excess of 190,000 cap-subject petitions. USCIS also confirmed that it had reached the cap under the 20,000 H-1B petitions allocation for U.S. advanced degree holders. Upon conclusion of a computerized lottery, the cap-subject petitions that are not selected for processing will be returned to petitioners or their attorneys along with filing fees. The agency has not yet indicated the anticipated timelines of the visa lottery conclusion and receipt notices issuance and delivery to petitioners.
- Undeliverable Documents. USCIS is now destroying any Permanent Resident Cards (Green Cards), Employment Authorization Cards, and Travel Documents (e.g., Re-Entry Permits) returned as undeliverable by the U.S. Postal Service after 60 business days if not contacted by the intended recipient to provide the correct address. As a reminder, non-U.S. citizens must report a change of address within 10 days of moving by filing Form AR-11, Alien’s Change of Address Card. Detailed procedures for notifying USCIS of a change of address can be found at uscis.gov/addresschange.
- New E-Verify website. USCIS launched a new website, e-verify.gov, for its E-Verify system, which is the government’s subscription-based service that allows employers to confirm the employees’ eligibility to work in the U.S. by electronically matching information provided by employees on the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, against records available to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and DHS. The new website provides information regarding employee’s rights and employer’s responsibilities in the employment verification process, allows employers to enroll in E-Verify, and permits current users to access their accounts.
Department of Homeland Security