DOS and USCIS Reverse Decision – All Employment Based Numbers Are Current

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and Department of State (DOS) have just announced that the July 2 update has been withdrawn and the initial July Visa Bulletin is in effect.  It will remain valid for 31 days – i.e., all employment-based green card categories (except for the “Other Workers” category) will be “current” and USCIS will accept applications filed not later than August 17, 2007.

Please note: the current filing fees for all applications will remain in effect for filings through August 17, 2007.

This is a reversal of previous DOS and USCIS announcements.  As reported earlier, DOS announced in June all employment based immigrant visa numbers were current for the month of July. Then, in a stunning development, it announced that all employment-based visa numbers available for FY2007 (ending September 30, 2007) had in fact been allocated and issued a revised bulletin on July 2, 2007, showing all employment-based categories as unavailable. USCIS also announced that it would reject Form I-485 Adjustment of Status applications received in July following the DOS announcement. 

In light of this recent announcement, please provide us with the following as soon as possible as per our prior e-alerts:

• Birth certificates for principal applicants and any derivative beneficiaries (or secondary evidence of birth, which must meet specific USCIS requirements)
• Marriage certificates and divorce decrees, if applicable
• Criminal records, if applicable
• Medical Records
• Photographs

In addition, your Ogletree attorneys and paralegals will continue to finalize forms for filing adjustment of status applications. If you have not completed your questionnaire, please do so immediately. 

Finally, those of you with travel plans may want to cancel those immediately, or discuss options in filing with your Ogletree attorney.

Note: This article was published in the July 17, 2007 issue of the Immigration eAuthority.