USCIS Offers Ebola-Related Immigration Relief Measures
In regards to the recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa, USCIS is offering relief measures to nationals of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone who currently reside in the United States. Nationals of those three countries may request the following:
- 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;
- Extension of certain grants of parole made by USCIS;
- Expedited adjudication and approval, where possible, of requests for off-campus employment authorization for F-1 students experiencing severe economic hardship;
- Expedited processing of immigrant petitions for immediate relatives (currently in the United States) of U.S. citizens;
- Expedited adjudication of employment authorization applications, where appropriate; and
- Consideration for waiver of fees associated with USCIS benefit applications.
More information is available here on the USCIS website: www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/special-situations.
*
Technical Issues Cause Worldwide Delay of American Visas
A technical glitch in the State Department’s Consular Consolidated Database (CCD) has caused major visa processing delays at U.S. Embassies around the globe. The database processes, records, and prints visas and other documents for travelers worldwide. Priority processing was given to immigrant visas, adoption cases, and emergency nonimmigrant visa cases, but the unspecified database issue resulted in a hefty backlog of passport and visa applications for thousands of travelers. Despite the Department of State’s efforts to restore the database quickly, it may be weeks before the CCD performs at its normal operational capacity.
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/travel/268365412.html
http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english.html
http://www.lexisnexis.com/legalnewsroom/immigration/b/outsidenews/archive/2014/07/31/state-department-visa-passport-computer-crash-update-july-31-2014.aspx
*
Colorado Issues Driver’s Licenses to Unauthorized Immigrants
Colorado is now the eleventh U.S. state to offer driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants. Over 9,000 appointments have been scheduled for the next three months and up to 150,000 immigrants could eventually acquire Colorado state driver’s licenses. Applicants must pass both a written exam and a driving test. In addition to a signed affidavit swearing that they intend to apply for lawful US residency, applications must submit their taxpayer ID numbers, proof of current residency in Colorado, proof of two years continuous residency in Colorado, and a form of identification from their country of origin. An extra $30 is required to pay for the added processing.
The law allows previously unlicensed and uninsured immigrant drivers to apply for auto insurance, hopefully leading to a reduction of automobile incidents in which uninsured drivers evade damage costs. Some who oppose the law worry that the policy is too lenient and too welcoming of undocumented immigrants.
http://m.seattlepi.com/news/us/article/Colorado-to-issue-driver-s-licenses-to-immigrants-5661675.php
*
EB-5 Visas for China Unavailable Until October 1, 2014
As predicted earlier in the year, the Department of State announced that China’s allotted 10,000 EB-5 immigrant visa numbers have run out for the 2014 fiscal year. USCIS will continue accepting applications based on approved I-526 petitions, but the applications will not be processed until the 2015 fiscal year begins on October 1, 2014. Applicants whose interview appointments have already been scheduled have visa numbers reserved for them and will be processed normally. Applicants without a scheduled appointment will be processed and scheduled beginning October 1. I-526 petitions will continue to be processed normally during this time.