ImmiTips

Beginning Aug. 3, 2010 applicants submitting Form I-539 by itself must mail their application to the USCIS Dallas Lockbox facility.

Applicants submitting their Form I-539 with Form I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker, will continue to submit both forms to either the USCIS California Service Center or the USCIS Vermont Service Center, according to the Form I-129 filing instructions.  Dependent applicants submitting Form I-539 applications at the same time should include their application in the package with the primary applicant.

Applicants filing Form I-539 under category “P-4, Dependents of Major League Sports” Athletes or Support Personnel, should continue to file their applications at the USCIS Vermont Service Center.

USCIS announced revised filing addresses for petitioners who live in Canada, and who are filing a stand-alone Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative. The new form is dated 6/14/10.  This form is now processed through the USCIS Chicago Lockbox facility. Detailed guidance can be found in updated form instructions at www.uscis.gov/forms.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced that it has revised the Employment Authorization Document (EAD), or Form I-766, to incorporate the addition of a machine-readable zone on the back of the card..

This update to the EAD is part of USCIS’s ongoing efforts to deter immigration fraud. Starting May 11, USCIS began issuing the revised EAD cards. The machine-readable zone is compliant with International Civil Aviation Organization standards. USCIS also removed the two-dimensional bar code on the backside of the card and moved the informational box of text to just beneath the magnetic stripe on the card.  The revised card retains all of its existing security features.

Old Card Design:                                           New Card Design:

These revisions are the result of extensive collaboration among Department of Homeland Security components, particularly U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection and USCIS.  For more information on employment authorization, travel documents and other immigration benefits, visit www.uscis.gov or call USCIS¿s National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced that it will be transitioning the intake function of several more forms from the Service Centers to its Lockbox network. By centralizing form and fee intake to a Lockbox environment, USCIS will improve consistency and integrity in the intake process.

The forms scheduled for the transition:

• I-817, Application for Family Unity Benefits (If filing under section 301 of the Immigration Act of 1990);
• I-526, Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur ;
• I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status (Only those filed separately from the I-129);
• I-129F, Petition for Alien Fiance ;
• I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker.

The transition will start mid-May with the Service Centers forwarding applications to the USCIS Dallas and Phoenix Lockbox facilities for processing.  In June, USCIS will post the revised filing instructions, update the web page for each form, and announce the address change with a USCIS Update.

Throughout the transition period and up to the point where USCIS formally announces the new filing addresses, customers with concerns should contact the National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283.