Released: March 17, 2011
WASHINGTON—In light of the recent earthquakes and tsunami in Japan, U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services (USCIS) reminds Japanese nationals of certain U.S. immigration benefits
available upon request.
USCIS understands that a natural disaster can affect an individual’s ability to establish or maintain
lawful immigration status. Temporary relief measures available to eligible nationals of Japan may
include:
The grant of an application for change or extension of nonimmigrant status for an individual
currently in the United States, even when the request is filed after the authorized period of
admission has expired;
Re-parole of individuals granted parole by USCIS;
Extension of certain grants of advance parole, and expedited processing of advance parole
requests;
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 of U.S. citizens and lawful
permanent residents (LPRs);
Expedited employment authorization where appropriate; and
Assistance to LPRs stranded overseas without immigration documents such as Green Cards.
USCIS and the Department of State will coordinate on these matters when the LPR is stranded
in a place that has no local USCIS office.
USCIS local office for assistance.
office there.
www.uscis.gov or call the National