USCIS announced today its plans to implement a revised version of the naturalization civics test, effective for all applicants applying for naturalization on or after December 1, 2020. Upon first glance, it appears the only substantive changes are that the number of potential questions is increasing from 100 to 128, the number of questions asked[…]
Following the nationwide preliminary injunction which stopped the new USCIS fee schedule from taking effect on Friday, USCIS responded in kind, claiming they are severely underfunded and this move would hurt the agency. Copied from USCIS: Release Date 09/30/2020 WASHINGTON-U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Deputy Director of Policy Joseph Edlow issued the following[…]
USCIS clarified its office closures announcement with a helpful chart on action needed to be taken (if any) by those affected by the closures. For the most part, no action is required and USCIS will automatically reschedule appointments and notify individuals. Please see below. Copied from USCIS: On March 18, U.S. Citizenship and[…]
USCIS announced today that their office closures will be extended until at least May 3, 2020 due to COVID-19. At the moment they plan to re-open to the public on May 4, 2020, unless public closures are extended further. USCIS will notify applicants whose appointments are affected by the closure and re-schedule once operations resume.[…]
USCIS announced today that it is extending its closure to the public, with the exception of some limited emergency services, until at least April 7, 2020. Given current circumstances and the apparent trajectory of the COVID-19 situation in the United States, we would be shocked if this closure was not extended even further. Best to[…]
Earlier today, DHS proposed changes to several immigration-related and travel-related forms, publishing a 60-day notice and request for comments in the Federal Register. The proposed changes will allow DHS to collect social media information from applicants seeking immigration-related benefits and from individuals seeking to be admitted into the United States. The immigration-related forms DHS is[…]
USCIS announced today that it is revising the current naturalization test which, among other things, tests applicant’s knowledge of civics and U.S. history, government, and constitutional values. Earlier this spring, former USCIS Director L. Francis Cissna issued a memorandum instructing USCIS to revise and update the test, and also formalized a decennial (every 10 years) revision[…]
USCIS announced recently a new strategy aimed at reducing processing times for N-400s and I-485s, both of which have nearly doubled in the past several years. The strategy calls for shifting caseloads between field offices, from ones inundated with backlogs to those field offices with less traffic. For applicants, this means getting scheduled for[…]
The USCIS has created a video for people to learn about the naturalization process. I think it is a great tool for applicants and would encourage my own clients to view the video before attending the interview. Here is the video: [vodpod id=ExternalVideo.946728&w=425&h=350&fv=file%3D%2Ffiles%2Fnativedocuments%2FNaturalization_Interview.flv]