To print this article, all you need is to be registered or login on Mondaq.com.
On April 1, 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services (USCIS) began requiring certain I-129 petitions,
historically filed at service centers, to instead be filed at its
various lockbox facilities. USCIS confirmed on social media that it
was experiencing delays in issuing receipt notices for petitions
filed at lockbox facilities.
Quick Hits
- Beginning April 1, 2024, USCIS service centers stopped
accepting paper-filed I-129 petitions requesting H-1B and H-1B1
classification, instead requiring petitioners to file at designated
lockbox facilities. - As a result, the filing volume at USCIS lockboxes has
increased, and USCIS has now confirmed that it is experiencing
delays in issuing receipt notices. - Employers may wish to consider these delays when preparing
time-sensitive filings that require a receipt notice for other
benefits or to meet other requirements.
In conjunction with new filing fees made effective on April 1,
2024, through USCIS’s recent final rule, on April 1
USCIS also began requiring petitioners filing H-1B and H-1B1
petitions on Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, to
file with designated lockbox facilities instead of directly with
its service centers.
As a result of this change, USCIS informed stakeholders through
its social media channels that it was experiencing delays in
issuing receipt notices for petitions filed at its lockbox
facilities. Specifically, USCIS noted that it might take between
ten and fourteen calendar days to receive a receipt notice.
Notably, USCIS’s lockbox facilities are the designated
filing locations for forms and benefit requests beyond the recently
added H-1B and H-1B1 classifications, including some petitions or
applications using Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien
Workers; Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative; Form I-485,
Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status
(commonly referred to as the “green card” application);
Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization (commonly
referred to as the “EAD card”); and Form I-131,
Application for Travel Document (also used for advance parole).
Key Takeaways
Employers filing petitions at USCIS lockbox facilities may wish
to consider USCIS’s receipt notice delays when preparing
time-sensitive filings that require receipt notices for other
benefits or to meet other requirements, such as cap-gap extensions
for certain eligible F-1 nonimmigrant students or driver’s
license renewals in certain states.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general
guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought
about your specific circumstances.
POPULAR ARTICLES ON: Immigration from United States
#USCIS #Announces #Receipt #Notice #Delays #Lockbox #Locations #General #Immigration
