MSLG Attorney distributed Horitsu Note in Japanese #1128 via mailing list

​WASHINGTON— U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced the agency will celebrate Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, observed on Sept. 17, with over 260 naturalization ceremonies across the country from Sept. 14 to 23 as part of this year’s celebration of Constitution Week. 
Approximately, 45,000 lawful permanent residents will become America’s newest citizens during the annual commemoration honoring both the signing of the U.S. Constitution 231 years ago on Sept. 17, 1787, and an observance that began in 1940 as “I Am an American Day.”
USCIS’ Constitution Week activities will feature a naturalization ceremony at Oatlands Historic House and Gardens in Leesburg, Virginia where USCIS Director L. Francis Cissna will administer the Oath of Allegiance and provide congratulatory remarks to new U.S. citizens. View the list of 2018 Constitution Week naturalization ceremonies.
“We reflect this week on what it means to be an American and the integral nexus between the Constitution and citizenship,” said Cissna. “The Constitution plays an essential role in the lives of all Americans, but particularly for those who are Americans by choice. It not only establishes the rule of law, but also creates the framework for the lawful immigration system that exists today, empowering immigrants to become citizens.”
Critically, although USCIS has experienced a sustained 25 percent increase in the number of naturalization applications over the last two fiscal years on average, annual naturalization totals have not slowed. In fact, USCIS is on pace to complete at least 829,000 N-400 applications for naturalization in FY18, the highest since 2013 and nearing its 10-year high in the number of N-400s processed. The current approval rate is within one percent of the average since 2013 despite a historic influx of applications. The average approval rate from 2013-2017 is 91 percent.
“This is a testament to the dedication, diligence and hard work put forth by adjudicators and agency staff each day,” Cissna said.
In response to the record workload, USCIS has implemented a range of process and operational reforms, hired additional staff and expanded its facilities to ensure that its ability to lawfully adjudicate applications keeps pace with the escalating demand for services.
Each year, USCIS welcomes approximately 700,000 to 780,000 new citizens during naturalization ceremonies across the United States and around the world. In FY 2017 the agency naturalized more than 716,000 individuals.

​MSLG's attorney's #1127 of weekly Horitsu Note (legal news)  in Japanese is distributed via MSLG's mailing list.

MSLG attorney drafted and distributed via e-mail list, concerning the current immigration regulations under Trump Administration; NTA (Notice to Appear) in Japanese.

MSLG's attorney's #1126 of weekly Horitsu Note (legal news)  in Japanese is distributed via MSLG's mailing list.

MSLG welcomes Taku Inoue, Esq. (a Japanese attorney) .  He has several years of practice experience in Japan, and just finished LLM degree (UC Berkeley).   His software engineering undergraduate degree will, of course, benefit MSLG's technology clients.

MSLG attorney's article concerning a recent "travel ban" Supreme Court Case is featured in Hawaii Pacific Press's front page ( No. 768; September 1, 2018)

USCIS announced on August 28, 2018 as follows: 
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USCIS is extending the previously announced temporary suspension of premium processing for cap-subject H-1B petitions and, beginning Sept. 11, 2018, will be expanding this temporary suspension to include certain additional H-1B petitions. We expect these suspensions will last until Feb. 19, 2019, and will notify the public via uscis.gov before resuming premium processing for these petitions.While H-1B premium processing is suspended, we will reject any Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service filed with an affected Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker. If a petitioner submits one combined check for the Form I-907 and Form I‑129 H-1B fees, both forms will be rejected.
Who Is AffectedThe expanded temporary suspension applies to all H-1B petitions filed at the Vermont and California Service Centers (excluding cap-exempt filings as noted below).
The previously announced suspension of premium processing for fiscal year 2019 cap-subject H-1B petitions was originally slated to last until Sept. 10, 2018, but that suspension is being extended through an estimated date of Feb. 19, 2019.
We will continue premium processing of Form I-129 H-1B petitions that are not currently suspended if the petitioner properly filed an associated Form I-907 before Sept. 11, 2018. Therefore, we will refund the premium processing fee if:

• The petitioner filed the Form I-907 for an H-1B petition before Sept. 11, 2018; and
• We did not take adjudicative action on the case within the 15-calendar-day processing period.

Premium Processing Remains Available for Certain H-1B PetitionsThe suspension does not apply to:

1. Cap-exempt petitions that are filed exclusively at the California Service Center because the employer is cap exempt or because the beneficiary will be employed at a qualifying cap exempt institution, entity, or organization; or
2. Those petitions filed exclusively at the Nebraska Service Center by an employer requesting a “Continuation of previously approved employment without change with the same employer” (Box b. on Part 2, Question 2, Page 2 of the current Form I-129) with a concurrent request to:
   1. Notify the office in Part 4 so each beneficiary can obtain a visa or be admitted. (Box on Part 2, Question 4, Page 2 of the current Form I-129); or
   2. Extend the stay of each beneficiary because the beneficiary now holds this status. (Box c. on Part 2, Question 4, Page 2 of the current Form I-129).

This temporary suspension of premium processing does not apply to any other nonimmigrant classifications filed on Form I-129.
Requesting Expedited ProcessingWhile premium processing is suspended, petitioners may submit a request to expedite an H-1B petition if they meet the criteria on the Expedite Criteria webpage. The petitioner must demonstrate that they meet at least one of the expedite criteria, and petitioners should be prepared to submit documentary evidence to support their expedite request.
We review all expedite requests on a case-by-case basis and requests are granted at the discretion of the office leadership.
Why We Are Temporarily Suspending Premium Processing for H-1B PetitionsThis temporary suspension will help us to reduce overall H-1B processing times by allowing us to:

• Process long-pending petitions, which we have been unable to process due to the high volume of incoming petitions and premium processing requests over the past few months;
• Be responsive to petitions with time-sensitive start dates; and
• Prioritize adjudication of H-1B extension of status cases that are nearing the 240-day mark.