More CBP Personnel to be Sent to the Southern Border
On April 1, 2019, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kirstjen M. Nielsen issued a memorandum to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Kevin McAleenan regarding the situation at the southern border.
In the memorandum, the Secretary indicated that DHS will do everything in its power to end the crisis at the southern border. The Secretary ordered Commissioner McAleenan to undertake emergency surge operations and immediately increase its temporary reassignment of personnel and resources from across the agency to address the influx of migrants. CBP shall accelerate its planned reallocation of up to 750 officers to Border Patrol Sectors that are affected by the emergency. In addition, CBP is directed to explore raising that target and is authorized to exceed it.
Another measure ordered by the Secretary is to increase the amount of migrants that are returned to Mexico on a daily basis to wait for the processing of their asylum applications under the Migrant Protection Protocols initiative.
Premium Processing for 2020 H-1B Petitions
On May 20, 2019, USCIS will begin premium processing for fiscal year 2020 cap-subject H-1B petitions where a change of status is being requested. If they request for premium processing is not included with the petition for change of status, petitioners will have to wait until May 20, 2019, to submit their request.
Premium processing for all other fiscal year 2020 cap-subject H-B petitioners will not being until at least June 2019.
When properly requested, premium processing guarantees a 15 day processing time. If no action is taken on the petition within the 15 calendar day processing time, USCIS will return the premium processing fee and continue with expedited processing of the petition. In cases where premium processing has been properly requested, USCIS must, within 15 days, take action on the petition, this includes issuing a decision on the petition or requesting additional evidence.
Additional 30,000 H-2B Visas to be Made Available
On March 29, 2019, the Department of Homeland Security informed that Secretary Nielsen decided to allocate an additional 30,000 H-2B visas for the remainder of fiscal year 2019. These visas will only be available to applicants who have held H-2B status in at least one of the past three fiscal years. Additional information will be made available by the Department.
If you have questions about your immigration case here in Florida, it’s important to speak with an experienced immigration attorney to discuss your specific case and circumstances. Attorney Evelyn J. Pabon Figueroa is an Associate in the Orlando office of CPLS, P.A. She is a member of the firm’s Immigration Practice Groups. Contact Attorney Evelyn today at epabonfigueroa@cplspa.com to discuss any family or marital legal issues you may be experiencing.
