U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has published a revised Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (Form I-485). Form I-485 is the application required to be filed for adjustment of status to lawful permanent resident status while in the US. The new version of the Form I-485 should increase the efficiency of the adjudication process by reducing errors and requests for evidence.
The new Form I-485 includes:
- New spacing, columns, flow, white space, and formatting;
- Questions about biographic information (formerly completed on Form G-325A) are included in the new Form I-485, so applicants no longer need to file a separate form;
- A list of 27 immigrant categories, which allows applicants to identify the specific immigrant category under which they are applying; and
- A comprehensive, updated list of admissibility-related questions to ensure that the USCIS officers have the necessary information to better assess the applicant’s admissibility and eligibility.
Please note that starting June 26, 2017, there will be a 60-day grace period during which USCIS will accept both the 01/17/17 and 06/26/17 editions of Form I-485 and Supplement A and J. Beginning Aug. 25, 2017, USCIS will only accept the revised Form and Supplement A and J of Form I-485 and will no longer accept earlier versions of either form.
Please visit the Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status page and the Form I-485 Supplement A page for further information about the new forms and instructions.
USCIS to Resume H-1B Premium Processing for Physicians under the Conrad 30 Waiver Program
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced that beginning June 26, 2017 the agency will resume premium processing for all H-1B petitions filed for medical doctors under the Conrad 30 Waiver program, as well as interested government agency waivers. The Conrad 30 program allows certain medical doctors to stay in the United States on a temporary visa after completing their medical training to work in rural and urban areas that have a shortage of physicians.
USCIS also plans to eventually resume premium processing of other types of H-1B petitions as their workload permits. Please visit the website for detailed information: https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/uscis-resume-h-1b-premium-processing-physicians-under-conrad-30-waiver-program