News & Updates

• New SEVIS Process for 1-515A Form (PDF)
• Social Security Field Offices to Begin Closing to the Public a Half Hour Early effective 8/15/11
  
• NSEERS update: All currently designated countries have been removed from NSEERS compliance requirements- effective 4/28/11.
• Nonimmigrant visa processing in Japan (3-18-11)
• USCIS: Relief for Japan and Other Nationals from the Pacific Stranded due to the Earthquakes and Tsunami (PDF file)
• Japan: U.S. DoS Travel Warning (3-17-11)
• Visa Renewal/CITIC Bank Drop-off Service
• New government Export Control requirements for H-1 visa applications beginning on or after February 20, 2011.
• U.S. Embassy in Tel-Aviv Closed to Public from February 17 to March 18, 2011 (links to PDF download)
• New Visa procedures in Mexico start on Jan 10, 2011
• State Department issues Europe travel alert but is not asking colleges to call off study abroad programs. (10/4/2010)
• Note: Effective November 23, 2010, the fee for I-765 will increase. For more information, please check the USCIS website.
• New System For NIV Appointments In Canada Effective September 1, 2010
• Change in address for I-539 submission (changing visa status) (posted 8/18/2010)
• The U.S. Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez will reopen to the public on August 3rd (2010).
• The U.S. Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez is closed on July 30, 2010 to review its security posture--American citizens are advised avoid the area around the Consulate General until it reopens. Authorities are investigating the situation.
• Stanford students going abroad--See our new information page.
• U.S. State Dept. Posts Travel Warning for Mexico
• Change of Filing Location for Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization– The I-Center's instructions for submitting the I-765 have been updated.
• Changes to the H-1B Process at Stanford (posted 3/1/2010)
• U.S. Consulate in Vancouver to Temporarily Suspend Visa Services. Effective February 10 - 26, 2010.
• USCIS now has a blog named 'The Beacon'. The subject of the first blog is how to register for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) given the recent tragedy in Haiti
• DOS to Require Form DS-160 in India Beginning January 19, 2010
• Worldwide deployment of DS-160– New web-based visa application due to be fully implemented by April 30, 2010.
• United Kingdom visa regulations updates
• Four Stanford alums named Marshall Scholars; one wins Mitchell
• Stanford senior Daniel Shih named Rhodes Scholar
• Travelling Over Winter Break 2009
  • Do you have a valid travel signature?
  • Is the visa in your passport valid for re-entry?
• Deadlines for J and H visa requests prior to Winter Break 2009 (MS Word document)
• DV-2011 Diversity Visa lotter
• 12th UNAFF Film Festival: Energy & the World (10/09)
• Stanford, Ugandan students bridge cultural divide through performance (10/09)
• Two Stanford international alums, L. Mahadevan ( a former residence host here at the I-Center) and Lin He, are among the 24 winners of the 2009 MacArthur Fellowships. (9/09)
• Temporary Suspension of Nonimmigrant Visa Services in Honduras (8/09)
• Record number of Fulbright scholarships awarded to Stanford students, alums (7/09)
• New UK visa requirement for U.S. citizens

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Changes to the H-1B Process

Starting on March 1, 2010 the Office of International Scholars will simplify the H-1B process by signing both the Labor Conditions Application (LCA) and I-129 forms and maintaining the Public Access File. This should significantly cut down on the amount of time departments spend in processing documents. All other documentation and procedures will remain the largely the same. Departments with H-1B requests currently pending will be processed in the previous manner.

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What are the main changes?

1. Maintenance of the public access file at the Bechtel International Center. This changes the previous policy of requiring that departments maintain the files.

2. Signing of the LCA by the Bechtel International Center. The LCA will now be signed by its I-Center creator. Departments will still be given the opportunity to review the form electronically. This changes the previous policy of requiring a supervisor to sign the form.

3. Signing of the I-129 by the Bechtel International Center. The I-129 form will now be signed by its I-Center creator. Departments will still be given the opportunity to review the form electronically. This changes the previous policy of requiring a supervisor to sign the form.

Do I still need to keep the public access files for those whose LCA's were created before March 1, 2010?

Yes, those LCA's were filed in a manner the requires them to be maintained at the place of employment.

Why is the I-Center Making These Changes?

Two reasons. The first is centralized maintenance of the public access files for Department of Labor and Department of Homeland Security. The second is to reduce the amount of time and labor departments spend in signing documents and returning them back to the I-Center.

What procedures will change?

Very simply, the I-Center will request all the required H-1B documentation at the beginning of the process. As forms are created, the I-Center will request departments approval of the forms, much as we do now. The difference is that the I-Center will then sign and submit the documents after obtaining approval from the department.

How can I find out more?

The new procedures will be update on the I-Center website on Monday, March 1, 2010. For the next two weeks we'll still accept applications in the old manner but process them under the new procedures.

What does this mean?

It means that departments should have less work to do and less confusion in preparing H-1B petitions. There are no new departmental responsibilities. We are only eliminating some of the more difficult and confusing responsibilities for departments.