I hope you and your family remain safe and in good health. I believe the masks prevent spread of COVID. Please practice good judgment.
It is that time of the year when you need to Fallback (wind-back) the clock. Tonight on Nov 1 at 2AM, change your clock to 1 AM. You will gain an hour of sleep… Smart phones will do this for you.
Nov 3rd is the election day. Make sure to vote (only) if you are a citizen. Anyone who is a non-citizen or green card holder should not register to vote, or vote in any election. Please! Stop your temptation.
USCIS Update
1) Interviews for Naturalization– All previously cancelled interviews have been scheduled by now. New interviews are being scheduled. USCIS ALONE CONTROLS THESE SCHEDULES. There is a backlog of 6 months – have patience.
2) Many of you have asked us to estimate timing. Your guess is as good as ours. Visit www.uscis.gov for any updates.
3) Interview for other applications (including marriage based green card)– They are being scheduled. We have seen interview notices for the applications filed in Nov 2019 and prior. Go touscis.gov, then click on Processing Time, Pick the form and Field Office as Detroit to see how long is the wait.
When USCIS schedules any such interview, both you and our office will receive a written notice with 4 weeks of lead time. Any such notice received by our office is uploaded to the portal www.mycase.com USCIS ALONE CONTROLS THESE SCHEDULES.
YOU WILL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO COMPLETE YOUR MEDICAL IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE SO.
4) USCIS has recently re-used prior biometrics if you had previously filed for a benefit. That is good news because fingerprints do not change!
5) USCIS has recently been issuing work permits and travel permits for all previously pending (prior to 4/30/20) cases. If your case was filed after such date, just wait. Note that work permit is NOT a right, it is a privilege and USCIS alone controls it.
6) INTERVIEWS – USCIS interview rooms are small (10×10) and cannot accommodate too many people. USCIS is encouraging attendance of attorney by phone. They may “waive” the interviews for parents and children.
NVC Update
7) NVC is accepting visa applications (form DS-260) and other documents on their website. However, actual interview depends upon the consulate. President’s proclamation has cancelled all interviews except for the spouse of a U.S. Citizen. Some consulates have opened up the finance visa interviews as well. You need to go to the website of your consulate and find out more information.
Immigration & Other Courts Update
8) Immigration Court has re-scheduled most Master Hearings to next year. However, starting August 1, 2020, they are conducting Individual Hearings as scheduled. There are no video hearings at the Immigration Court.
9) Local Courts – All Michigan Courts – district and circuit courts – have been holding hearings using zoom video call. They will send you instructions in advance on how to join.
Our Office Updates
10) From October 1, 2020, our office has relocated to 2000 Town Center, Suite 1900, Southfield, MI 48075 (next building over in the same complex). No other information, such as phone number (248-663-0633), website or e-mail address will change. Please continue to use our porta www.mycase.com for all communications.
11) To schedule an appointment with us, use our website www.rathilaw.com Click on Schedule Appointment, option (2).
While we serve our clients diligently, we have received excessive and frequent inquiries from some clients. To prevent misuse, going forward from Nov 1, 2020, we will be charging (a) $10 for phone appointments; (b) $5 for incoming phone call; and (c) $1 per e-mail.
Once again, we hope you remain safe. Feel free to send us message or questions through our portal. I welcome your comments.