USCIS Ombudsman updates procedures for case resolution assistance program

The Office of Citizenship and Immigration Services' Ombudsman provides assistance in resolving immigration case problems with USCIS for individuals who have failed to get results from the USCIS' customer service system and local INFOPASS appointments. Here are the steps required as part of obtaining assistance in getting your case resolved:

1. Call the USCIS at: 1-800-375-5283 – explain your problem, request assistance and a letter confirming your call.

2. Make an INFOPASS appointment at your local USCIS office if your case was not resolved then.

3. Request assistance from the Ombudsman's office by email,  or fax:

a. Submit by e-mail: Go to their website, download and complete Form DHS-7001, case problem submission worksheet. E-mail request to: [email protected] along with scanned copies of the application you submitted to the USCIS, USCIS receipts, approvals, denials and correspondence with USCIS and any other important documentation. Include all USCIS receipt numbers, your current email, address and telephone number.

b. Submit by mail: Form DHS-7001 and documents detailed above to: Department of Homeland Security, Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman, Attention: Case Assistance, Mail Stop 1225, Washington, D.C. 20528.

C. Submit by Fax: Form DHS-7001 and documents detailed above to: 202-357-0042.

After your request is submitted, the Ombudsman's office will review the information, research the status of the case and if assistance is appropriate, will contact the USCIS on your behalf with recommendations on how to resolve your problem.

**Those needing professional help in preparing and submitting case problem requests can retain an immigration lawyer's office for legal assistance. Please be sure to provide copies of all documentation regarding your case.

Reminder: The October 28, 2011 deadline is approaching for some widows of U.S. citizens

The deadline is fast approaching for certain eligible widows and widowers of U.S. citizens seeking immigration benefits on the basis of their marriage to a deceased U.S. citizen. Under the new law, widows and widowers of U.S. citizens can apply for immigration benefits within two years of the U.S. citizen spouse's death regardless of whether the U.S. citizen spouse had ever filed an immigration petition on behalf of his or her foreign spouse. Unmarried minor children under age 21 may also qualify.

For eligible widows and widowers of U.S. citizens who died BEFORE October 28, 2009, the law requires that an application be filed before October 28, 2011. For those whose U.S. citizen spouses died AFTER October 28, 2009, an application for immigration benefits must be filed within two years of the U.S. citizen spouse's death. For more information please contact an immigration lawyer for legal assistance.

IMMIGRATION Q&A

Question: I came to Fort Lauderdale last week and went through immigration at the airport and everything was fine as usual. But yesterday, I was looking at my I-94 card and I saw that it expires in three months instead of the regular six months that I always get! I don't understand it; the officer was really nice. My friend said it must be a mistake and I should go back to immigration to get it fixed. Is there a way I can do that now? What should I do?

Answer: That is a great question! Always read your I-94 Card while you are still in the immigration "zone." Once you leave the zone, it is almost impossible to get the date on the I-94 fixed as a B1/B2 tourist. Visa holders such as F-1, H-1B, L-1, E-2, TN workers, etc. can usually go to a CBP office to have their I-94 dates revised for obvious mistakes. However, for B1/B2 tourists, the CBP officer will usually refuse to change the date the officer at the airport issued, believing that the officer had a good reason for giving less than six months stay in the U.S.

One option is for an extension of your B visa to be filed after you have been in the U.S. for at least 60 days. You can contact an immigration lawyer for more information about how we can file to have your B visa extended for up to six months.