USCIS Announces FY 2021 Accomplishments
16 December 2021
Release Date
12/16/2021
WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is releasing preliminary fiscal year (FY) 2021 agency statistics and accomplishments. These preliminary statistics highlight important immigration trends and illustrate the work accomplished by USCIS in FY 2021. The agency will publish final, verified FY 2021 statistics in January 2022.
“I’m immensely proud of the USCIS workforce and for their achievements in a year of many challenges and rebuilding. From responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and addressing processing delays to enacting numerous operational and policy changes in response to executive orders from the Biden-Harris Administration, FY 2021 marks a year of growth and renewed vision for our agency,” said USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou.
“In the upcoming year, we will continue to serve the public with compassion and reflect America’s promise as a nation of welcome and possibilities for all. As we administer our nation’s immigration system as an engine of American strength, we will adjudicate requests with fairness, efficiency and integrity.”
Addressing Challenges
- Fiscal Health: USCIS fiscal health has improved significantly during FY 2021 as a result of measures the agency implemented to reduce spending, as well as an increase in Immigration Examinations Fee Account revenue receipts, which have exceeded projections.
- Temporary Flexibilities in Response to COVID-19: The health and safety of our workforce and those we serve remained a top priority. USCIS continued temporary flexibilities related to COVID-19, including allowing more time for responses to certain USCIS requests and notices.
- Employment-Based Adjustments: USCIS faced the unprecedented challenge of processing over 237,000 employment-based Green Card applications—not only the agency’s usual 115,000, but an additional 122,000 immigrant visa numbers that the Department of State was unable to process in FY 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By the end of FY 2021, USCIS approved over 172,000 employment-based adjustment of status applications, an increase of 50% above the typical baseline.
- Processing Delays: Across the agency, the volume of pending cases increased as well as the associated processing times. USCIS has made significant strides in addressing processing delays caused by COVID-19 and other factors while responding to new executive orders. USCIS made significant strides in addressing processing delays in the following ways: reusing biometrics for 2.5 million applicants since March 2020; reducing the number of pending biometrics appointments from 1.4 million in January 2021 to 155,000 as of the end of September; and fully eliminating the “front-log” of cases awaiting intake processing (which was more than 1 million receipts in January 2021 and was eliminated in July) by expanding staffing and overtime at our Lockbox facilities.
Response to Executive Orders
- Breaking Down Barriers: USCIS continues to identify efficiencies and remove barriers to benefits and services pursuant to executive orders (EO) 14012 and 13985 and received over 7,400 comments to its Request for Public Input, “Identifying Barriers Across U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Benefits and Services,” which closed on May 19, 2021. USCIS has already announced a number of updates responsive to comments received, including reverting to prior criteria for interviewing petitioners requesting derivative refugee and asylee status for family members, clarifying that it will consider E and L dependent spouses to be employment authorized incident to status and that H-4, E, and L dependent spouses may qualify for the automatic extension of their employment authorization, and providing deferred action and work authorization for petitioners living in the U.S. with pending, bona fide U nonimmigrant status petitions and who merit a favorable exercise of discretion. USCIS continues to review and consider comments received in response to the Request for Public Input, alongside other feedback received, such as in stakeholder engagements.
- Promoting Naturalization: During FY 2021, USCIS welcomed 855,000 new U.S. citizens, including derivative citizens. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the help of video-facilitated interviews and pandemic-safe interview procedures, USCIS continued to process naturalization cases at pre-pandemic levels during FY 2021 and completed approximately 895,000 naturalization applications, conducted more than 52,000 video-facilitated interviews, and hosted more than 40,000 naturalization ceremonies. USCIS continues to promote and improve access to naturalization pursuant to EO 14012 and the Interagency Strategy for Promoting Naturalization [PDF, 3.77 MB] (PDF, 3.77 MB), which was released publicly on July 2, 2021. USCIS has taken a number of steps to reduce barriers to naturalization and promote citizenship, including phasing out the 2020 version of the Naturalization Civics Test and reverting back to the 2008 Test on March 1; decreasing the pending naturalization case queue by approximately 14% from January to September 2021; conducting video interviews of overseas military members and qualifying family members, as well as video naturalization ceremonies, with the assistance of the Department of Defense; reusing approximately 838,000 naturalization applicants’ biometrics since March 1; relaunching the Outstanding Americans by Choice initiative; and releasing $10 million to 40 citizenship grantees for FY 2022.
- Public Charge: DHS published the Public Charge Vacatur Final Rule in the Federal Register on March 15, 2021, which removed the regulatory provisions promulgated by the 2019 Public Charge Final Rule that the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals vacated on March 9. USCIS released a letter (PDF, 332.11 KB) to interagency partners on April 12, seeking their support in communicating to the public that the 2019 Public Charge Rule is no longer in effect. On Aug. 23, USCIS published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) to seek broad public feedback on key considerations associated with the public charge ground of inadmissibility that will help with the development of a future regulatory proposal. As announced in the ANPRM, USCIS conducted a listening session for the general public on public charge on Sept. 14. Resources on public charge, including questions and answers, are available on our website. USCIS hopes to issue its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on public charge in the near future.
- U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) Improvements: USCIS continues to work with the Department of State (DOS) to take steps to improve the efficacy, integrity, security and transparency of the USRAP pursuant to EO 14013.
- Family Reunification Task Force: USCIS continues to serve on the Family Reunification Task Force and established a parole process and approved approximately 100 individuals for parole during FY 2021 to help reunify families separated by the prior administration’s Zero-Tolerance and related policies.
- Expansion of Lawful Pathways from Central America: USCIS and DOS reinstituted and expanded the Central American Minors Refugee and Parole Program (CAM), including the resumption of interviews. In Phase One, USCIS and DOS began processing eligible applications that were closed when the CAM program was terminated in January 2018. In Phase Two, eligibility criteria were expanded for certain U.S. based individuals—to include legal guardians in qualifying categories (such as lawful permanent residence, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), parolees, deferred action, Deferred Enforced Departure, or withholding of removal), and parents or legal guardians with a pending asylum application or petition for U nonimmigrant status—to apply for their children to access the CAM program.
Humanitarian Programs
- Operation Allies Welcome: USCIS set up temporary field offices and mobile biometrics processing stations in eight federally approved facilities to process arriving Afghan nationals and family members who assisted the United States in Afghanistan. At these facilities, Afghan nationals applied for employment authorization and have been referred to resettlement services, if they are eligible. USCIS personnel are adjudicating applications for employment authorization and conducting other immigration processing. During FY 2021, USCIS collected biometrics for more than 52,000 individuals and adjudicated more than 28,000 applications for employment authorization.
- Asylum Processing: This past year, USCIS completed approximately 39,000 affirmative asylum cases, 44,000 credible fear determinations, and more than 4,400 reasonable fear determinations. On Aug. 2, 2021, USCIS opened a new asylum office in Tampa, Fla., in response to an increasing asylum workload in Florida.
- Adjudication by Asylum Officers of Protection Claims after Positive Credible Fear Determinations: On Aug. 20, 2021, a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking was published that would amend regulations so that individuals in expedited removal who are found to have a credible fear of persecution or torture could have their claims for asylum, withholding of removal, or protection under the Convention Against Torture initially adjudicated by a USCIS asylum officer through a nonadversarial proceeding, rather than in immigration court by an immigration judge. If implemented, this rule would allow for more efficient adjudication of the protection claims of individuals who establish a credible fear while in the expedited removal process, while ensuring fairness and safeguarding due process. The 60-day public comment period ended on Oct. 19.
- Refugee Interviews: USCIS expanded its capacity to conduct certain refugee applicant interviews remotely using video-teleconferencing, which enabled USCIS to mitigate the impact of COVID-19-related restrictions on international travel for much of the year. USCIS also deployed officers to 12 overseas locations to conduct in-person initial refugee interviews or to provide support for video interviews conducted remotely from the United States. USCIS interviewed approximately 6,600 refugee applicants in person and over 3,300 refugee applicants remotely in 23 countries.
- Temporary Protected Status: In FY 2021, USCIS began accepting applications and renewals for TPS under new and/or extended designations for South Sudan, Burma, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen and Haiti. On July 21, 2021, USCIS publicly launched online filing for initial TPS registration applications for Burma, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen. On Aug. 3, when DHS published the designation of Haiti for TPS for 18 months in the Federal Register, USCIS made online filing available for initial TPS registrations. On Aug. 4, DHS announced the extension of the initial registration periods from 180 days to 18 months for initial applicants under the TPS designations for Venezuela, Syria and Burma, similar to the same-length initial registration periods in place regarding applicants from other countries, such as Haiti.
- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA): Since DACA began in 2012, USCIS has approved approximately 835,000 requests for initial DACA and over 2.3 million requests for renewal of DACA, as of Sept. 30, 2021. The median processing time for DACA renewals and related employment authorization applications through Sept. 30, was approximately 54 days. On Sept. 28, DHS published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would preserve and fortify the DACA policy, with a 60-day public comment period that closed on Nov. 29. If finalized as proposed, the rule would codify the existing DACA policy with a few limited changes.
- U Nonimmigrant Bona Fide Determination Process: USCIS announced the U Nonimmigrant Bona Fide Determination Process on June 14, 2021, to address increases in the volume of U nonimmigrant petitions and a growing number of cases awaiting placement on the waiting list or final adjudication. With this initiative, USCIS will be able to provide efficient reviews of U visa petitions and provide work authorization and deferred action to victims of crime in a more timely manner.
Increased Public Engagement
USCIS hosts public engagements on local and national levels involving our community relations officers and subject matter experts. In March 2021, we conducted an agency-wide review of public engagement to reinvigorate our outreach efforts. The review identified key priorities and ways to increase engagement opportunities.
- During FY 2021, USCIS adapted to a virtual engagement environment and had record numbers of attendees for these events.
- USCIS held more than 2,000 virtual engagements with approximately 74,000 attendees, including 2,069 local engagements and 47 engagements at the national level.
- USCIS hosts engagements in English, Spanish, and other languages including Arabic, Haitian Creole, Mandarin, Dari, and Urdu.
- We covered more than 20 topics, including citizenship/naturalization, online filing, TPS, public charge, avoiding immigration scams, Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness (LRIF), family-based petitions, business immigration, and COVID-19 visitor procedures for local offices.
Online Filing and Tools
The agency’s transition from paper applications to a fully digital filing and adjudication experience continues to be an important priority for USCIS. Consequently, USCIS continues to expand our online filing capabilities.
- USCIS has continued to expand and enhance the self-help tools available to applicants online and through the agency’s Contact Center with the goal of providing more efficient, timely service.
- Through continued outreach and promotion, the number of myUSCIS online accounts grew from 6.1 million in FY 2020 to 9 million in FY 2021, a growth rate of 48%.
- In FY 2021, approximately 1,210,700 applications were filed online, a 2.3% increase from the 1,184,000 filed in FY 2020.
- In FY 2021, USCIS added two forms for electronic filing:
- Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status; and
- Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, for:
- Temporary Protected Status applicants seeking employment authorization who have an approved form I-821 (a)(12) or a pending form I-821 (c)(19); and
- F-1 students seeking optional practical training (OPT) if they request employment authorization under one of these categories: (c)(3)(A) – Pre-Completion OPT; (c)(3)(B) – Post-Completion OPT; and (c)(3)(C) – 24-Month Extension of OPT for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students.
Increased Data Transparency
USCIS has increased data transparency and availability of new and expanded quarterly reports continues to be an important priority for the agency.
- USCIS has created new quarterly reports for benefit programs, including LRIF that include reporting on receipts broken down by state, gender, as well as fee waiver information.
- For FY 2022, USCIS will be launching a new quarterly report for TPS that includes receipts and approvals for all countries, including new designations from 2021 such as Venezuela and Haiti.
- As part of the efforts to increase naturalization promotion and outreach, USCIS also launched a new webpage outlining key statistics around naturalization highlighting citizenship accomplishment over the last few fiscal years.
For more information on USCIS and our programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Last Reviewed/Updated:
12/16/2021
What is Alien Registration Pursuant to a 1940 law, every foreign national who will be in the U.S. for 30 days must be registered and fingerprinted. They are also required to carry proof of such registration at all times. This law has not been regularly enforced. However, a new process to register is set to begin on April 11, 2025 which requires that all immigrants who did not enter the United States with a visa are required to register with the federal government. Who needs to register? Many immigrants, including some who lack formal legal status, are already considered registered (see “Who is considered to have already registered,” below.) Any other immigrant who enters the United States and plans to stay for 30 days or longer must register before the expiration of the 30 days. This includes: Canadians who enter at a land border and are not issued a Form I-94 Individuals who entered without inspection and have not yet registered Children who turn 14 years old while in the United States, who must register within 30 days of their 14th birthday. Parents or legal guardians are required to register their children who were not registered upon visa application and who will remain in the U.S. for 30 days or longer. What if You Are Undocumented? If you entered the U.S. without inspection and do not have legal status, you are required to register as a non-citizen. Registering does not grant legal status and may result in the registrant being detained and placed in removal proceedings. Failure to register may result in civil and criminal penalties. You should consult with an immigration attorney prior to registering in order to understand the registration process, your rights, and any potential legal risks. Keeping Your Registration Documents Safe Always carry your registration documents with you. Who is considered to have already registered? Immigrants who have already registered include the following: Lawful permanent residents; People paroled into the United States under INA 212(d)(5), even if the period of parole has expired; People admitted to the United States as nonimmigrants who were issued Form I-94 or I-94W (paper or electronic), even if the period of admission has expired; All people present in the United States (except those under the age of fourteen) who were issued immigrant or nonimmigrant visas before their last date of arrival; People whom DHS has placed into removal proceedings; People issued an employment authorization document; People who have applied for lawful permanent residence using Forms I-485, I-687, I-691, I-698, I-700, and provided fingerprints (unless waived), even if the applications were denied; and People issued Border Crossing Cards. Individual Who are Exempt from the Requirement Visa holders who have been already registered and fingerprinted through their application for a visa; A visa holders; G visa holders; Those in U.S. for less than 30 days; If an LPR is outside of the U.S. when he turns 14, the individual must apply for registration and provide a photograph within 30 days of return; American Indians born in Canada who possess atleast 50% blood of the American Indian race who are present in the US under the authority of 8 USC 1359 How and Where to Register USCIS has established a new form, G-325R, Biometrics Information (Registration). Form G-325R is submitted online through an account created on the USCIS website. Steps to register: Create an online USCIS account at my.uscis.gov . Complete and submit Form G-325R. Attend a biometrics appointment at a USCIS Application Support Center, at which time a statement is signed under oath reaffirming to the information provided. Receive a proof of alien registration document, after completion of background checks. The Proof of Alien Registration document will be available in the USCIS online account. What does Form G-325R require? Current Legal Name Contact Information Physical Address and Address History for past 5 years Immigration History Biographic Information Police/Criminal Record Family Information What documents count as proof of registration? The “proof of alien registration” document counts as proof of registration. So do the following documents: I-94 (Arrival-Departure Record) which covers: People admitted with non-immigrant visas. People paroled into the U.S. under 212(d)(5) of INA. People who have been granted permission to depart without the institution of deportation proceedings. I-95, Crewmen's Landing Permit—Crewmen arriving by vessel or aircraft. I-181, Memorandum of Creation of Record of Lawful Permanent Residence—Noncitizens presumed to be lawfully admitted. I-184, Alien Crewman Landing Permit and Identification Card—Crewmen arriving by vessel. I-185, Nonresident Alien Canadian Border Crossing Card—Citizens of Canada or British subjects residing in Canada. I-186, Nonresident Alien Mexican Border Crossing Card—Citizens of Mexico residing in Mexico. I-221, Order to Show Cause and Notice of Hearing—People against whom deportation proceedings are being instituted. I-221S, Order to Show Cause, Notice of Hearing, and Warrant for Arrest of Alien—People against whom deportation proceedings are being instituted. I-485, Application for Status as Permanent Resident. I-551, Permanent Resident Card—Lawful permanent residents of the United States. I-590, Registration for Classification as Refugee- Escapee. I-687, Application for Status as a Temporary Resident. I-691, Notice of Approval as a Temporary Resident. I-698, Application to Adjust Status from Temporary to Permanent Resident. I-700, Application for Status as a Temporary Resident. I-766, Employment Authorization Document— People with work permits. I-817, Application for Voluntary Departure under the Family Unity Program. I-862, Notice to Appear—People against whom removal proceedings are being instituted. I-863, Notice of Referral to Immigration Judge— People against whom removal proceedings are being instituted. Deadline to Register There is no specified date by when registration must occur except that anyone who is in the U.S. for more than 30 days must register and that noncitizen children who turn 14 must register within 30 days of the 14th birthday. What Happens If You Don’t Register or Carry Proof? Those who are 18 years or older must carry proof at all times of their registration and fingerprinting. Failure to do so could amount to a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $5000 or imprisonment of not more than 30 days, or both. This is a misdemeanor criminal offense. There is a separate criminal offense and removal ground for registering using false documents. If you do not register and later apply for an immigration benefit or visa, the government might deny the benefit or visa for failing to register. Everyone living in the U.S. still has basic rights under the Constitution. You have the right to remain silent and to refuse to speak to immigration officers. You have the right to speak to a lawyer if arrested. See AILA’s Know Your Rights Flyer on being stopped in a public place: https://www.aila.org/aila-files/AC3EB4AE-0276-41C7-B53A-E165B250CBD5/KYR_public.pdf Change of Address Requirement If you move, you must notify USCIS of your new address within 10 days. Failure to do so can result in a fine of up to $5000 and/or up to 30 days imprisonment and may result in removal. It is essential that individuals who may be affected by this policy consult with a competent and reputable immigration lawyer, if at all possible, to receive the most appropriate advice for their circumstances. If you have questions about the naturalization process, we encourage you to contact our office at [NAME] at [NUMBER]. This flyer is intended for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. You should not act or rely on any information in this flyer without seeking the advice of a competent, licensed immigration attorney.
Release Date 04/09/2025 WASHINGTON — Today U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin considering aliens’ antisemitic activity on social media and the physical harassment of Jewish individuals as grounds for denying immigration benefit requests. This will immediately affect aliens applying for lawful permanent resident status, foreign students and aliens affiliated with educational institutions linked to antisemitic activity. Consistent with President Trump’s executive orders on Combatting Anti-Semitism , Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism and Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats , DHS will enforce all relevant immigration laws to the maximum degree, to protect the homeland from extremists and terrorist aliens, including those who support antisemitic terrorism, violent antisemitic ideologies and antisemitic terrorist organizations such as Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, or Ansar Allah aka: “the Houthis.” “There is no room in the United States for the rest of the world’s terrorist sympathizers, and we are under no obligation to admit them or let them stay here,” said DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin. “Sec. Noem has made it clear that anyone who thinks they can come to America and hide behind the First Amendment to advocate for anti-Semitic violence and terrorism – think again. You are not welcome here.” Under this guidance, USCIS will consider social media content that indicates an alien endorsing, espousing, promoting, or supporting antisemitic terrorism, antisemitic terrorist organizations, or other antisemitic activity as a negative factor in any USCIS discretionary analysis when adjudicating immigration benefit requests. This guidance is effective immediately. For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on X (formerly Twitter) , Instagram , YouTube , Facebook and LinkedIn . https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/dhs-to-begin-screening-aliens-social-media-activity-for-antisemitism
Release Date 03/31/2025 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has received enough electronic registrations for unique beneficiaries during the initial registration period to reach the fiscal year (FY) 2026 H-1B numerical allocations (H-1B cap), including the advanced degree exemption (master’s cap). We have randomly selected enough beneficiaries with properly submitted registrations projected as needed to reach the H-1B cap and have notified all prospective petitioners with selected beneficiaries that they are eligible to file an H-1B cap-subject petition for such beneficiaries. Registrants’ online accounts will display a registration status. For more information, visit the H-1B Electronic Registration Process page. H-1B cap-subject petitions for FY 2026, including those petitions eligible for the advanced degree exemption, may be filed with USCIS beginning April 1, 2025, if filed for a selected beneficiary and based on a valid registration. Only petitioners with registrations for selected beneficiaries may file H-1B cap-subject petitions for FY 2026. An H-1B cap-subject petition must be properly filed at the correct filing location or online at my.uscis.gov and within the filing period indicated on the relevant selection notice. The period for filing the H-1B cap-subject petition will be at least 90 days. Petitioners must include a copy of the applicable selection notice with the FY 2026 H-1B cap-subject petition. Petitioners must also submit evidence of the beneficiary’s valid passport or travel document used at the time of registration to identify the beneficiary. Petitioners filing for selected beneficiaries based on their valid registration must still submit evidence or otherwise establish eligibility for petition approval, as registration and selection only pertains to eligibility to file the H-1B cap-subject petition. For more information, visit the H-1B Cap Season page. https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/fy-2026-h-1b-initial-registration-selection-process-completed
On Jan. 20, 2025, President Trump issued the Protecting the American People Against Invasion executive order which directed the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that aliens comply with their duty to register with the government under section 262 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) (8 U.S.C. 1302), and ensure that failure to comply is treated as a civil and criminal enforcement priority. The INA requires that, with limited exceptions, all aliens 14 years of age or older who were not fingerprinted or registered when applying for a U.S. visa and who remain in the United States for 30 days or longer , must apply for registration and fingerprinting. Similarly, parents and guardians must ensure that their children below the age of 14 are registered. Within 30 days of reaching his or her 14th birthday, the previously registered alien child must apply for re-registration and to be fingerprinted. Once an alien has registered and appeared for fingerprinting (unless waived), DHS will issue evidence of registration, which aliens over the age of 18 must carry and keep in their possession at all times. It is the legal obligation of all unregistered aliens (or previously registered children who turn 14 years old) in the United States to comply with these requirements. Failure to comply will result in criminal and civil penalties, up to and including misdemeanor prosecution and the payment of fines. Most aliens in the United States have already registered, as required by law. However, a significant number of aliens present in the United States have had no direct way in which to register and meet their obligation under INA 262. In order that unregistered aliens may comply with their duty under INA 262, USCIS is establishing a new form and process by which they may register. No alien will have an excuse for failure to comply with this law. Registration is not an immigration status, and registration documentation does not establish employment authorization or any other right or benefit under the INA or any other U.S. law. American Indians born in Canada who entered the United States under section 289 of the INA, and members of the Texas Band of Kickapoo Indians who entered the United States under the Texas Band of Kickapoo Act, are not required to register. Who has already registered? Anyone who has been issued one of the documents designated as evidence of registration under 8 CFR 264.1(b) has registered. Also, anyone who submitted one of the forms designated at 8 CFR 264.1(a) and provided fingerprints (unless waived) and was not issued one of the pieces of evidence designated at 8 CFR 264.1(b), complied with the registration requirement of INA 262. Aliens who have already registered include: Lawful permanent residents; Aliens paroled into the United States under INA 212(d)(5), even if the period of parole has expired; Aliens admitted to the United States as nonimmigrants who were issued Form I-94 or I-94W (paper or electronic), even if the period of admission has expired; All aliens present in the United States who were issued immigrant or nonimmigrant visas prior to arrival; Aliens whom DHS has placed into removal proceedings; Aliens issued an employment authorization document; Aliens who have applied for lawful permanent residence using Forms I-485, I-687, I-691, I-698, I-700, even if the applications were denied; and, Aliens issued Border Crossing Cards. Who must apply for registration All aliens 14 years of age or older who were not registered and fingerprinted (if required) when applying for a visa to enter the United States and who remain in the United States for 30 days or longer. They must apply before the expiration of those 30 days. The parents and legal guardians of aliens less than 14 years of age who have not been registered and remain in the United States for 30 days or longer, prior to the expiration of those 30 days. Any alien, whether previously registered or not, who turns 14 years old in the United States, within 30 days after their 14th birthday. Who is not registered? Anyone who has not been issued one of the documents designated as evidence of registration under 8 CFR 264.1(b) and has not submitted one of the forms designated at 8 CFR 264.1(a) and provided fingerprints (unless waived) is not registered. Aliens who have not registered include: This includes: Aliens who are present in the United States without inspection and admission or inspection and parole; Canadian visitors who entered the United States at land ports of entry and were not issued evidence of registration; and, Aliens who submitted one or more benefit requests to USCIS not listed in 8 CFR 264.1(a), including applications for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or Temporary Protected Status, who were not issued evidence of registration. How to register DHS will soon announce a form and process for aliens to complete the registration requirement. Beginning Feb. 25, 2025, aliens required to register should create a USCIS online account in preparation for the registration process. See our How to Create a USCIS Online Account page for more information. Once the registration process is implemented, aliens will submit their registration, and parents and guardians will submit registration applications on behalf of their children under 14, through their USCIS online account. We will update this webpage to provide additional information in the coming days. Do not be a victim of an immigration scam. If you need legal advice on immigration matters, make sure the person helping you is authorized to give legal advice. Visit the Avoid Scams page for information and resources. https://www.uscis.gov/alienregistration Last Reviewed/Updated: 02/25/2025
Release Date 02/20/2025 On Feb. 20, 2025, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem partially vacated the July 1, 2024, notice that extended and redesignated Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). The announcement amends the period of extension and redesignation of Haiti for TPS from 18 months to 12 months, with a new end date of Aug. 3, 2025, and makes a corresponding change to the initial registration period for new applicants under the redesignation, which will now remain in effect through Aug. 3, 2025. For additional information, please see the Federal Register notice . https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/update-on-tps-for-haiti
Release Date 02/05/2025 Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the initial registration period for the fiscal year 2026 H-1B cap will open at noon Eastern on March 7 and run through noon Eastern on March 24, 2025 . During this period, prospective petitioners and representatives must use a USCIS online account to register each beneficiary electronically for the selection process and pay the associated registration fee for each beneficiary. Prospective H-1B cap-subject petitioners or their representatives are required to use a USCIS online account to register each beneficiary electronically for the selection process and pay the associated $215 H-1B registration fee for each registration submitted on behalf of each beneficiary. If you are an H-1B petitioning employer who does not have a USCIS online account, you will need to create an organizational account . If you are an H-1B petitioning employer who had an H-1B registrant account for the FY 2021 – FY 2024 H-1B registration seasons, but you did not use the account for FY 2025, your existing account will be converted to an organizational account after your next log in. First-time registrants can create an account at any time. You can find additional information and resources on the organizational accounts, including a link to step-by-step videos, on the Organizational Accounts Frequently Asked Questions page . These FAQs will be updated with FY 2026 information before the start of the initial registration period. Representatives may add clients to their accounts at any time, but both representatives and registrants must wait until March 7 to enter beneficiary information and submit the registration with the $215 fee. Selections take place after the initial registration period closes, so there is no requirement to register on the day the initial registration period opens. The FY 2026 H-1B cap will use the beneficiary-centric selection process launched in FY 2025. Under the beneficiary-centric process, registrations are selected by unique beneficiary rather than by registration. If we receive registrations for enough unique beneficiaries by March 24 , we will randomly select unique beneficiaries and send selection notifications via users’ USCIS online accounts. If we do not receive registrations for enough unique beneficiaries, all registrations for unique beneficiaries that were properly submitted in the initial registration period will be selected. We intend to notify by March 31 prospective petitioners and representatives whose accounts have at least one registration selected. The U.S. Department of Treasury has approved a temporary increase in the daily credit card transaction limit from $24,999.99 to $99,999.99 per day for the FY 2026 H-1B cap season. This temporary increase is in response to the volume of previous H-1B registrations that exceeded the daily credit card limit. Transactions more than $99,999.99 may be made via Automated Clearing House (ACH). Use of ACH may require the payor to alert their bank in advance to remove any potential ACH block on their account. We will provide additional information before the start of the initial H-1B registration period. An H-1B cap-subject petition, including a petition for a beneficiary who is eligible for the advanced degree exemption, may only be filed by a petitioner whose registration for the beneficiary named in the H-1B petition was selected in the H-1B registration process. Additional information on the electronic registration process is available on the H-1B Electronic Registration Process page. Organizational Account Enhancements for FY 2026 For FY 2026, we have made multiple enhancements for organizational and representative accounts for H-1B filing. These enhancements include: The ability for paralegals to work with more than one legal representative. A paralegal will now be able to accept invitations from multiple legal representative accounts, allowing them to prepare H-1B registrations, Form I-129 H-1B petitions, and Form I-907 requests for premium processing for different attorneys, all within one paralegal account; An easier way for legal representatives to add paralegals to company clients. Pre-population of certain Form I-129 fields from selected H-1B registrations; and The ability to prepare a spreadsheet of H-1B beneficiary data and upload the information to pre-populate data in H-1B registrations. These enhancements will be live before the start of the initial registration period. https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/fy-2026-h-1b-cap-initial-registration-period-opens-on-march-7
Release Date 02/03/2025 After reviewing country conditions and consulting with the appropriate U.S. government agencies, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has determined that conditions in Venezuela no longer support the 2023 designation of Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). TPS and related benefits associated with the 2023 designation will no longer be in effect starting 60 days after publication of the Federal Register notice . Find more information about TPS at uscis.gov/tps . For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on X (formerly Twitter) , Instagram , YouTube , Facebook and LinkedIn . https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/dhs-terminates-the-2023-designation-of-venezuela-for-temporary-protected-status
ALERT: Effective January 22, 2025, USCIS waives any and all requirements that applicants for adjustment of status to that of a lawful permanent resident present documentation on their Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, that they received the COVID-19 vaccination. USCIS will not issue any Request for Evidence (RFE) or Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID) related to proving a COVID-19 vaccination. USCIS will not deny any adjustment of status application based on the applicant’s failure to present documentation that they received the COVID-19 vaccination. https://www.uscis.gov/i-485
Release Date 01/15/2025 WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security announced on Jan. 10, 2025, the extension of the 2023 designation of Temporary Protected Status for Venezuela for 18 months, from April 3, 2025, to Oct. 2, 2026, due to extraordinary and temporary conditions in Venezuela that prevent individuals from safely returning. The corresponding Federal Register notice provides information about re-registering for TPS as a current beneficiary under Venezuela’s extension. After consultation with interagency partners, it was determined that an 18-month extension of TPS is warranted based on the severe humanitarian emergency the country continues to face due to political and economic crises under the inhumane Maduro regime. The extension of TPS for Venezuela allows approximately 607,000 current beneficiaries to retain TPS through Oct. 2, 2026, if they continue to meet TPS eligibility requirements. Current beneficiaries under TPS for Venezuela, including those registered under the Oct. 3, 2023, or the prior March 9, 2021, TPS designation, must re-register in a timely manner during the re-registration period from Jan. 17, 2025, through Sept. 10, 2025, to ensure they maintain TPS and employment authorization. Every individual processed by the Department of Homeland Security goes through rigorous national security and public safety vetting during the original application process and again during re-registration. If any individual is identified as posing a threat, they may be detained, removed, or referred to other federal agencies for further investigation or prosecution as appropriate. Individuals are barred from TPS if they have been convicted of any felony or two misdemeanors. Individuals registered under either the March 9, 2021, TPS designation or the Oct. 3, 2023, TPS designation will be allowed to re-register under the Venezuela 2023 extension. All Venezuela TPS beneficiaries who re-register for TPS under the Venezuela 2023 extension and are approved by USCIS will obtain TPS through the same extension date of Oct. 2, 2026. DHS recognizes that not all re-registrants who renew their EAD may receive it before their current EAD expires and is automatically extending through April 2, 2026, the validity of certain EADs previously issued under Venezuela’s TPS designation. As proof of continued employment authorization through April 2, 2026, TPS beneficiaries can show their EAD with the Category A12 or C19 and a Card Expires date of: Sept. 10, 2025; April 2, 2025; March 10, 2024; or Sept. 9, 2022. USCIS will continue to process pending applications filed under previous TPS designations for Venezuela. Individuals with a pending Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status , or a related Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization , as of Jan. 17, 2025, do not need to file either application again. If USCIS approves a pending Form I-821 or Form I-765 filed under the previous designations of TPS for Venezuela, USCIS will grant the individual TPS through Oct. 2, 2026, and issue an EAD valid through the same date. The Federal Register notice explains eligibility criteria, timelines, and procedures necessary for current beneficiaries to re-register and renew EADs. This extension only applies to individuals already in the United States and who are current beneficiaries of TPS for Venezuela. All irregular migration journeys are extremely dangerous, unforgiving, and often result in loss of life. DHS will continue to enforce U.S. laws and will return noncitizens who do not establish a legal basis to remain in the United States. https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/dhs-publishes-federal-register-notice-extending-temporary-protected-status-for-venezuela
Release Date 01/15/2025 WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security announced on Jan. 10, 2025, the extension of Temporary Protected Status for Ukraine for 18 months, from April 20, 2025, to Oct. 19, 2026, due to armed conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions in Ukraine that prevent individuals from safely returning. The corresponding Federal Register notice provides information about registering for TPS as a current beneficiary under Ukraine’s extension. After consultation with interagency partners, it was determined that an 18-month extension of TPS is warranted because conditions that support Ukraine’s designation are ongoing. The extension is based on the war with Russia, now in its third year, which has involved large-scale attacks on major cities, resulting in increased civilian casualties, significant infrastructure damage, and widespread humanitarian suffering. The extension of TPS for Ukraine allows approximately 103,700 current beneficiaries to re-register for TPS from Jan. 17, 2025, through March 18, 2025, if they continue to meet TPS eligibility requirements. Current beneficiaries under TPS for Ukraine must re-register in a timely manner during the re-registration period to ensure they maintain TPS and employment authorization. Every individual processed by the Department of Homeland Security goes through rigorous national security and public safety vetting during the original application process and again during re-registration. If any individual is identified as posing a threat, they may be detained, removed, or referred to other federal agencies for further investigation or prosecution as appropriate. Individuals are barred from TPS if they have been convicted of any felony or two misdemeanors. DHS recognizes that not all re-registrants who apply for a new Employment Authorization Document may receive it before their current EAD expires and is automatically extending through April 19, 2026, the validity of EADs previously issued under Ukraine’s TPS designation. As proof of continued employment authorization through April 19, 2026, TPS beneficiaries can show their EAD with the Category A12 or C19 under and a Card Expires date of April 19, 2025, or Oct. 19, 2023. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will continue to process pending applications filed under previous TPS designations for Ukraine. Individuals with a pending Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status , or a related Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization , as of Jan. 17, 2025, do not need to file either application again. If USCIS approves a pending Form I-821 or Form I-765 filed under the previous designation of TPS for Ukraine, USCIS will grant the individual TPS through Oct. 19, 2026, and issue an EAD valid through the same date. The Federal Register notice explains eligibility criteria, timelines, and procedures necessary for current beneficiaries to re-register and renew EADs. This extension only applies to individuals already in the United States and who are current beneficiaries of TPS for Ukraine. All irregular migration journeys are extremely dangerous, unforgiving, and often result in loss of life. DHS will continue to enforce U.S. laws and will return noncitizens who do not establish a legal basis to remain in the United States. https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/dhs-publishes-federal-register-notice-extending-temporary-protected-status-for-ukraine Last Reviewed/Updated: 01/15/2025
