Effective January 27, 2015, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will be implementing administrative changes with regard to the issuance of decisions and correspondence.
Of the changes announced, below is a list of the three most significant:
1. Where Documents Will Be Sent – As a matter of practice, USCIS generally sends original notices and documents to the foreign national, petitioner, or applicant who requested relief. If the petitioner/applicant is represented by an attorney, USCIS will also send a courtesy copy to the attorney as well. Under the final rule, unrepresented individuals will continue to receive directly all notices and documents. But in cases where individuals or businesses are represented by an attorney, USCIS will not send original versions of all documents to BOTH the applicant/petitioner AND attorney of record. The same applies even if an application was filed electronically.
2. I-94s Will Continue to be Sent to the Attorney – Under the final rule, USCIS has memorialized its practice of sending a Form I-797, Notice of Action, that includes an I-94 to the attorney of record to the extent one exits. By default (and unless informed otherwise), USCIS will send such notices to the official business address of the applicant’s lawyer.
3. Original Documents – USCIS will continue sending original, secure documents only to the foreign national, unless specifically directed otherwise. Examples of such documents include the employment authorization document (EAD) and the permanent resident card (Green Card/I-551).
For more information, please contact Mechelle Zarou at 419.321.1460 or mzarou@slk-law.com.