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Immigration News Briefs

Provided by Humera Subhani

August 2023

Forms I-765 and I-131 included in myProgress

In July, USCIS announced that it was expanding myProgress (formerly known as personalized processing times) to Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, and Form I-131, Application for Travel Document. myProgress provides applicants with access, in their online account, to personalized estimates of their wait time for major milestones on their case, including their final case decision. While estimates are based on historical patterns of cases with similar specifics, they are not a guarantee of speed, cannot take into consideration all possible unique application processing delays, and may over- or underestimate the true processing time.

In addition to Form I-765 and Form I-131, myProgress is available for applicants with a USCIS online account who file Form N-400, Application for Naturalization; Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card; or Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative.

To view estimated case timelines, applicants must first create a USCIS online account or log into their account and select their pending application. If they e-filed or linked one of the applicable forms to their online account using an online access code, they will see a myProgress tab for their application. The myProgress tab displays the estimated wait time until their case has a decision, along with a checkmark beside three milestones as they are completed:

Confirmation that the application was received;
Biometric services appointment (if required) has been completed; and
The decision on the pending case.

Applicants will still need to visit the public Check Case Processing Times webpage to determine if they are eligible to file an Outside of Normal Processing Times service request.

Online biometrics rescheduling is available

USCIS also launched a new self-service tool allowing benefit requestors and their attorneys to reschedule most biometric services appointments before the date of the appointment.

Previously, benefit requestors and accredited representatives could only request to reschedule a biometric services appointment by calling the USCIS Contact Center. With this new tool, those individuals who have or create a USCIS online account can reschedule most requests for biometric services appointments without having to call the Contact Center. The new tool, however, cannot be used to reschedule an appointment that already has been rescheduled two or more times, is within 12 hours, or that has already passed.

The biometric services appointment rescheduling tool can be accessed via a USCIS online account regardless of whether the pending case was submitted online or by mail. Benefit requestors will still have the option to call the USCIS Contact Center to reschedule.

Sufficient reasons to show “good cause” to reschedule may include, but are not limited to:

Illness, medical appointment, or hospitalization;
Previously planned travel;
Significant life events such as a wedding, funeral, or graduation ceremony;
Inability to obtain transportation to the appointment location;
Inability to obtain leave from employment or caregiver responsibilities; and
Late delivered or undelivered biometric services appointment notice.

APPLICATION FINAL ACTION DATES FOR AUGUST 2023

FAMILY	India	Pakistan/Bangladesh
1st	01Jan15	01Jan15
2A	08Oct17	08Oct17
2B	22Sep15	22Sep15
3rd	**08Jan09**	**08Jan09**
4th	15Sep05	22Apr07

EMPLOYMENT	India	Pakistan/Bangladesh
1st	01Jan12	01Aug23
2nd	01Jan11	15Apr22
3rd	**01Jan09**	01May20
Other	01Jan09	01May20
4th	01Sep18	01Sep18
5th	01Apr17	Current1B

DATES FOR FILING VISA APPLICATIONS - AUGUST 2023

FAMILY	India	Pakistan/Bangladesh
1st	01Sep17	01Sep17
2A	Current	Current
2B	01Jan17	01Jan17
3rd	01Mar10	01Mar10
4th	22Feb06	01Mar08

EMPLOYMENT	India	Pakistan/Bangladesh
1st	01Jun22	Current
2nd	01May12	01Dec22
3rd	01Aug12	01May23
Other	01Aug12	01Jun20
4th	01Oct18	01Oct18
5th	08Dec19	Current1B