For those cases that do get hit with the RFE, COVID-19 seems to have been effective in widening the response window. But for this specific […] If USCIS fails to address the grave budget shortfall, the situation would get worse. That will negatively impact all sorts of cases. Additionally, USCIS already alerted the federal union of the looming furloughs. Update August 26, 2020: USCIS has called off the scheduled furlough. Federal law dictates that agencies must give employees 30 days notice before a furlough; by July 2 USCIS sent all its notices out, informing employees that Aug. 3 was the furlough’s target date. USCIS must give employees a 30-day notice of an expected furlough. As hurricane season heats up, many in the business immigration world are beginning to wonder if USCIS will be able to weather its own stormy outlook. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has warned that it faces a budget shortfall and intends to furlough 13,000 of its 18,700 staff at the end of this month. The furlough was to include more than 13, 000 employees, or approximately 70% of the USCIS … (Atty. USCIS didn’t provide the number of employees affected, but Fox News is told that agency leaders informed some staff that the furloughs could impact about 13,000 employees, or more than two-thirds of the workforce, according to a source familiar with the meeting. It comes down to three things: be quick, be effective, and think like a litigator. You will receive information of next steps once this form is submitted. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is dependent on fees from new immigration applications for its … USCIS claims it has a $1.2 billion budget shortfall, meaning it would have to furlough 13,400 employees and effectively bring the immigration system to a halt. The worker is still retaining his/her job as the employment will continue, but the furlough means that they are not working for their employers anymore and are not being paid. 8/25/2020 Update: USCIS Averts Furlough of Nearly 70% of Workforce I pause for a moment to thank all USCIS employees who are at work today. Employees will receive a 30-day “reduction-in-force” (RIF) notice by July 2 for the furlough to begin August 3, but the the USCIS will likely extend the furlough in 30-day increments until Congress approves a $1.2 billion cash injection. This can be a mistake—there’s no need to buttress the evidence on issues USCIS didn’t challenge in the RFE! And, if that were to happen, would premium processing remain available? The U.S. The furlough of approximately 13,400 USCIS employees is likely to have an enormous negative impact on […] Well, as it turns, the agency is facing a furlough due to Covid. A number of my legal colleagues outside of BAL have told me that when the going gets rough, they ask applicants and representatives of the petitioning organization to handle logistics! Be quick: Do not dilly-dally when preparing the RFE response! She is the principal and co-founder of Tancinco Law Offices and may be reached at law@tancinco.com, www.tancinco.com, facebook.com/tancincolaw, or at 1-888-930-0808). Anyone who has practiced in defense litigation knows that when you have to put a client on the stand, you coach them to answer only the question asked. For many immigration advocates and immigrants themselves, this is very concerning, however, the Trump Administration has stated that the furlough is simply due to Congress’s failure to reach a new coronavirus deal. Category: Updates, The new citizenship civic and history test that was recently released and became…, The Department of State suspended routine visa services worldwide in March 2020 due…, The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was established to provide temporary…, What USCIS Employees’ Furlough Mean to Visa Applicants, Site by Pixelhub - Custom Web Design and Development, FAQs on the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act. The USCIS already has issued furlough notices and plans to shut down operations within 30 days, unless Congress sends it about $1.1 billion. It’s temporary… and sometime in the future, the USCIS will pull them back in. He asked USCIS to reconsider its decision to furlough the 13,400 employees. Learn more. (Always check the USCIS website for updates.) If Senator Leahy’s statement is accurate, what is then the reason for this furlough? 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