EXTENSION OF COVID FLEXIBILITIES IN RESPONDING TO AGENCY REQUESTS
USCIS recently announced it is once again extending certain COVID-19-related flexibilities through March 23, 2023. Under these flexibilities, USCIS considers a response received within 60 calendar days after the due date set forth in certain requests or notices to be timely received, if the request or notice was issued between March 1, 2020, and March 23, 2023, inclusive.
USCIS TO RETURN TO BUNDLING PETITIONS FOR FAMILY MEMBERS WITH PRIMARY H-1B AND L-1 PETITIONS
USCIS agreed to return to bundling the adjudication of the Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, and the Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, for H-4 and L-2 derivative family members along with the underlying Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, when those forms are properly filed together, regardless of whether they are filed under standard or premium processing. Applications that were once all adjudicated together were split up during the Trump Administration and the action led to delays and backlogs for the derivative family members.