BAD NEWS ABOUT RFE's !!

dasarihp_newid

Registered Users (C)
This is really bad for those, who are waiting for I-140/I-485 approvals.

Instead of issuing RFE's they will be denying the cases !!! Seeing by the number of RFE's one is getting from NSC, the denials of I-140 is going to be more in coming months, I hope you all guys have submitted your applications with enough documentation!.

This is going to be tough time if the documentation is not properly submitted..

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05/05/2004: USCIS Move to Reduce RFEs

The AILA has reported that yesterday the USCIS started its move to reduce issuance of RFEs which had burdened the agency with tons of workloads leading to the delays in adjudication and backlogs. This move cuts both ways for the customers. But before we get to this point, let's find out the skeleton of the agency's new guidelines.
Outright Denial for Failure to Meet Basic Statutory/Regulatory "Substantive" Qualification Requirements: From today, the agency will deny petitions or applications if the filing fails to meet the "threshold" eligibility requirements for the petitions or applications. This will help the agency to throw out either frivolous or totally ineligible cases without wasting any time and money.
Outright Denial for Failure to Submit "Sufficient" Evidence to Establish Eligibility: When the petitioners or applicants submit the required basic threshold supporting documentation which meet the "initial" evidence requirement under the statute and regulation, the agency will not give additional opportunity to supplement the evidence by issuing RFE. Accordingly, it will be critically important that the petitioners or applicants go an extra mile to document not just de minimus threshold evidence but sufficient evidence to prove the threshold requirements.
RFE is required When "Initial" Records Are Missing: The statutes and regulations list the record requirements for filing of petitions or applications. If such records or evidence are missing, the agency will continue to issue RFE.
The positive impact of this move is obviously reduction of backlog. This web site has been advocating such move all along.
However, one should not ignore the negative side of this decision. People will see increased number of denials in the mail without RFEs. A couple of things people should be conscious in presenting a case from here on:
Meticulous Documentation for Threshold: One cannot sit on a minimal documentation anymore. The agency cited as an illustration issue of "employer's financial ability to pay the proffered salary" to the alien employees. If the least amount of evidence is submitted to establish this requirement, which the agency believes failed to prove this requirement, the case will be denied outright. From here on, "extra" documentation may be a prudent thing to do.
EAD vs. H-1B Strategy for I-485 Filers: The risk of working on EAD rather than H-1B status will increase substantially under the new policy. Once I-485 is denied, the alien loses the legal status immediately if the alien worked on EAD rather than a nonimmigrant status. The agency will immediately revoke the EAD. The only recourses available will be either an appeal or a motion to reconsider or a motion to reopen. Meanwhile, those who work on H-1B will not be affected by such denial when it comes to their H-1B employment and legal status. Besides, those who work on EAD rather than a nonimmigrant status are subject to removal proceedings as they do not have any specific nonimmigrant status when the I-485 application is denied. Another important point to remember for the 7th-year H-1B extension eligible professionals. Under the current court decision, the denial of agency does not deprive them of eligibility for the 7th-year extension "if" an appeal has been filed timely. The court determined that "final decision" under the AC 21 that stops the eligibility for the 7th extension eligibility would not arrive until a decision is made by an appeal unit. It is thus likely that people will witness an increased number of appeals to seek remedy for the legal issues and to preserve their right to the 7th-year H-1B extension pending appeal.
 
Good Policy. If you cannot solve the backlogs, deny all the cases. So No backlogs will be there. The software, which you developed has some small bugs, don't waste your time and energy to debug it. Instead of that, simply format the hard disk completely. :D :D :D

nanshi.
 
Please advice

Oh man this is really bad news!!!! I dont know why they want to make our live's tougher and tougher and even moe tougher after all we are here to work for them anywasy Guys can you please advice me on the following issue.

I am working on h1 but my wife works on EAD, what will happen in case 140 is denied, does she have to go to India and apply h1 and come back, she has a h1 from different company but because she used her EAD i dont think she can go back and work on that h1 right!. Can any of you please suggest best option in case of 140 denial??

Thanks,
Octfiler.
 
Please give the link to source of this RFE's bad news.

Hi dasarihp_newid,
Can you give us the source of this RFE's "Bad news". Thanks.

satti babu
 
why panic

It seems this article is making people worried for no reason.

It primarily is aimed to "weed" out fradulent applications, where applicants know that there case will be denied and dont submit adequate documents. INS also knows that but earlier they would still issue RFE before denying the case, and now that unncessary time consuming step is eliminated. This would mean efficient cleanup of fradulent applications.



Those who are going to file in near future, must choose their immigration lawyer wisely and ensure that adequate documentation is provided at time of application itself, because from now on, there will not be any RFE just incase basic documentation is missing and application will be rejected (and rightly so).

Those who have submitted adequate documentation and have valid case have nothing to fear or to be worried about.

Overall this is a welcome move.

:)
 
Naanshi/daarship,

I am very much scared looking at this report.....daarship where did you get this info.............let me know.......

God save us all..........

Muthu

:confused:
 
it is a chicken and egg story - if I say I want H1 visa, changing job is not possible. If I work on EAD and there will be problem with 485 approval, I still get into problems.

Moral of the story is chill out, don't get hyper about anything... and enjoy life while it lasts - eat, drink a lot and be happy.
 
I agree with bee_bee_bee_kay. Chill out, don't let each and every report and memo worry you. Nothing is in our hand, so lets keep our fingers crossed and hope USCIS uses commen sense approach for cases.
 
http://www.murthy.com/bulletin.html#2

The source is immigration-law.com.. Anyway, my intention was only to help those who are goign to aplpy.. They need to apply with all the documents they can so that, they should not face denials.. This same news and same interpretation is also fgiven in http://www.murthy.com/bulletin.html#2 ...


2. USCIS Memo : More Denials, Fewer RFEs

The USCIS issued a Memorandum on May 4, 2004, reminding USCIS Regional Directors, Service Center Directors, District Directors, and Officers-in-Charge that immigration regulations do not require a Request for Evidence (RFE) in every instance before issuing a denial. The Memo further describes situations in which the USCIS does not believe an RFE will be required. Although the intent of the Memo may be to expedite processing of cases, we have some concern that this may result in more denials, without affording the employer or applicant an opportunity to respond to an RFE.

Evidence of Clear Ineligibility Will Result in a Denial

Immigration regulations provide that a case may be denied when there is clear evidence of ineligibility. These situations include applicants under age eighteen who file for naturalization, persons who file I-130s but do not have qualifying relatives, and petitioning companies seeking to file L-1 petitions that have no relationship to any foreign company abroad. Further examples included in the Memo were H1B petitions filed on behalf of someone who does not have the required degree or equivalency, E-1 or E-2 petitions for persons who are not nationals of qualifying treaty countries, or employers seeking to file H2B petitions for persons who have already been in the U.S. in H2B status for three years or longer.

It is critical for petitioners, beneficiaries, and applicants to submit the required evidence proving eligibility for the immigration benefits sought at the time of filing. Otherwise, under this new Memo the petition or application may be denied outright, without an RFE. If a person is not eligible for the immigration benefit sought, then it would make sense that the petition or application should be denied, but sometimes there may be typographical errors in dates of birth, etc, that could be clarified with an RFE response. This option is no longer available.

Where the Document Does not Establish Clear Eligibility

The Memo advises adjudicators that an RFE is not required if the record appears complete. The noteworthy example here is an I-140 petition. The Memo indicates that, while there can be a number of documents the petitioner may choose to submit to show its financial ability to pay an employee's salary, the USCIS adjudicator is not required to issue an RFE as long as the petitioner sent at least one of the required documents. If the adjudicator does not believe that the particular document establishes the ability of the sponsoring employer to pay the I-140 employee or beneficiary the prevailing wage, then the adjudicator may deny the case without an RFE's requesting additional evidence from the employer of its ability to pay.

In many cases, due to the burdens of obtaining each financial record and concern for the privacy of such information, employers or petitioners are reluctant to provide every financial document that could prove the employer's ability to pay the required prevailing wage upfront. Petitioners and applicants will need to rethink this position to avoid I-140 or other petition or application denials due to insufficient documentation as viewed subjectively by a particular USCIS examiner or adjudicator.

When is the RFE Required?

An RFE is required under regulations when initial evidence is missing. Initial evidence is defined as the evidence specified in the regulations, and on the application or petition and its accompanying instructions. Otherwise, RFE issuance is discretionary.

What to do if a Case is Denied

In many instances, if a case is denied, the petitioner or applicant may file a Motion to Reopen or Motion to Reconsider. Most motions must be filed within 30 days of the denial and require an additional filing fee. If the Motion is denied and the petitioner or applicant decides to file an appeal with the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO), then the AAO may take another year or longer to finally adjudicate the case. The fastest and easiest solution for many petitioners and applicants would be to re-file the petition or application, with a new filing fee, and submit all documents up front to avoid the denial. It is better to err on the side of over documentation with this recent Memo.

Conclusion

We at The Law Office of Sheela Murthy believe that, with this Memo, the USCIS is exploring an avenue to reduce the time it takes to process cases and to reduce its case backlogs. When USCIS examiners issue RFEs, it is time-consuming, expensive, and slows the entire adjudications process. This Memo, however, is disappointing since it may result in some USCIS examiners denying cases in which the documents submitted are insufficient to clearly result in an approval, instead of simply issuing an RFE. This is particularly troubling for the many applicants who file for immigration benefits without the assistance of attorneys. Their only avenue to correct deficiencies in their documentation is through responding to RFEs. This option may no longer be available for such applicants. We encourage each MurthyDotCom and MurthyBulletin reader to seek the advice of a qualified immigration attorney prior to any filing with the USCIS, considering the importance of immigration benefits, particularly in light of this recent Memo.



GMUTHU said:
Naanshi/daarship,

I am very much scared looking at this report.....daarship where did you get this info.............let me know.......

God save us all..........

Muthu

:confused:
 
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