07大潮

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07大潮,指的是 2007年6月12日,国务院公布了 7月排期(107号排期表),其中 Employment Based 的所有类别均为 C, 即Current,不用排期。由此引发了一系列的事件。

背景

2007年5月,DHS出台新的收费标准,提高 I-485 费用,并且 EAD 和 AP 要单独收费。新收费标准 7月30日起生效。

收费标准原文见联邦公告 Adjustment of the Immigration and Naturalization Benefit Application and Petition Fee Schedule

原收费:I-485 $325 + $70 Biometric fee, I-765 $160,I-131 $170,合计:要 AP / EAD $725,不要 AP / EAD $395

新收费:I-485 $930 + $60 Biometric fee,但 I-765 和 I-131 免费了,合计:$990

注意这是2007年,当年的 I-485 批准平均只要三四个月,而且 AP / EAD 要独立收费,所以并不是所有人都会申请 AP / EAD 的,可以等需要了再加。在2000年通过的AC21法案,之所以设定了“180天后可以换工作”,就是因为当时 I-485 的平均处理时间是3个月,而到了180天就属于超长等待了,所以 AC21 加 上了换工作的福利。

对于大多数自费的申请人来说,由于可以不申请 EAD / AP,新规等于是申请费翻倍。出于好意,国务院决定将 EB 排期设定为 C,允许所有在排期中的人交表,以便享受较低的收费。

排期表的变更

在6月底即传出谣言说要变更排期表。果然,7月2日,国务院突然发布第108号排期表,内容如下:

UPDATE ON JULY VISA AVAILABILITY

The sudden backlog reduction efforts by Citizenship and Immigration Services Offices during the past month have resulted in the use of almost 60,000 Employment numbers. As a result of this unexpected action it has been necessary to make immediate adjustments to several previously announced cut-off dates.  All Citizenship and Immigration Services Offices have been notified of the following:

Effective Monday July 2, 2007 there will be no further authorizations in response to requests for Employment-based preference cases.  All numbers available to these categories under the FY-2007 annual numerical limitation have been made available.

Employment preference numbers will once again be available to these chargeability areas beginning October 1, 2007, under the FY-2008 annual numerical limitation.

同日,USCIS宣布,7月2日起,所有收到的 I-485,以新排期表为准。排期未到的,全部退回。也就是说,所有7/2及以后收到的 EB I-485 将被退回。

中印的反抗

印度人为主的 Immigration Voice 发起了给USCIS送花的活动

中国人则成立了 LIA,合法移民协会(Legal Immigrant Association),网站 http://www.legalimmigrant.org ,联系议员等进行各种抗议活动

美国移民律师协会 AILA 也与 USCIS 进行谈判,并准备提起诉讼。其旗下的American Immigration Law Foundation (现 American Immigration Council)已经拟好了诉状准备提交,详见 https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/litigation/lawsuit-visa-bulletin-adjustment-status

国会议员也对 USCIS 发出了质询:

Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) today sent a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Chertoff requesting "all correspondence, e-mails, memoranda, notes, field guidance or other documentation relating to the issuance" of the "Update to July Visa Availability" on July 2, 2007. The letter contains thirteen separate questions and requests for information relevant to the issuance of the updated Visa Bulletin.

"The Department's unprecedented decision to reject adjustment of status applications has caused needless hardship and disruption to countless immigrants," noted Rep. Zoe Lofgren. "It has also come to my attention that USCIS began returning visa numbers to the State Department as early as Thursday, July 5, 2007, due to their inability to review applications effectively. The Department of Homeland Security has once again demonstrated its inability to complete even its core missions. This debacle demonstrates the need for more transparency and oversight of the department's operations and procedures."

移民局的妥协

7月17日,USCIS 发布通知,继续按照107号排期表收表一个月,至8月17日。

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that, beginning immediately, it will accept employment-based applications to adjust status (Form I-485) filed by aliens whose priority dates are current under the July Visa Bulletin, No. 107. USCIS will accept applications filed not later than August 17, 2007.

同日,国务院在发布的第109号排期表中表示,撤回108号排期表,继续使用107号排期表。在109号排期,即8月排期中,宣布所有EB名额均为U,直到下一财年恢复。(事实上,9月排期即开始恢复了,只有8月一个月是U)

D.  JULY EMPLOYMENT-BASED VISA AVAILABILITY

After consulting with Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Visa Office advises readers that Visa Bulletin #107 (dated June 12) should be relied upon as the current July Visa Bulletin for purposes of determining Employment visa number availability, and that Visa Bulletin #108 (dated July 2) is hereby withdrawn.

E.   AUGUST EMPLOYMENT-BASED VISA AVAILABILITY

All Employment-based preference categories are "Unavailable" for August. At this time, it is uncertain whether any numbers will be returned and can be reallocated at a future date. Until informed otherwise, all readers should assume that the categories will remain unavailable until October, which is the beginning of the new fiscal year.  

由于牵扯到7/30涨价(换表格)和8月排期变U,这个事情就复杂了:

  • 对于受到影响的 EB 来说,移民局承诺旧的 I-485 价格维持到8/17
  • 只有 I-485 可以用旧收费交,I-140 从 7/30 起要按照新收费(原价$195,新价$475)
  • I-485的新版旧版表格都可以使用
  • 对于 EB1a 和 NIW 来说,8/1 以后不可以 concurrent file,因为他们的 priority date 是以交 I-140 为准的。而8月排期是 U,所以他们不能按照7月排期,而必须按照8月排期来,即不能交 I-485

收表

移民局为此专门设立了网页,公布每周拆包进度

Weekly updates on Receipting – Until this situation is resolved, USCIS will provide these weekly updates on progress in issuing receipt notices to our customers. Additional information is available in Frequently Asked Questions, located under "Related Links" on this page.

不同的 Service Center 和 Lockbox,每周拆到哪天了,都会更新在网页上。据说当年 I-485 拆了三个月,共收表 32万份,并导致其他表格也都出现了不同程度的延误。具体数据已不可查。

对排期的影响

排期倒退以后,除了EB1,都经历了4-10年的时间,方恢复到2007年7月31日以后(即当年交表的全部可以拿卡了):

  • EB1:后退到2007年01月01日,并在一个月后转C
  • 中国EB2:后退到2006年01月01日,直至2011年11月的排期表,才恢复到2007年7月31日以后(4年4个月后重新C)
  • 中国EB3:后退到2001年09月01日,直至2013年05月的排期表,才恢复到2007年7月31日以后(5年10个月后重新C)
  • 印度EB2:后退到2004年04月01日,直至2011年11月的排期表,才恢复到2007年7月31日以后(4年4个月后重新C)
  • 印度EB3:后退到2001年04月22日,直至2018年04月的排期表,才恢复到2007年7月31日以后(10年9个月后重新C)