USCIS To Begin Sending Approval Notices to Attorneys Again Shortly

In mid-September, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began sending the I-797 Notice of Action for employer-based visa petitions directly to the company filing the petition rather than the attorney-of-record. After hearing from both companies and attorneys about the negative consequences of this policy change, the USCIS announced on October 20, 2011, that it will once again begin sending approval notices to attorneys. USCIS stated that the change will take effect in approximately six weeks. Accordingly, employers should still remain vigilant in checking their mail for immigration-related documents from USCIS for at least the next two months.