Recently, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that due to an imbalance in case volume and workload, some cases will be transferred from the Vermont Service Center to the California Service Center for processing. Non-immigrant work visa applications and extension of stay applications submitted by employers for professional staff holding H-1B work visas may be affected.
In its notice, USCIS reminds applicants filing Form I-129 for non-immigrant H-1B work visas, as well as professional staff already holding work visas whose employers have submitted extension of stay applications, to be attentive to notifications from USCIS. Once a case is transferred to the California Service Center, the applicant will receive a transfer notice, which will specify the location and date of the case processing. The change in processing location will not alter the original receipt number of the case.
Meanwhile, the processing time for cases will not be affected. Applicants should count 21 days from the date indicated on the transfer notice to determine when a decision should be made, additional evidence requested, or other notices issued. If this timeframe is exceeded, applicants should mention the transfer of their case materials when calling the hotline for inquiries. To prevent rare occurrences such as missed notifications, applicants can still check the status of their cases through various methods, such as calling the hotline, entering the original receipt number on the official USCIS website, or registering on the website to receive email updates on case status.
