On June 16, 2022, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCISannounced that certain H-1B petitions, including H-1B petitions are subject to the fiscal year (FY) 2023 cap. These petitions that go through the intake process at the Vermont Service Center (VSC) will be transferred to the California Service Center (CSC) where they will go through data entry and adjudication. The reasons for this transfer in this article.

Reminder of the role of USCIS    

The U.S. Immigration Services Center, is a component of the U.S. federal government’s Department of Homeland Security.  Its mission is to oversee legal immigration to the United States.

Among the services provided by the institution are the citizenship and naturalization processes; overseeing and managing the process for people seeking to work in the United States; and verifying the right of individuals to live and work in the United States. But on June 16, USCIS wanted to transfer some H-1B applications to the California Service Center for specific reasons.

What are the reasons for the transfer of applications to the California Service Center?

Due to delays in the issuance of H-1B receipts at the Vermont service center, the transfer of these cases to the California service center has begun. Despite this, USCIS has stated that H-1B petitions should continue to be submitted according to the instructions on the USCIS direct filing addresses for the Form I-129 Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker.

What is the purpose of this transfer of H-1B petitions

According to USCIS, the transfer of cases should expedite the issuance of receipt notices for properly filed H-1B petitions. USCIS is asking for patience when processing transferred cases in the California Service Center.

To make it easier for the institution, applicants are asked to allow extra time and not submit duplicate applications because they have not received a response to previous submissions.

USCIS assures prospective immigrants that they will be notified once their application is transferred to Service California. USCIS acknowledged delays in some of their other offices. They added that they are working to find ways to resolve or reduce the delays.

How do they know that their petition has been transferred?

USCIS will send a notice of receipt to anyone whose petition is transferred to the California Service Center. No transfer notice will be issued. The notice of receipt will be proof that the petition is pending at the CSC.

Applicants should check the status of their case online using the petition receipt number finally provided by USCIS.

The U.S. federal government treats immigration issues with great care, not only for security reasons, but also because the country values every human being, regardless of background, race, religion, and social considerations. The United States also views diversity as an asset to the country. Many of the great minds that have contributed greatly to the development of the country were immigrants.

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