Newsletter Week of August 24

USCIS Launches Online Appointment Request Form 
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has launched a new online form for individuals, attorneys, and accredited representatives to request an in-person appointment at their local field office without having to call the USCIS Contact Center. This online appointment request form allows individuals or legal representatives to request an in-person appointment at a field office only, for ADIT stamps, Emergency Advance Parole, Immigration Judge Grants, and more. It is not a self-scheduling tool and individuals cannot schedule their own appointments with USCIS. 

Staggering U Visa Backlog Puts Crime Victims in Immigration Limbo 
According to recent data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), U visas, which allow victims of crimes who assist law enforcement to remain in the U.S., are experiencing increasingly long processing times. There are more than 300,000 U visa applications currently pending.   

Lawsuit Threatens a Biden Immigration Policy Thousands Have Used to Come to the US 
Roughly 181,000 people have entered the U.S. under the humanitarian parole program since President Joe Biden launched the initiative. But 21 Republican-leaning states threaten to end the program through a lawsuit to determine its legality, which is set to be heard in a Texas court beginning Thursday, with a decision coming later.