Nonimmigrant Visa Applicants and PIMS - March 2008 Update
Posted Apr 04, 2008
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The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and U.S. Department of State (DOS) have provided the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) with an update on the Petition Information Management Service (PIMS). As MurthyDotCom and MurthyBulletin readers read in our December 7, 2007 article, PIMS Verification Required for Certain Nonimmigrant Visas, the PIMS system requires electronic verification of the case record before issuance of the visa at a U.S. consulate or embassy abroad. However, initially, only those cases that requested consular processing were being routinely entered into the PIMS database. This created problems and delays for individuals with petitions that were approved for a change of status or extension of status within the U.S. when the individual traveled abroad later. Effective March 2008, the DOS and the USCIS have entered into an agreement and the PIMS system is now more comprehensive.
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PIMS Updated for COS, EOS, or Amendments in the U.S.
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USCIS and DOS informed AILA that the PIMS system will now be extended to include all employment-based nonimmigrant petitions that request extensions of stay (EOS), changes of status (COS) or amendments. In all EOS, COS, or amendment cases, USCIS will forward duplicate, original petitions to the DOS's Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) for scanning and entry into the PIMS database. For the full story of the KCC's role in PIMS, see our December 28, 2007 MurthyBulletin article, PIMS Verification Update.
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Conclusion
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We at the Murthy Law Firm would like to express our thanks to the USCIS, DOS, and to AILA for providing the public with this update on the PIMS verification process. It is our hope that, with this information in the PIMS system, visa applicants will avoid H1B and other visa issuance delays, as noted in our February 15, 2008 MurthyBulletin article, PIMS Likely to Cause Delays for H1Bs and Others. Readers are reminded to allow sufficient time for any potential delays when applying for a visa of any type at a U.S. consular post abroad.