October 22, 2007

ISSUE 1189

CENTRAL LOCATION ESTABLISHED TO PROCESS H-2A PETITIONS

To expedite the H-2A process, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has established a special unit dedicated to processing H-2A petitions at its California Service Center.

Effective immediately, H-2A petitions sent via the U.S. Postal Service should be addressed to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Cal. Service Center, ATTN: H-2A Processing Unit, P.O. Box 10140, Laguna Niguel, CA 92607-1040. Those sent by private courier should use the street address: 24000 Avila Road, Room 2312, Laguna Niguel, CA 82677.

In addition to the new petition processing location, USCIS has initiated several other customer service-related activities. It plans to schedule public meetings to address employers’ concerns, modify internal systems to more efficiently notify employers of petition approvals, and work with the Department of Labor to encourage state workforce agencies to verify the employment eligibility of referred workers.

In a statement, the National Council of Agricultural Employers commended the effort. “The Council greatly appreciates the quick action taken by the Bush Administration to achieve these first changes. We expect additional changes to come in the future; however, we recognize that in order to achieve a truly sustainable, legal labor force for the nation, we must continue to support passage of the AgJOBS legislation.