USCIS Announces Relief for Japanese Nationals Affected by Tsunami
By Iman Omar
Taking into account the recent earthquakes and tsunami in Japan, USCIS has released a statement reminding Japanese citizens, as well as other foreign nationals affected, that temporary relief benefits are available to those who may not be able to maintain lawful immigration status in the U.S. due to the current situation in the Pacific region.
Those who have exceeded or are about to exceed their authorized stay in the U.S. may be granted up to an additional 30 days to depart the country. USCIS lists the following as other available measures to those eligible:
* The grant of an application for change or extension of nonimmigrant status for an individual currently in the United States, even when the request is filed after the authorized period of admission has expired;
* Re-parole of individuals granted parole by USCIS;
* Extension of certain grants of advance parole, and expedited processing of advance parole requests;
* Expedited adjudication and approval, where possible, of requests for off-campus employment authorization for F-1 students experiencing severe economic hardship;
* Expedited processing of immigrant petitions for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs);
* Expedited employment authorization where appropriate; and
* Assistance to LPRs stranded overseas without immigration documents such as Green Cards. USCIS and the Department of State will coordinate on these matters when the LPR is stranded in a place that has no local USCIS office.
Visitors traveling under the Visa Waiver Program and those traveling under a non-immigrant visa are advised to visit the local USCIS office, a list of which is available here, with all pertinent forms of I.D. and travel documents.
Visitors stranded at a U.S. airport are advised to contact the U.S. Customs and Border Protection office at the airport.
In Japan, the Embassy of the United States in Tokyo has requested that all non-immigrant visa applicants reschedule any upcoming appointments for a later date, as their current priority is assisting U.S. Citizens affected by the disaster.
Additional information for Japanese citizens in the U.S. can be found here in English. Information in Japanese can be found in an official USCIS update here and in a Q&A here.
For further assistance, visit www.uscis.gov or contact the National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283.
Resources:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services http://www.uscis.gov/
Embassy of the United States, Tokyo http://japan.usembassy.gov/