Nebraska Service Center to Accept Certain H-1B Petitions

USCIS made the following announcement today: 

On July 1, 2016, the Nebraska Service Center (NSC) will begin accepting Form I-129 for H-1B and H-1B1 (Chile/Singapore Free Trade) petitions if the petitioner requests a “Continuation of previously approved employment without change with the same employer” (Box b. on Part 2, Question 2, Page 2 of the current Form I-129) with a requested action in Question 4 to:

• Notify the office in Part 4 so the beneficiary can obtain a visa or be admitted. (Box a. on Part 2, Question 4, Page 2 of the current Form I-129);
• Extend the stay of the beneficiary because the beneficiary now holds this status. (Box c. on Part 2, Question 4, Page 2 of the current Form I-129); or
• Extend the status of a nonimmigrant classification based on a free trade agreement. (Box e. on Part 2, Question 4, Page 2 of the current Form I-129)

The NSC will also accept any:

Concurrently filed H-4 Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, and

Concurrently filed Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, for certain H-4 nonimmigrants. 

If you are filing a standalone Form I-539 and/or Form I-765 for H-4 nonimmigrants, please refer to the Filing Addresses for Form I-539 page or the Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-765 page for proper filing addresses.

The California Service Center (CSC) and the Vermont Service Center (VSC) may continue to accept these petitions during the transition period, which ends Aug. 31, 2016.

These petitions should be mailed to:

USPS Mail: Courier (FedEx, UPS, etc.) Mail: USCIS Nebraska Service Center PO Box 87129 Lincoln, NE 68501-7129 USCIS Nebraska Service Center 850 ‘S’ Street Lincoln, NE 68508

Petitioners should continue to file all other H-1B/H-1B1 petitions with the CSC and the VSC based on the instructions on the Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-129 page.

Additionally, petitioners who are statutorily exempt from the H-1B numerical limitation, or are filing a cap-exempt petition to employ the beneficiary at an institution of higher education, nonprofit entity related to or affiliated with an institution of higher education, a nonprofit research organization, and/or a governmental research organization should continue to file their H-1B cap-exempt petitions with the CSC