[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 87 (Friday, May 5, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22408-22409]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-11073]



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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Immigration and Naturalization Service
[INS No. 1718-95]


Employment-Based Direct Mail Program for the Texas Service 
Center; and Clarification of all Service Center Names

agency: Immigration and Naturalization Service, Justice.

action: Notice.

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summary: This notice will inform the public that, as of October 1, 
1994, Immigration and Naturalization (INS) service centers are 
identified by state location, i.e., Texas Service Center. This does not 
affect their multi-state jurisdiction. This notice also implements a 
trial program for filing of employment-based immigrant and non-
immigrant petitions at the Texas Service Center. Currently all such 
cases are filed at the service centers located in Vermont, Nebraska and 
California. Under the trial program, employment-based petitions may be 
mailed directly to the Texas Service Center during the specified 
period, from May 5, 1995, through November 6, 1995. This trial Program 
is being set up as a way of analyzing the Service Center's processes 
relating to employment-based petitions. If, after the 6-month period, 
the trial program is deemed successful, the Texas Service Center will 
have exclusive jurisdiction over all employment-based petitions, except 
those related to major league baseball, the National Hockey League, and 
the [[Page 22409]] North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), filed 
by petitioners in states listed under the jurisdiction of the Texas 
Service Center.

dates: May 5, 1995.

addresses: Please submit written comments, in triplicate, to the Policy 
Directives and Instructions Branch, Immigration and Naturalization 
Service, 425 I Street NW., Room 5307, Washington, DC 20536, Attention: 
Public Comment Clerk. To ensure proper handling, please reference INS 
No. 1718-95 on your correspondence.

for further information contact: Jack Hartsoch, Staff Officer, 
Immigration and Naturalization Service, Service Center Operations 
(HQSCO), Room 3040, 425 I Street, NW., Washington, DC 20536, telephone 
(202) 514-3156, fax (202) 514-3156; or James M. Burns, Assistant Center 
Director-Examinations, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Texas 
Service Center, Dept. A, P.O. Box 152122, Irving, TX 75015-2122, 
telephone (214) 767-7288.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Since the inception of the service centers, several names have been 
attributed to them. Examples are: Regional Adjudication Center, 
Regional Service Center, (regional label such as) Southern Service 
Center, etc. This notice seeks to clarify the references to all service 
centers, and to conform to the Service's reorganization. Also, the INS 
is testing the direct mail of employment-based petitions at the Texas 
Service Center for a 6-month period to determine whether to expand the 
processing of these cases on a permanent basis.
    Service center names: Service centers will henceforth be identified 
by the state in which they are located. The use of the state name as an 
identifier to distinguish between the four centers does not affect 
their multi-state jurisdiction. The following is a current listing of 
the service centers.

Vermont Service Center
Texas Service Center
Nebraska Service Center
California Service Center

    Conversion to direct mail at the Texas Service Center: The INS 
intends to expand its Direct Mail Program in the near future to allow 
more types of applications and petitions to be filed directly with 
service centers. By expanding the authority to file employment-based 
petitions at all four service centers, the Service would achieve 
greater uniformity and coordination in the adjudication processes. 
During the 6-month trial period, beginning the date this notice is 
published, in addition to those petitions and applications currently 
being filed with the Texas Service Center, the following employment-
based petitions, except for those relating to major league baseball, 
the National Hockey League, and the North American Free Trade Agreement 
(NAFTA), may be filed at that Service Center:

    1. Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker.
    2. Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker.
    3. Form I-526, Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur.
    4. Form I-829, Petition by Entrepreneur to Remove the 
Conditions.

    The trial program is only available to those commercial enterprises 
whose work, training, or location is in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, 
Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, 
Oklahoma, South Caroline, Tennessee, or Texas.
    This trial program is optional for those specified above, and 
pertains only to the 4 above-stated types of petitions. During the 
trial period, a petitioner also has the option to file the above-stated 
types of petitions with the service center currently having 
jurisdiction. If a petitioner files a petition with the Texas Service 
Center, however, the petitioner may not file an identical petition for 
the same beneficiary with another service center or office of the INS.
    The mailing address of the Texas Service Center is: Texas Service 
Center, Dept. A, P.O. Box 152122, Irving, TX 75015-2122.

    Dated: April 25, 1995.
Doris Meissner,
Commissioner, Immigration and Naturalization Service.
[FR Doc. 95-11073 Filed 5-4-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-10-M