The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has updated Form I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker, which is filed on behalf of nonimmigrant workers seeking temporary entry to the United States for various purposes. Starting from November 1, 2023, the updated form edition, dated 05/31/23, will be the only edition that the USCIS will accept. Until then, Form I-129 with edition date 11/02/22 can be used.
Employers or petitioners file this form on behalf of nonimmigrant workers looking to come to the U.S. for temporary employment, labor, to receive training, or to perform specific services. This includes individuals under classifications such as H-1B, H-2A, H-2B, H-3, L-1, O-1, O-2, P-1, P-1S, P-2, P-2S, P-3, P-3S, Q-1, or R-1. This form is also used to apply for an extension of stay or change of status to E-1, E-2, E-3, H-1B1, or TN classifications or any of the aforementioned classifications for non-U.S. citizens.
Key Updates and Changes to Form I-129
- Edition Date: The new edition date of Form I-129 is 05/31/23, and USCIS will accept this version starting November 1, 2023. Until that date, the previous edition of the form dated 11/02/22 can be used by petitioners.
- Form Completion and Submission: While filing Form I-129, it is crucial to make sure that you are using the most recent version of the form. Submitting an incomplete petition or pages from different editions can lead to form rejection. Check the edition dates printed at the bottom of the form, mentioned in mm/dd/yy format, before completing and submitting it to make sure the correct and valid edition of the form is being used.
- Filing Fee: USCIS has only updated the form but has not made changes to the form filing fee. The filing fee for Form I-129 is $460.
For detailed information about form updates and instructions, keep track of our Immigration News section. The information provided above is for informational purposes only; you can always refer to the USCIS website for further clarification.
Source – USCIS
