Immigration News: USCIS launches new online change of address tool; Germany will start implementing immigration law reforms from November; Finland piloting automated decision-making for student residence permits

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has launched a new Enterprise Change of Address (E-COA) self-service tool to allow customers with pending applications, petitions, or requests to update their address with USCIS more easily.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has launched a new Enterprise Change of Address (E-COA) self-service tool to allow customers with pending applications, petitions, or requests to update their address with USCIS more easily. E-COA will significantly improve the speed and efficiency of the process for USCIS customers to update their address with USCIS, according to a USCIS news release.

With E-COA, most individuals with a USCIS online account can update their mailing and physical address with USCIS for pending applications, petitions, or requests in a single place, eliminating the need to update the address in multiple places; fill out a paper AR-11, Alien’s Change of Address Card; call the Contact Center; or visit a USCIS Field or Asylum Office.

To use the E-COA tool, individuals need a USCIS online account, and must enter their last name, date of birth, and new physical and mailing addresses. Individuals are also encouraged to include information about their pending application, petition, or request. The E-COA tool is available in English only and can be accessed via a USCIS online account regardless of whether an individual’s pending case was submitted online or by mail. It is important to note that changing the address with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will not change your address with USCIS.

Customers who do not have any pending applications, petitions, or requests can use the tool to meet the requirement to notify USCIS if they have moved.

Germany will start implementing immigration law reforms from November: The first stage of the new immigration reforms that were approved in July this year will be implemented from November this year. The reforms will come into force in three steps: starting in November 2023, then March 2024 and June 2024.

The new laws are aimed to attract more skilled foreign workers to meet the country’s increasing shortage of skilled workers in various sectors. The reforms to the Skilled Immigration Act particularly focus on workers with vocational, non-academic training. Existing rules for qualified professionals with university degrees will also be relaxed.

From March 2024, the possibilities for secondary employment for third-country nationals studying in Germany on a student visa are to be expanded. The previous annual working time account of 120 full days or 240 half days will be increased to 140 full days or 280 half days. Alternatively, the new rule will allow student employees to work up to 20 hours per week. The amount of the salary and the type of employment are irrelevant. In the future, secondary employment will also be possible from the outset when prospective students participate in preparatory measures for university study.

Finland piloting automated decision-making for student residence permits: The Finnish Immigration Service has started using automated decision-making in the processing of residence permits for studies. The Finnish Immigration Service issues an automated decision if the application meets all the requirements for issuing the permit. Negative decisions and decisions that require individual consideration are not issued automatically.

It maybe noted that the processing of an application is still not fully automated. For example, the identity of the applicant must be verified by an official and officials are also responsible for individually assessing the results of register checks even though automated processing is used.

The Finnish Immigration Service aims at an average processing time of no more than one month for residence permits for employed persons and students.

The automated decision making is first being tested with residence permit applications submitted by degree students at universities and by all exchange students. Based on the results, automation will later be expanded to include other customer groups.

The automated system checks that the requirements for issuing the permit are met by using the same criteria that are applied to matters processed by an official. In addition, the customer must have proved his or her identity at a Finnish mission or at a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service. After that, the Finnish Immigration Service can issue an automated decision if the application has been submitted in the online service Enter Finland by a university student or an exchange student, the processing fee has been paid, the application includes all the necessary information, and all the requirements for issuing the permit are met.

If the requirements are not met, or the application needs clarification, the application is always transferred to an official, who will make the decision.