USCIS and CBP Extend Form I-129 Pilot Program for Canadian L-1 Nonimmigrants

USCIS and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are extending the joint agency pilot program for Canadian citizens seeking L-1 nonimmigrant status under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) through April 30, 2020. Last year, the USCIS California Service Center and the CBP Blaine, Washington, port of entry (POE) announced this pilot program, which was scheduled to run from April 30, 2018, through Oct. 31, 2018, and was later extended for six months.
This pilot program allows, but does not require, Canadian citizens to request that USCIS remotely adjudicate their petitioning employer’s Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, or Form I-129S, Nonimmigrant Petition Based on Blanket L Petition, prior to their arrival or when they arrive at the Blaine POE. USCIS continues to encourage these Canadian citizens and their petitioning employers to email [email protected] with feedback on their experience with the pilot program. Over the next year, USCIS and CBP will continue to work together to determine the efficiency of the program, identify shortcomings, and look for ways to improve it.