In light of the recent earthquakes and tsunami in Japan, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reminds Japanese nationals of certain U.S. immigration benefits available upon request.

The USCIS understands that a natural disaster can affect an individual’s ability to establish or maintain lawful immigration status. Temporary relief measures available to eligible Japanese nationals may include the following:

— Grant of an application for a change in or extension of non-immigrant status for an individual currently in the United States, even when the request is filed after the authorized period of admission has expired;

— Re-parole of individuals granted parole by the USCIS;

— Extension of certain grants of advance parole, and expedited processing of advance parole requests;

— Expedited adjudication and approval, where possible, of requests for off-campus employment authorization for F-1 students experiencing severe economic hardship;

—  Expedited processing of immigrant petitions for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs);

—  Expedited employment authorization where appropriate;

—  Assistance to LPRs stranded overseas without immigration documents such as Green Cards.

The USCIS and Department of State will coordinate on these matters when the LPR is stranded in a place that has no local USCIS office. ♦

Visitors traveling under the Visa Waiver Program may visit a local USCIS office for assistance. Japanese nationals who are at a U.S. airport may contact the U.S. Customs and Border Protection office there.

For more information on USCIS humanitarian programs, visit www.uscis.gov or call the National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283.