2024-21073. Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision of a Currently Approved Collection: Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative

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Department of Homeland Security

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

1. [OMB Control Number 1615-0105]

AGENCY:

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security.

ACTION:

30-Day notice.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comments.

DATES:

Comments are encouraged and will be accepted until October 17, 2024.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments and/or suggestions regarding the item(s) contained in this notice, especially regarding the estimated public burden and associated response time, must be submitted via the Federal eRulemaking Portal website at http://www.regulations.gov under e-Docket ID number USCIS-2008-0037. All submissions received must include the OMB Control Number 1615-0105 in the body of the letter, the agency name and Docket ID USCIS-2008-0037.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

USCIS, Office of Policy and Strategy, Regulatory Coordination Division, Samantha Deshommes, Chief, telephone number [phone] (This is not a toll-free number; comments are not accepted via telephone message.). Please note contact information provided here is solely for questions regarding this notice. It is not for individual case status inquiries. Applicants seeking information about the status of their individual cases can check Case Status Online, available at the USCIS website at http://www.uscis.gov, or call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833).

( print page 76127)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments

The information collection notice was previously published in the Federal Register on July 27, 2023, at 88 FR 48489, allowing for a 60-day public comment period. USCIS did receive 160 comments in connection with the 60-day notice.

You may access the information collection instrument with instructions, or additional information by visiting the Federal eRulemaking Portal site at: http://www.regulations.gov and enter USCIS-2008-0037 in the search box. The comments submitted to USCIS via this method are visible to the Office of Management and Budget and comply with the requirements of 5 CFR 1320.12(c). All submissions will be posted, without change, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov, and will include any personal information you provide. Therefore, submitting this information makes it public. You may wish to consider limiting the amount of personal information that you provide in any voluntary submission you make to DHS. DHS may withhold information provided in comments from public viewing that it determines may impact the privacy of an individual or is offensive. For additional information, please read the Privacy Act notice that is available via the link in the footer of http://www.regulations.gov.

Written comments and suggestions from the public and affected agencies should address one or more of the following four points:

(1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility;

(2) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and

(4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.

Overview of This Information Collection

(1) Type of Information Collection Request: Revision of a Currently Approved Collection.

(2) Title of the Form/Collection: Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative.

(3) Agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of the DHS sponsoring the collection: G-28; G-28I; USCIS.

(4) Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as well as a brief abstract: Primary:Business or other for-profit. The data collected via the G-28 information collection instruments is used by DHS to determine eligibility of the individual to appear as a representative. Form G-28 is used by attorneys admitted to practice in the United States and accredited representatives of charitable organizations recognized by the Board of Immigration Appeals. Form G-28I is used by attorneys admitted to the practice of law in countries other than the United States and only in matters in DHS offices outside the geographical confines of the United States. If the representative is eligible, the form is filed with the case and the information is entered into DHS systems.

(5) An estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount of time estimated for an average respondent to respond: The estimated total number of respondents for the information collection G-28 (paper filed) is 4,181,229 and the estimated hour burden per response is .940 hours; the estimated total number of respondents for the information collection G-28 (online filed) is 464,581 and the estimated hour burden per response is .783 hours; the estimated total number of respondents for the information collection G-28I (paper filed) is 31,362 and the estimated hour burden per response is .700 hours.

(6) An estimate of the total public burden (in hours) associated with the collection: The total estimated annual hour burden associated with this collection is 4,316,022 hours.

(7) An estimate of the total public burden (in cost) associated with the collection: The estimated total annual cost burden associated with this collection of information is $0.00. Individual forms where the USCIS Form G-28 is filed would generally include a value for costs incurred for attorney services, including filing USCIS Form G-28.

Dated: September 11, 2024.

Samantha L. Deshommes,

Chief, Regulatory Coordination Division, Office of Policy and Strategy, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security.