Beginning on February 1, 2002, the INS will require a new version of the I-140 form, used to petition for an employment-based immigrant visa. The new version has a revision date of August 30, 2001, and no other versions will be accepted. The new version is three pages long, and while it is basically the same as the older versions, it does contain new aspects. One that will be good news is the inclusion of an area for an attorney or representative to provide a fax number and email address to which the INS will send a request for evidence, if one is issued. This will greatly cut down on the loss of time in which to respond while the request is sent through the mail.
   
   Another improvement is that the new form contains space on the form itself to list the beneficiary's spouse and children. The earlier version of the form required this information to be included on a separate sheet of paper rather than on the form itself. Often, this information was not provided, and in some cases even when it was, the separate paper would become lost .The new form also requires that the job be identified by its NAICS and SOC codes. The NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) code is used to determine the particular industry in which the job is offered, and the SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is used to identify the specific job offered. By requiring this information, it appears the INS is trying to get an understanding of the demand for immigrant workers in various areas of employment.