With Congress deadlocked on passing needed budget legislation, it is looking increasingly likely that there will be a federal government shutdown at midnight on September 30, 2023. The shutdown will affect some federal...more
The FY2022 H-1B cap season is now underway. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) adopted the same H-1B registration process as was used last year. Before filing a cap-subject H-1B petition, USCIS requires that...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced updates to this year’s H-1B cap selection process. The government’s H-1B electronic registration process will open at noon EST on March 9, 2021, and will...more
H-1B Cap Selection Process -
On January 8, 2021, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a final rule modifying the H-1B cap selection process. This rule changes the H-1B cap selection process by...more
On October 29, 2020, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) issued the November Visa Bulletin. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirmed that it will use the “Dates for Filing” chart. For employment-based visa...more
October Visa Bulletin Released -
On September 24, 2020, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) issued the highly anticipated October Visa Bulletin. October 1, 2020, marks the beginning of the U.S. government’s new fiscal year....more
Business immigration in the United States continues the roller coaster ride of the last six months. With the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. immigration has been subjected to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office...more
Visa issuance fees and validity periods are set based on reciprocity. If a country charges U.S. citizens $50 to receive a visa, then the U.S. will charge citizens of that country a similar amount for a U.S. visa. In 2017,...more
Background -
Visa issuance fees and validity periods are set based on reciprocity – that is, if one country charges U.S. citizens $50 to receive a visa, then the U.S. will charge citizens of that country a similar amount...more
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will implement the H-1B electronic registration process for the FY2021 H-1B cap season, according to its December 6, 2019 announcement. The registration period will...more
Significant changes are expected for the upcoming H-1B cap process in 2020. With the holiday season quickly approaching, this is the time for employers to review their H-1B cap cases and processes to determine what internal...more
A revised version of Form I-539 that includes a biometrics requirement will be published on March 11, 2019. Use of the new form will be mandatory as of that day, USCIS announced February 11, 2019.
Form I-539 is used to...more
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will resume premium processing for H-1B cap petitions that were filed in the first five business days of April 2018, the federal agency announced January 25.
This will...more
Technology companies, including IT consulting companies, IT service providers and software designers, seek to employ the best and the brightest IT professionals to keep IT systems secure and to deliver innovative solutions....more
11/16/2018
/ F-1 Visa ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Foreign Workers ,
Green Cards ,
H-1B ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
I-485 Applications ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
L-1 Visas ,
OPT ,
STEM ,
USCIS ,
Visas
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently issued two policy memoranda that will affect all immigration petitions filed with the agency. While implementation of the policies is still unclear,...more
Health care organizations of all types, including hospitals, health systems, insurers, pharmaceutical companies and research universities, seek to employ the best and the brightest to deliver quality care and pursue the...more
October brings seasonal reminders for employees who are starting employment pursuant to H-1B status as well as some current changes to employment-based permanent resident applicants. In addition, the White House has issued...more
On October 3, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the suspension of premium processing which started on April 3, 2017, for all H-1B petitions will now resume for all H-1B cases.
In this...more
On September 18, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that premium processing will resume for a limited type of H-1B petition. USCIS will resume premium processing for all H-1B petitions subject...more
Summer travel is in full swing as we approach the Fourth of July holiday weekend. This year foreign nationals need to be prepared for stricter scrutiny, longer wait times at consulates, and delays at airports and borders....more
The H-1B work visa is in a state of transition. Companies and workers who rely on H-1B visas should be aware of several important changes this spring on the H-1B category, including an update on the H-1B lottery conducted by...more
On March 6, 2017, the White House issued a new version of the Presidential Executive Order on Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States (Travel Ban 2.0) and revoked the January 27, 2017...more
On March 3, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the suspension of premium processing for all H-1B petitions. This suspension starts April 3, 2017, and affects all types of H-1B cases. As outlined...more
April 1, 2017 is the first day U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will accept H-1B cap-subject petitions for the FY 2018 allotment of visas for foreign national professionals in specialty occupations....more
Changes coming from the White House, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and the State Department (DOS) on travel and related issues are challenging companies...more
2/13/2017
/ Customs and Border Protection ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Foreign Workers ,
Iran ,
Iraq ,
Libya ,
Refugees ,
Somalia ,
Sudan ,
Syria ,
Travel Ban ,
Trump Administration ,
USCIS ,
Visas ,
Yemen