The October 2009 Visa Bulletin which is the first visa bulletin for the new FY2010 fiscal year was released earlier today by the State Department. This October 2009 Visa Bulletin has been widely expected not only to see the EB-3 category go back to some availability of visas but also to use the movement in [...]
There has been quite a bit of legal activity in connection with the Bush administration executive order requiring federal contractors to use E-Verify to check the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees as well as current employees directly working on a contract. Rule Goes Into Effect on September 8, 2009 On August 26, 2009, a U.S. [...]
USCIS released updated information on the numbers of cap-subject H-1Bs filed since April 1. As of Friday, August 28, USCIS has received approximately 45,100 H-1B petitions counting toward the 65,000 cap. USCIS will continue to accept petitions subject to the general cap. Additionally, USCIS has received approximately 20,000 petitions for aliens with advanced degrees; however, [...]
By nature, consulting companies often send their employees to work at a third-party’s worksite and perform services onsite. When filing H-1B work visa petitions for their workers, many consulting or third-party worksite companies have faced an increasing number of requests for evidence (”RFES”) requesting information about the duties of the employee, itinerary of work and [...]
USCIS released updated information on the numbers of cap-subject H-1Bs filed since April 1. As of Friday, August 14, USCIS has received approximately 45,000 H-1B petitions counting toward the 65,000 cap. USCIS will continue to accept petitions subject to the general cap. Additionally, USCIS has received approximately 20,000 petitions for aliens with advanced degrees; however, [...]
Our office has been handling an increasing number of expedited processing Form I-131 reentry permits for legal permanent residents (”LPR”) who are or are planning to spend extended periods of time abroad and who wish to maintain their legal permanent resident status. Reentry Permits Are Generally Valid for Two Years One of the questions we receive very [...]
USCIS has instituted a new (and supposedly more streamlined and reliable) process for directing case status inquiries with USCIS service centers. Case status inquiries should be conducted by following these steps: Step 1: Contact the National Customer Service Center (NCSC) at 1-800-375-5283. The NCSC can assist customers, community-based organizations and liaison groups with case related inquiries. [...]
The H-2B filing period for fiscal year 2009 (FY2009) has been reopened by USCIS due to insufficient applications filed under the cap. Accordingly, USCIS accepts immediately new H-2B petitions under the FY2009 cap for starting work date before October 1, 2009. FY2009 H-2B Numbers Are Under the Quota On January 7, 2009, USCIS announced that it has [...]
We have reported previously on the Department of State’s (DOS) efforts to introduce an electronic form (DS-160) for submitting nonimmigrant visa (NIV) application at its consulates around the world. The goal is to have DS-160 replace the paper forms currently used for NIV applications at all U.S. consulates. The DS-160 online NIV application form is being [...]
The September 2009 Visa Bulletin was released by the State Department. The only change, in comparison to the August 2009 Visa Bulletin, is the forward movement in the EB-2 China and India categories which changed from January 1, 2003 to January 8, 2005. All other categories remain unchanged. Here is a summary of the September [...]