USCIS has released a report on the number and characteristics of naturalization applications for 2011. The report focuses on the applicants who were 18 and over and who became U.S. citizens during 2011. According to the data, in 2011, the total number of persons naturalizing was 694,193. The leading countries of birth of new [...]
Our office has received confirmation from AILA and from E-Verify that in certain cases, E-Verify would not verify employment authorization for an employee who is working for an employer under H-1B portability and where the employee previously held H-1B status but has since held an intervening status. For example, an employee holds H-1B status but [...]
Many of our readers and clients are aware of the recent developments with respect to the "border security bill" passed by Congress and recently signed by President Obama into law (Public Law 111-230). What Are the New H-1B and L-1 Filing Fees? Effective immediately, Public Law 111-230 requires the submission of an additional fee of [...]
USCIS released the weekly FY2011 information on the numbers of cap-subject H-1Bs filed since April 1. As of June 25, 2010, USCIS has received approximately 23,500 H-1B petitions counting toward the 65,000 cap (an increase of only 600 over the week). Similarly, as of June 25, there were 10,000 H-1B visas filed subject to the [...]
As many of our clients and readers know, the H-1B program allows stay in the U.S. on H or L status of up to six years. Time spent abroad during this period may be "recaptured" and added towards the six years of H-1B time. However, many foreign nationals who are not eligible to extend their [...]
In a Memorandum dated June 17, 2009, Donald Neufeld, the Acting Associate Director for Domestic Operations, has provided some guidance on the employment-based fifth preference (EB-5) green card category reserved for entrepreneurs willing to invest a substantial capital into the U.S. and create at least 10 full-time jobs. About EB-5 Section 203(b)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality [...]
Effective May 28, 2009, the Department of Homeland Security (”DHS”) began collecting biometric digital fingerprints from non-U.S. citizens departing the U.S. We wrote last April about the possibility of exit fingerprinting and it seems that DHS is underway to test the system and to implement it throughout other points of departure from the U.S. within [...]
We have been receiving a number of inquiries from prospective clients who are interested in switching to F-1 student visa status using a Form I-20 issued by a English as Second Language (”ESL”) school or a community college. In our experience, USCIS (if the change of status is requested from within the U.S.) or the [...]
We have written about the Automatic Visa Revalidation (AVR) program in the past. The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has released a fact sheet which seeks to clarify some of the AVR provisions. We reprint it here in its entirety: Automatic Visa Revalidation Fact Sheet March 9, 2009 Pursuant to 22 CFR 4 1.1 12 and 8 CFR [...]
The National Conference of State Legislatures has released its 2009 Immigration-Related Bills and Resolutions in the States, dated as of April 22, 2009, and covering the first quarter of 2009. The report is interesting in that is compares the states’ immigration-related activity over the past few years and helps us draw some conclusions on where the [...]