Our office is not alone in noticing the increased amount of RFEs issued in connection with EB-1A, Alien with Extraordinary Ability, filings. We have noticed not only that some RFEs are very vague in terms of language and requirements but also that cases which are clearly well-documented and supported as part of the initial filing [...]
We are aware of many cases in which USCIS approves Form I-485 for the principal applicant but does not do so for any derivative family members’ I-485 petitions. While in some cases this may be due to missing evidence, security clearance difficulties, or some other legitimate reason, in many cases it is possible that the [...]
We wrote in September about the gap in expected revenue by USCIS following the filing fee increase of Summer 2007. We noted that the agency has a $282 million shortfall in expected revenues. As a result of the announced 2007 fee increase, USCIS saw a surge in applications and hiring in 2007, ahead of a hefty [...]
H-1B Duration and Limits By law, the maximum duration of stay in any H status is six years. As a result, if a foreign employee held one or more kinds of H status, or held L status, then the total period spent in the U.S. in all of these statuses are added together to determine how [...]
Our firm handles a fair amount of appeals with the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) and we often receive inquiries not only about about the procedural aspects of an AAO appeal but also about the current processing times for AAO cases. About the AAO The AAO is an appeals office which handles appeals of certain decisions made by [...]
USCIS released updated information on the numbers of cap-subject H-1Bs filed since April 1. As of Friday, September 25, USCIS has received approximately 46,700 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, [...]
USCIS has released a schedule of the inventory of pending Form I-485, Application to Adjust Status. The statistics are fairly recent - as of August 25, 2009 - and are very helpful to understanding the relative queue positions for adjustment of status applicants. How Can I Determine My Place in the AOS Queue? An AOS application’s preference [...]
Our firm handles a fair amount of appeals with the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) and we often receive inquiries not only about about the procedural aspects of an AAO appeal but also about the current processing times for AAO cases. About the AAO As a short preliminary background matter, the AAO is an appeals office which handles [...]
Many of our clients and readers have already noticed that the USCIS online case status check system looks differently and seems to provide more options. This is part of the just launched redesigned USCIS website. The main goal is to improve the kind of customer service USCIS provides along with more transparency and accountability. Better Case [...]
Most of our clients and readers remember the summer of 2007 when USCIS raised the filing fees for certain services by a substantial amount (in all fairness, USCIS decreased the fees for certain services) (see the archived May 29, 2007 USCIS press release). One of the motivating forces behind this fee increase was the collection [...]