The U.S. State Department has just released the October 2016 Visa Bulletin which is the first Visa Bulletin for the new FY2017 fiscal year. The headline in the upcoming [...]
After years of anticipation, the Department of Homeland Security has proposed and released the draft text of a rule which would allow international entrepreneurs parole to be able to remain and work in the U.S. while developing and growing their startup companies. The [...]
The definition of an H-1B dependent employer is important in a number of ways, including due to the H-1B regulations’ certain additional recruitment and attestation requirements to such employers. For H-1B employers, it is important to understand the definition and apply the analysis during each H-1B [...]
The U.S. State Department has just released the September 2016 Visa Bulletin which is the last Visa Bulletin for the FY2016 fiscal year. The headline in the upcoming month’s Visa Bulletin is fact that this is the [...]
The U.S. State Department has just released the August 2016 Visa Bulletin which is the eleventh Visa Bulletin for the FY2016 fiscal year. The headline in the upcoming month’s Visa Bulletin is introduction of a cutoff date for EB-1 [...]
The U.S. State Department has just released the July 2016 Visa Bulletin which is the tenth Visa Bulletin for the FY2016 fiscal year. The headline in the upcoming month’s Visa Bulletin is the lack of much movement across the employment-based [...]
The Administrative Appeals Office (“AAO”) recently issued a decision in a case focusing on the correct interpretation of the L-1A visa requirements for functional managers. In Matter of Z-A-, Inc., the AAO clarified that when determining whether the foreign national will primarily manage an essential function, USCIS must consider all relevant factors, including the foreign [...]
Our office just came back from a discussion session here in Washington, DC with Charles Oppenheim. Mr. Oppenheim is the Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division at the U.S. Department of State. For many, he is simply known as the person responsible for the monthly and annual visa number allocations for family- and [...]
In an order dated May 16, 2016, the U.S District Court for the Western District of Washington has dismissed the lawsuit challenging the October 2015 Visa Bulletin revisions, or the so-called “visagate.” According to the court, the visa bulletin, mainly because it had not [...]
The Department of Homeland Security has just released a proposed rule seeking to amend (increase) most of the Citizenship and Immigration (USCIS) application filing fees. The weighted average of the increase is 21 percent and USCIS is adding one new fee. The [...]
