USCIS has just released the December 18, 2024 final rule “Modernizing H-1B Requirements, Providing Flexibility in the F-1 Program, and Program Improvements Affecting Other Nonimmigrant Workers” which seeks to “modernize” the H-1B program [...]
The new H-1B work visa “cap” season is set to begin by using the same lottery process introduced and used over the past five years. The lottery registration window is expected to open around [...]
USCIS has updated the process for green card renewal applicants with a revised Form I-797, Notice of Action for Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card where applicants seek to renew an expiring green card. Starting September 2024, USCIS has extended the period during which a receipt notice will be valid for proof of lawful [...]
Many of our readers are aware that as of April 1, 2024, USCIS had received number (not announced yet) of H-1B cap registrations which is sufficient to fill the annual H-1B quota and they have completed the random lottery to allocate the [...]
In a new final rule USCIS is changing the process it selects H-1B cap registrants during the annual “cap” lottery selection process. Starting with this year, the new process will be based on “beneficiary-centric” selection which means that [...]
The Department of Homeland Security has just released the final rule that significantly changes the USCIS fee schedule, including adding new fees, establishing multiple fees for nonimmigrant worker petitions and increasing the premium processing time limit. The rule and the new fees [...]
With the recent increase of remote or hybrid work arrangements, and the return to office to third-party client sites, we would like to provide a reminder of the relevant H-1B rules for compliance when changing (or having already [...]
In a world where remote work has become a prevailing norm, traditional processes are evolving to adapt to this new reality. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has recognized this shift and recently introduced a groundbreaking policy that allows for remote document inspection in the Form I-9 verification process. This policy not [...]
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses across the United States have faced numerous challenges in adapting to remote work environments. One critical area impacted by this shift has been the verification of employment eligibility through Form I-9. To accommodate remote work, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) introduced temporary measures allowing for [...]
Layoffs and termination of employment is almost always a difficult process for both the employer and the impacted employee. This is especially true for workers who are foreign nationals whose nonimmigrant status in the U.S. is [...]
