Many of our clients and readers are aware that the U.S. Congress here in Washington, DC has been working on a comprehensive immigration proposal over the past few months. Until today, there have been many proposals, a lot of discussion and even more rumors as to what may or may not be included in a [...]
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has just provided some updated numbers in connection with the 2014 fiscal year (FY2014) H-1B cap. Many of our readers are aware that on Friday, April 5th, USCIS announced that they have received sufficient number of H-1B petitions to close the FY2014 H-1B cap as of Friday. [...]
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) announced earlier this afternoon that they have received a sufficient number of H-1B petitions to meet the annual H-1B cap for the 2014 fiscal year (FY2014). According to USCIS, they have received more than 20,000 H-1B petitions filed for beneficiaries with U.S. master's degree and more than the [...]
As we are going in to the peak of the H-1B cap season, our office receives many inquiries about the duration of the H-1B filing season this year or, in other words, when will the H-1B cap be reached? So far we have been able to compare demand with prior H-1B filing seasons and we [...]
One of the most popular U.S. work visas, the H-1B, will start accepting filings for new H-1B employment on April 1. Pursuant to each yearly H-1B quota, new H-1B filings can be filed on April 1, at the earliest, for a starting date of employment on or after October 1. The H-1B Quota and [...]
The Department of Labor has provided some updates for the first quarter of the Fiscal Year 2013 (October 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012) on their processing of PERM cases and we are happy to share them with our clients and readers. DOL Processing Statistics (First Quarter, 2013 Fiscal Year) PERM According to the report, [...]
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service ("USCIS") is set to begin accepting H-1B visa applications pursuant to its Fiscal Year 2014 (FY2014) quota. The first day on which USCIS will accept new, cap-subject H-1B petitions, is Monday, April 1, 2013. About the H-1B Program and the Annual Cap The H-1B visa category was created in [...]
It is only Tuesday and this week has already been full of immigration proposals. After yesterday's announcement for a blueprint for a comprehensive immigration reform, today a group of Senators has released an actual draft bill which picks up where yesterday's proposal left off with respect to employment-based immigration. Senators Orrin Hatch of Utah, Amy [...]
New documents have been released recently in the prolonged lawsuit by the American Immigration Council’s Legal Action Center, on behalf of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (“AILA”), regarding USCIS’ procedures and predetermined indicators of potential fraud in the H-1B process. (For a detailed review of the lawsuit and associated documents see). Legal History In 2005, [...]
In recent years, despite the U.S.’s rich history as a haven for ambitious immigrants, many foreigners looking to work in the U.S. have had to cope with increasingly restrictive immigration policies. As a result, the number of immigrant-founded startups in Silicon Valley, to take an example, has declined from 52.4% in 2005 to 43.9% in [...]