H-1B Cap Reached
As expected, USCIS announced earlier today that it has received enough H-1B petitions to meet the cap for fiscal year 2009. The 20,000 H-1B cap for holders of advanced degrees has also been reached.
FedEx Service Disruption
We have received some inquiries from clients regarding the FedEx service disruption and how it may affect the H-1B filings. We wanted to address the issue and hopefully allow concerned H-1B petitioners that the disruption should not affect their petition.
H-1B Visa Filing Date and Lottery – We Are Available for Comments
With the H-1B filing date upon us, we have seen an increased amount of inquiries from companies, press organizations, legislative and not-for-profit entities seeking comments on the upcoming H-1B work visa lottery and the broader economic impact of the current labor immigration landscape. Please contact us if you need comments from immigration attorneys who specialize in labor immigration.
The “Visa Roulette” Begins Tomorrow
The annual H-1B filing season starts tomorrow, April 1st, and employers and employees who have applied for an H-1B visa are hoping for low numbers of applications. Unfortunately, preliminary sources suggest that even though the U.S. economy is slowing down, there are many sectors which are still running strong and the demand of H-1B visas is expected to be as strong as ever.
USCIS Modifies H-1B Selection Process
USCIS has released an interim rule which sets some guidelines on accepting H-1B cases for the upcoming fiscal year.
US in High Demand of Skilled Labor
A new report by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) indicates that major US companies experience severe shortages of skilled labor. According to the report, major U.S. technology companies today average more than 470 U.S.-based skilled job openings. NFAP surveyed postings for U.S.-based jobs that require at least an undergraduate degree for 500 companies [...]
Unpaid Volunteer Work on H-1B, H-4 or F-1 Visas
A very common question by the holders of visas which have employment restrictions is, “Can I engage in unpaid volunteer work under my visa?” The answer is that it depends on the type of unpaid volunteer work you are seeking to perform.
Helpful H-1B Filing Tips
We have written before about the H-1B quote of 65,000 which opens on April 1, 2008 for starting employment date of October 1, 2008. We anticipate that the entire quota will be used on the first day of the filing, therefore it becomes important to make sure the filing is done correctly.
New Centralized Filing Location for H-1B Cap Exempt Petitions
The USCIS just announced that in an effort to streamline the processing and adjudication of H-1B petitions, they will employ a new special unit dedicated to processing H-1B cap exempt petitions at the California Service Center.
Starting Own Company on H-1B Visa
Many H-1B visa holders are asking the question, “Can I start my own company while I am on H-1B visa?” The short answer is “No, because the terms of the H-1B visa allow a foreign national to work only for the sponsoring employer. However, a foreign national may have other options.