The U.S. State Department has just released the September 2013 Visa Bulletin which is the last Visa Bulletin for the FY2013 fiscal year. The major headline in the upcoming month’s Visa Bulletin is the continued significant forward movement in EB-2 India, the significant forward movement in EB-3 and the fact that FB-2A remains current for [...]
As we reported last month, on June 26, 2013, the Supreme Court held that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional. With the end of DOMA, the immigration agencies have begun the task of implementing the Windsor decision and married LGBT couples can now access the marriage-based immigration benefits and other [...]
This FREE webinar will offer strategies and tips for preparing H-1B petitions and responding to RFEs for foreign entrepreneurs and third party placement H-1B visa holders. The panel will discuss types, options and formats of documentary evidence required to support the employer-employee relationship. This session will also provide strategies and scenarios to fulfill the H-1B [...]
Immigration related compliance is an increasing concern for U.S. employers, who are often caught between two federal agencies with opposing interests: ensuring that all workers are authorized for employment in the U.S. and protecting those who are lawfully here from discrimination. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (“IRCA”) requires all employers to fill [...]
Our office is getting reports from clients, readers and colleagues from other firms that there is an alarming trend in recent PERM Labor Certification application denials due to an overly broad education requirement. Specifically, DOL denies PERM applications, usually after an audit, with the stated reason that the "educational requirements are too broad, and thus, [...]
The U.S. State Department has just released the August 2013 Visa Bulletin which is the eleventh Visa Bulletin for the FY2013 fiscal year. The major headline in the upcoming month’s Visa Bulletin is the significant forward movement in EB-2 India, FB-2A being current for every country and the lack of movement for EB-3. Summary of [...]
Many of our clients and readers are already aware of the June 13, 2013 "RFE blizzard" where U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (“USCIS”) issued thousands of identical requests for evidence (“RFE”) on pending employment-based primary and derivative Form I-485, Application to Adjust Status. Many would remember that in our article from two weeks ago, we [...]
Earlier this afternoon the U.S. Senate voted 68-32 in favor of final passage of S. 744, the "Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act" which seeks to provide a comprehensive immigration reform. We have provided an overview and analysis of S.744 when it was introduced in the U.S. Senate on April 16, 2013 and [...]
On June 26, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act ("DOMA"). In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court held that DOMA is unconstitutional because the word "marriage" in any federal law meant only a union of a man and a woman. Until yesterday, DOMA denied a number of federal benefits, [...]
We are pleased to announce the relocation and expansion of our law firm - Capitol Immigration Law Group ("CILG") now resides at "Bethesda Towers" at 4340 East-West Highway, Suite 250, Bethesda, MD 20814. Bethesda is located just northwest of Washington, DC and is a home to a number of corporate and government headquarters. Our Washington [...]