One of our major practices is the processing of employment-based permanent residency applications, most of which require an ETA 9089 PERM labor certification. As a result, we handle a number of PERM labor certifications filings, appeals and other related matters. Our office has been receiving an increasing number of inquiries about possible increase in PERM [...]
What is BALCA? The Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals (BALCA) is an administrative body which reviews mainly denials of PERM labor certification cases but it also handles a number of Department of Labor review cases. With respect to PERM denials, BALCA is the appellate body which reviews appeals for PERM denials. BALCA currently has [...]
USCIS released the weekly FY2011 information on the numbers of cap-subject H-1Bs filed since April 1. As of November 12, 2010, USCIS has received approximately 47,800 H-1B petitions counting toward the 65,000 cap (an increase of 1,000 over the past week). Similarly, as of November 12, there were 17,400 H-1B visas filed subject to the [...]
The U.S. State Department just released the December 2010 Visa Bulletin which is the third Visa Bulletin for the FY2011 fiscal year. As anticipated and as we wrote recently, following our meeting with Charles Oppenheim, there is not much movement across the employment-based categories. EB India, for example, does not see any movement this month. [...]
Our office has established a reputation as one of the premier practices for handling appeals with the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) and we often receive inquiries not only about about the procedural aspects of an AAO appeal but also about the current processing times for AAO cases. The AAO processing times are published monthly, at [...]
USCIS released the weekly FY2011 information on the numbers of cap-subject H-1Bs filed since April 1. As of November 5, 2010, USCIS has received approximately 46,800 H-1B petitions counting toward the 65,000 cap (an increase of 1,200 over the past week). Similarly, as of November 5, there were 17,200 H-1B visas filed subject to the [...]
Our office handles a substantial number of ETA Form 9089 - Permanent Labor Certification ("PERM") applications and we are closely monitoring the current PERM processing times not only for the benefit of our clients but also to be able to predict longer-term trends in PERM processing. The Department of Labor (“DOL”) has provided an update [...]
USCIS released the weekly FY2011 information on the numbers of cap-subject H-1Bs filed since April 1. As of October 29, 2010, USCIS has received approximately 45,600 H-1B petitions counting toward the 65,000 cap (an increase of 1,300 over the past week). Similarly, as of October 29, there were 16,700 H-1B visas filed subject to the [...]
We wrote extensively in the past for the planned and the announced USCIS fee increase which is set to take effect on November 23rd for all applications filed or postmarked on or beyond this date. For some filings, the fee increase is very minor (and for some there is even a fee decrease!). However, due [...]
In the last hours before the mid-term elections in the United States, it is possible to draw on the conclusions of the political experts that the Republicans are likely to seize control of the House of Representatives in the U.S. Congress. How is this related to immigration? Our office has been consistently asked to provide [...]