The National Service Center has provided some guidance on requesting expedited processing of re-entry permits (Form I-131) to clarify the reasons for requesting expedited processing. According to NSC, valid expedited reasons are humanitarian reasons, financial loss, medical need, etc. We have received many re-entry permits inquiries by permanent legal residents who are about to accept a [...]
The California Service Center (CSC) has issued guidance on what kind of documentation is satisfactory to show that an H-1B beneficiary has completed his or her degree requirements. It is important to note that an H-1B visa application must be filed only after all degree requirements are met, even if the diploma has not been [...]
The Department of State (DOS) has released a cable to its consular posts to begin using the 2009 poverty guidelines in calculating the levels of income and assets required by immigrant visa petitioners and joint sponsors. DOS requires that when processing immigrant visa cases subject to the Affidavit of Support (I-864) requirement, consular posts must [...]
The April 2009 Visa Bulletin has been released. Unfortunately, even though there is some forward movement in some EB categories, the progress is very small and in fact, the dates for some EB-3 categories have retrogressed significantly. EB-1 remains current across the board. EB-2 remains unchanged - EB-2 ROW (Rest of World) is current, EB-2 China remains [...]
CNNfn.com has an interesting article on the H-1B visas demand for this April’s H-1B quota. The article cites the weak economy, the H-1B restrictions imposed recently on TARP recipients and the bankruptcy of Satyam Computer Services (which filed ~2,000 H-1Bs in 2008) as one of the reasons that the H-1B demand will be weakest in [...]
The cap-subject H-1B filing deadline of April 1 is approaching quickly. USCIS has advised that similar to last April’s filing window, this year, in the event that there are more H-1B applications than there are available visas (i.e. there will be a lottery), the filing window would be five (5) days, from Tuesday, April 1 [...]
We have been receiving calls and emails from employment-based applicants for green card asking us whether they have a second green card process started by a new company. Generally, the inquiries are from EB-3 beneficiaries who are eligible and would like to start an EB-2 application. Most of these inquiries come from individuals from countries [...]
About 6 months ago, USCIS made premium processing available to certain cases where the I-140 beneficiary is in danger of H-ing out. (Our original stories.) USCIS has just announced that it is expanding the I-140 premium processing program. Currently, only beneficiaries who are in H-1B status at the time of the filing of the I-140 [...]
A week after the Stimulus Bill was signed into law and the dust has started to settle, we have compiled a summary of the key points of the Stimulus Bill’s restriction on TARP-recipient companies to issue new H-1B visas. The law became effective upon the stimulus bill’s enactment, February 17, 2009. It is important to [...]
About the H-1B Visa and the Annual H-1B Cap The H-1B visa is one of the most commonly used U.S. work visas for highly skilled foreign born workers in fields such as information technology, engineering, research, academia, and others. The H-1B visa is both highly desirable and, unfortunately, in short supply. The H-1B visa category was created [...]