DEPARTMENT OF STATE RELEASES VISA BULLETIN FOR OCTOBER 2018
The October 2018 Visa Bulletin Contains EB-1 Retrogression that is Unprecedented for the Start of the Fiscal Year The Department of State has released the visa bulletin for the month of October. Unfortunately, even though October 1, 2018 marks the start of the new fiscal year when new immigrant visa numbers become available, there is […]
USCIS EXTENDS SUSPENSION OF PREMIUM PROCESSING FOR FY2019 CAP-SUBJECT PETITIONS AND ISSUES NEW SUSPENSION OF PREMIUM PROCESSING FOR ADDITIONAL H-1B PETITIONS
All Premium Processing Suspensions Detailed by the USCIS will Remain in Effect Until February 19, 2019 (With the New Suspensions Starting on September 11, 2018) On August 28, 2018, the USCIS issued an alert stating that they will “extend and expand [the] suspension of premium processing for H-1B petitions” in an attempt to “reduce delays.” […]
USCIS ISSUES REVISED AND FINAL POLICY MEMORANDUM GOVERNING THE ACCRUAL OF UNLAWFUL PRESENCE FOR F, J, AND M NONIMMIGRANTS
The Policy Memorandum, effective August 9, 2018, Changes the Policy in which F, J, and M Nonimmigrants Accrue Unlawful Presence On August 9, 2018, the USCIS released a new policy memorandum that revises and supersedes their previous May 10, 2018 policy memorandum titled “Unlawful Presence and F, J, and M, Nonimmigrants” and all other previous […]
USCIS ISSUES NEW POLICY MEMORANDUM ON ADJUDICATIONS
Effective September 11, 2018 USCIS Empowered to Make Determinations Without Issuing RFEs and NOIDs USCIS has dramatically increased the rejection of H-1B petitions of all types including H-1B Cap, H-1B Extensions and H1-B Transfers. Most of these petitions are being denied using the Specialty Occupation argument. USCIS is not accepting legal precedent, evidence, expert opinion […]
USCIS REJECTION OF H-1B PETITIONS INCREASES DRAMATICALLY
USCIS Is Rejecting Petitions Ignoring Precedent and Court Decisions USCIS has dramatically increased the rejection of H-1B petitions of all types including H-1B Cap, H-1B Extensions and H1-B Transfers. Most of these petitions are being denied using the Specialty Occupation argument. USCIS is not accepting legal precedent, evidence, expert opinion or even the Department of […]
USCIS RELEASES NEW POLICY MEMORANDUM GOVERNING CONTRACTS AND ITINERARIES REQUIREMENTS FOR H-1B PETITIONS INVOLVING THIRD-PARTY WORKSITES
The New Policy Memorandum Aims to Ensure that USCIS Officers are Correctly and Strictly Interpreting the Existing Regulations for H-1B Petitions Involving Third-Party Worksites On February 22, 2018, the USCIS released a new policy memorandum in an attempt to ensure that USCIS Officers are correctly and strictly interpreting the existing Contracts and Itineraries regulations governing […]
NEARLY HALF OF AMERICAN INNOVATORS ARE IMMIGRANTS
Business ownership and innovation are highly prized qualities in American culture. It may be surprising to learn that nearly half of the 2010 Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or the children of immigrants, and that more than a third of technological innovators were born outside the U.S. The number of innovators and leaders […]
BUSINESS LEADERS SPEAK OUT AGAINST ENDING DACA
As the Trump administration sets its sights on the end of DACA, American business executives are raising their voices in defense of DACA beneficiaries, called Dreamers. More than 400 business leaders have signed their name to a letter to Trump or have found other ways to encourage the president to reconsider their plan to end […]
GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
Impact on Immigration Matters There seems to be an increasing likelihood of a U.S. government shutdown as legislators continue to debate a spending bill to fund the government. If a bill is not passed into law by tomorrow, the government will officially shut down on Saturday, January 20, 2018 at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time. As […]
WHY DACA IS NECESSARY FOR AMERICAN BUSINESSES
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a program that protects undocumented immigrants who were brought to America as young children. In addition to providing protection from removal, DACA also authorizes beneficiaries to work legally in the U.S. For the 800,000 DACA beneficiaries, called Dreamers, this program provides them a way to pursue careers and […]