Department of State Announces Pilot Program to Waive In-Person Interview for Certain H-1B Visa Renewals

Updated on January 25, 2024 In response to President Biden’s recent Executive Order on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence, the Department of State (DOS) has issued a Notice of a Pilot Program to Resume Renewal of H-1B Nonimmigrant Visas in the US for Certain Qualified Noncitizens, which was published in the Federal Register on Thursday, […]
Department of Labor Publishes Request for Information on PERM Schedule A Revisions

Following President Bident’s Executive Order, the Department of Labor seeks public input on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) occupations and non-STEM occupations with an insufficient number of qualified and available US workers in order to update the Schedule A. The Schedule A is a list of occupations with insufficient US workers who are able, […]
SENATE TO ‘MARK-UP’ TITLE IV OF S.744: EMPLOYMENT BASED VISAS

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, headed by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), will continue the ‘Mark-up’ of Senate Bill S.744 on Tuesday, May 14th, 2013. The Committee will debate and potentially amend portions of Title IV of the “Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act.” This is the portion of the Bill that deals with […]
DO H-1 VISA HOLDERS GET DEPORTED IF THEY GET FIRED?

People who hold an H-1B employment visa are permitted to enter and stay within the United States on the grounds that they will perform highly specialized work at their place of occupation. But what happens if a company needs to downsize, or the employee underperforms, and the visa holder loses their job? Will this be grounds to […]
U.S. EMPLOYERS WILL NEED TO RENEW OR GAIN NEW H-1B PETITIONS SOON
Does your business employ any specialists that require your sponsorship to stay within the country? If so, they might need to renew their H-1B visas on April 1st, 2017, the first day the United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) accepts petitions for the 2018 fiscal year. Miss the final deadline or wait too long, and a […]
WHAT IS THE H-1B & L-1 VISA REFORM ACT OF 2016?

A bipartisan bill known as the H-1B & L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2016 has recently been introduced to Congress and it is already turning heads and sparking debate. The purpose of the bill is to prevent firms from hiring additional H-1B visa employees if they already have more than 50 employees and more than 50% of […]
US COLLEGES USING LEGAL LOOPHOLE TO HELP STUDENTS GET VISAS

A number of U.S. colleges are using a legal ambiguity to help international entrepreneurs stay in America after graduating by hiring them upon graduation. While most foreign students would be required to compete for one of the United States’ 85,000 annual H-1B visas through its lottery system after graduation, federal rules state that employees of […]
DESPITE RATE HIKES, INDIA RECEIVES MAJORITY OF H-1B VISAS

Despite a hike in fees, India continues to receive a considerable share of the United States government’s H-1B visas. According to US Ambassador to India Richard Verma, who was present at the recent “The Future is Now: From COP21 to Reality” conference in Hyderabad, India receives roughly 70 percent of H-1B and L1 visas – […]