Tag Archives: Immigration
What We Should Know About the Vetting Process for Syrian Refugees
Certain politicians are trying to block the United States from participating in our international obligation to accept refugees, if they happen to be Muslim or from Syria. While I understand and agree that we must protect our peoples’ security, why don’t we at least discuss the topic rationally and with accurate information? Bryan Naylor of […]
50,000 Foreign-Born STEM Workers May Be Forced Home
An article in U.S. News & World Report reveals that as many as 50,000 workers in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields may be forced to leave the United States early next year, unless the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) acts soon to reissue a rule that extends the optional practical training (OPT) […]
STEM OPT Work Permits at Risk
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia recently struck down a rule, enacted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in April 2008 extending, for eligible science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students, the duration of optional practical training (OPT) by 17 months. However, the court stayed that action until February 12, 2016, […]
Update: USCIS Completes Data Entry for FY2016 H-1B Cap-Subject Petitions
Update by USCIS: May 5, 2015 From: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration ServicesSent: Monday, May 04, 2015 2:54 PMSubject: USCIS Completes Data Entry of Fiscal Year 2016 H-1B Cap-Subject Petitions USCIS announced May 4, 2015, that it has completed data entry of all fiscal year 2016 H-1B cap-subject petitions selected in our computer-generated random process. USCIS […]
Bloomberg: Getting a Visa Took Longer Than Building Instagram
In this Bloomberg article, read about how Instagram almost didn’t happen, and the U.S.’s convoluted immigration system would have been to blame. Before Mike Krieger created the wildly popular photo-sharing app with business partner Kevin Systrom, he was living in Silicon Valley on a temporary work visa. If not for some lucky breaks navigating the country’s […]
H-1B Delivery Problems at Vermont Service Center
In this firm’s Fall 2014 Newsletter, we discussed the situation with foreign professional workers applying for H-1B work visas. There are only 85,000 of those visas available per year. Recently each year, companies have used up all 85,000 visas during the first week they are available. The government then conducts a random lottery to pick the […]
“Public Access File” Requirement for H-1B Employers
In a procedure designed to “protect” American workers from the inappropriate hiring and treatment of foreign workers, H-1B employers are required to maintain a file, referred to as the “public access file.” It is to be made available for public inspection, most commonly by the US Department of Labor or US Citizenship and Immigration Services […]
STATE DEPARTMENT ANTICIPATES FORWARD VISA NUMBER MOVEMENT IN SOME EMPLOYMENT-BASED IMMIGRATION CATEGORIES
The Department of State’s Visa Bulletin for February 2015 notes that movement is possible in some employment-based categories in the coming months. In the employment-based “Worldwide” third preference category, the Visa Office expects rapid forward movement “for at least another month or two.” The bulletin notes that rapid movement in recent months is expected to […]
State Department No Longer Requires Original Documents for Consular Processing!
A State Department memorandum announces that the National Visa Center (NVC) will cease collecting original civil documents in support of immigrant visa (IV) applications as of November 12, 2014. Most applicants will be required to submit photocopies of supporting documents (such as birth, marriage, and police certificates) and will be instructed to take their original documents to […]
