Tag Archives: Immigration
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 […]
USCIS Updates DACA FAQs
Around 2 years ago, many young people applied for “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals” (DACA), the relief President Obama enacted to assist young people brought to the U.S. long ago. USCIS has recently updated its website containing their “Frequently Asked Questions” about DACA. This is in addition to the CIS website on how to […]
Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush both took bold “executive action” on immigration
Congressional Republicans are outraged that President Obama may take “executive action” on immigration reform after the mid-term elections—perhaps by deferring deportations and providing work authorization to millions of unauthorized immigrants with strong family ties to the United States. However, past Republican presidents have not been shy to use the White House’s power to retool immigration […]
