Blog Posts in 2016 Posted By USI Law 19-Dec-2016 Consequences of Failing to Renew a Green Card Those who earn Permanent Residency within the United States will be issued a green card – formally known as an I-551 card – that they must carry with them at all times. The average green card will have a duration of only 10 years; a few ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 16-Dec-2016 Chicago Tech Leaders Worried Immigration Reform Will Hurt Industry Industry leaders in the technology sector have expressed concerns over how the Trump administration’s proposed changes to immigration law could affect their own companies and the American economy over all. While some of these tech leaders were ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 21-Nov-2016 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 ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 16-Nov-2016 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 1 st, 2017, the first day the United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 7-Nov-2016 U.S. Immigrant Population Hits Record High According to a new survey of the immigrant population in the United States, American immigration has reached an all-time high in recent years, with immigrants comprising 13.3 percent of U.S. residents in 2014. This marks the highest annual percentage ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 31-Oct-2016 7 Tips to Help with Your U.S. Non-Immigrant Visa Interview Increased immigration, security concerns, economic factors, and other influences in recent years have all led to a considerable change in the way U.S. non-immigrant visas are granted, particularly regarding their categories, preferences, and quotas. ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 15-Sep-2016 Interesting Immigration Facts You Might Not Know No matter your viewpoint, immigration is a hot topic in America, especially in recent years. It is also an ever-present issue all around the world. People in general are concerned with their borders, who is crossing them, and why. But not many people ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 8-Sep-2016 Naturalization Eligibility Requirements Clarified by USCIS Over the past couple years, more and more lawful permanent residents are deciding to gain naturalization here in the United States. Despite this encouraging rise, the process of naturalization hasn’t gotten any easier. In fact, understanding ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 19-Aug-2016 Immigration-Related Violations More Heavily Penalized The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) used its administrative powers to implement higher monetary, civil, and criminal penalties to be used against employers who violated the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA). The final ruling ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 16-Aug-2016 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 ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 30-Jul-2016 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’ ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 27-Jul-2016 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 ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 10-Mar-2016 OPT STEM 24 Month Extension - Effective May 10, 2016 On March 10, 2016 a final rule was published in the Federal Register which amends the regulations on some F-1 nonimmigrant students’ participation in optional practical training (OPT) who have received degrees in science, technology, ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 7-Mar-2016 Known Employer Pilot - USCIS Streamlines Certain Petitions The Known Employer Pilot On March 3, 2015 a one year Known Employer pilot program was launched in an effort to test a program to streamline certain petitions. The Known Employer pilot includes the participation of nine employers and focuses on ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 5-Feb-2016 H-1B FY 2017 CAP - Planning for Filing of Fresh Petitions The USCIS will start accepting H-1B petitions towards the FY 2017 Cap on April 1, 2016. The lead time required to plan and prepare new cases in time for the filing deadline makes it imperative that employers begin the planning process as soon as ... Continue Reading