Recent Posts in H-1B Posted By USI Law 19-Mar-2021 U.S. Department of Labor Delays Effective Date of Trump Era Wage Increases for H-1B Visas and PERM DOL to Evaluate Wage Data, and Fully Review Proposed Rules The USDOL further extended the effective date of Trump Era draconian measures on H-1B visa and PERM wage requirements that were intended to gut these two employment visa programs. The DOL has ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 28-Aug-2018 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 ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 13-Mar-2018 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 ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 23-Feb-2018 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 ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 29-Nov-2017 House Judiciary Committee Passes Bipartisan Legislation in Effort to Reform H-1B Visa Program The Protect and Grow American Jobs Act (H.R. 170) aims to reform H-1B Dependency Regulations and the Exemptions Regarding Recruitment Attestations On November 15, 2017, the House Judiciary Committee approved bi-partisan legislation that aims to make ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 3-Nov-2017 House Judiciary Committee Passes Bipartisan Legislation in Effort to Reform H-1B Visa Program The Protect and Grow American Jobs Act (H.R. 170) aims to reform H-1B Dependency Regulations and the Exemptions Regarding Recruitment Attestations On November 15, 2017, the House Judiciary Committee approved bi-partisan legislation that aims to make ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 23-Jan-2017 Will Divorce Affect My Immigration Status? Are you currently in the United States on a visa that was granted to you based on your spouse’s application or citizenship? If so, your immigration status may be affected in the event that you should ever divorce or separate from your spouse. ... 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 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 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 Posted By USI Law 5-Feb-2016 Lottery Expected Again this Year 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 Posted By USI Law 11-Jan-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 Posted By USI Law 11-Jan-2016 New Fees for H-1B and L-1 Visas As has been widely reported in the media the Omnibus spending bill signed into law by President Barack Obama on December 18, 2015 contained a surprise for some companies who are dependent on high-skilled foreign workers. The new law imposes ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 11-Jan-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 Posted By USI Law 18-Nov-2015 H-1B Visa Petition Filing Date Fast Approaching The FY 2015 H-1B Visa Filing Date is fast approaching. As the primary method for non-immigrant skilled workers to obtain a U.S. work authorization, H-1B visas are in high demand. The USCIS will begin receiving applications April 1, 2016. 65,000 ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 23-Jul-2015 USCIS Issues Guidance Regarding H-1B Amendments (In light of Matter of Simeio Solutions, LLC) The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a Policy Memorandum on July 21, 2015 to clarify when an H-1B employer must file an amended or new h-1B petition following the precedent decision Matter of Simeio Solutions, LLC ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 23-Jul-2015 USCIS Final Guidance on Filing of Amended H-1B Petitions Post AAO Decision on Matter of Simeio Solutions, LLC The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), on July 21, 2015, issued Final guidance on measures it has enacted on when an H-1B employer must file an amended or new H-1B petition following the precedent decision in the Matter of ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 1-May-2015 New AAO Decision Requires Employers to File Amended H-1B Petitions for Worksite Changes On April 9, 2015, the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) (appellate agency of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) rendered a precedential decision that will make it more difficult for employers to relocate H-1B employees across the ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 1-May-2015 New AAO Decision Requires Employers to File Amended H-1B Petitions for Worksite Changes On April 9, 2015, the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) (appellate agency of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) rendered a precedential decision that will make it more difficult for employers to relocate H-1B employees across the ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 18-Feb-2015 Update on Immigration Issues There is concern that Congressional impasse on funding may lead to a shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. It is unclear at this time how the regular business of the Department including that of its agencies like U.S. Citizenship and ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 18-Feb-2015 Possibility of DHS Shutdown and Injunction on Presidential Executive Order There is concern that Congressional impasse on funding may lead to a shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. It is unclear at this time how the regular business of the Department including that of its agencies like U.S. Citizenship and ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 20-Jan-2015 H-1B FY 2016 CAP - Employers Urged to Begin Preparations for Filings The New Year signals the beginning of the process for filing H-1B petitions towards the FY 2016 Cap. While the USCIS will only begin receiving petitions on April 1, 2015, the preparations need to begin earnestly at the present time by employers ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 20-Jan-2015 H-1B FY 2016 CAP - Employers Urged to Begin Preparations for Filings The New Year signals the beginning of the process for filing H-1B petitions towards the FY 2016 Cap. While the USCIS will only begin receiving petitions on April 1, 2015, the preparations need to begin earnestly at the present time by employers ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 3-Feb-2014 H-1B Visa Petition Filing Date Fast Approaching USCIS will Accept H-1B Cases from April 1 st, 2014 The FY 2015 H-1B Visa Filing Date is fast approaching. As the primary method for non-immigrant skilled workers to obtain a U.S. work authorization, H-1B visas are in high demand. April 1, 2014 is the ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 3-Feb-2014 H-1B Visa Petition Filing Date Fast Approaching USCIS will Accept H-1B Cases from April 1st, 2014 The FY 2015 H-1B Visa Filing Date is fast approaching. As the primary method for nonimmigrant skilled workers to obtain a U.S. work authorization, H-1B visas are in high demand. April 1, 2014 is the ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 17-Apr-2013 Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act Millions of immigrants currently residing in the United States illegally may be granted the opportunity to obtain citizenship under a comprehensive Senate proposal that would represent the most audacious overhaul of the nation’s immigration ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 8-Apr-2013 USCIS Reaches FY 2014 H-1B Cap: 2 For the first time since 2008, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reached the statutory H-1B cap of 65,000 for fiscal year (FY) 2014 within the first week of the filing period. USCIS has also received more than 20,000 H-1B ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 5-Apr-2013 FY 2014 H-1B Filing Update U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it has received a sufficient number of H-1B petitions to reach the statutory cap for fiscal year (FY) 2014. USCIS has also received more than 20,000 H-1B petitions filed on behalf ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 5-Apr-2013 USCIS Reaches FY 2014 H-1B Cap U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it has received a sufficient number of H-1B petitions to reach the statutory cap for fiscal year (FY) 2014. USCIS has also received more than 20,000 H-1B petitions filed on behalf ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 29-Mar-2013 FY 2014 H-1B Filing Update The H-1B cap will most likely be reached within the first few filing days of April. As per law cited below, the USCIS will accept petitions for at least the first five days - until April 5, 2013. If the cap numbers are reached by or before April 5, ... Continue Reading Posted By USI Law 19-Mar-2013 USCIS Anticipates a Lottery for FY 2014 H-1B Cap Cases The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released guidance stating that it anticipates possibly receiving more cases filed by or before April 5, 2013, than is allowed under the Fiscal Year Cap limit. April 1, 2013 is the ... Continue Reading