Last night the Senate Judiciary Committee voted (bipartisan 13-5) to pass Bill 744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act for vote on the Senate floor. A vote is expected in early June....more
5/22/2013
- Immigration Reform
On April 5, 2013, USCIS announced that it had received more than the allotted 65,000 “regular” and 20,000 US master’s degree applications for H-1B status. ...more
4/8/2013
- H-1B USCIS Visa Caps Visas
The H-1B “cap” (numerical limit) is 65,000 for “regular” cases plus 20,000 for persons who have earned U.S. master’s degrees. Each year this number is “released” April 1 – 5, in a process reminiscent of the Running of the...more
4/5/2013
- H-1B Visa Caps Visas
One of the four main processing centers for immigration benefits applications has temporarily closed because of flooding from plumbing problems, USCIS announced today, March 26.
Deliveries by UPS and Fed Ex during the...more
3/26/2013
- Flooding USCIS
When a foreign national enters the United States, they complete a small form for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) called the I-94. This form is then stamped by CBP with the date of entry and annotated by the border...more
3/25/2013
- Customs and Border Protection I-94 Cards
USCIS has announced it expects that all 65,000 “regular” and all 20,000 U.S. master’s degree H-1B slots will be filled in the first five days of filing (April 1 – 5) for the first time since 2008. The government estimate was...more
3/19/2013
- H-1B USCIS Visa Caps Visas
When we last visited this question, OCAHO (the administrative office that reviews I-9 fines) found that 30 employees is “small” for the purposes of mitigating I-9 fines.
...more
3/12/2013
USCIS has published a new I-9 form and instructions effective as of March 8, 2013. You may begin using the new form now, but you may continue to use the old form until May 7, 2013. After that date the new form is mandatory....more
3/12/2013
- Eligibility Hiring & Firing I-9 USCIS
Immigration is working to improve its forms.
The main point is to prepare forms for electronic filing.
We applaud the waive to customer service and agree that e-filing is the future....more
3/4/2013
- E-Filing USCIS
Department of Homeland Security recently rolled out an on-line tool to check the status of a Freedom of Information Act request.
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) allows the public to request government documents....more
2/26/2013
- DHS FOIA Immigration Records
Our Valentine from USCIS this year was the release of a draft EB5 policy memo. EB5 is the “million dollar investment/10 jobs” category. It does not always require $1 million ($500,000 in rural areas or designated high...more
2/18/2013
- EB-5 Foreign Investment I-539 USCIS
A new Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals (BALCA) decision is a great example of the exacting nature of the PERM process.
PERM is the first step toward permanent residence, and is regulated by the Department of...more
2/18/2013
- Appeals BALCA DOL PERM Permanent Residence Cards
Starting February 1, people immigrating through a U.S. Consulate abroad will be required to pay a $165 fee to USCIS to recoup its processing costs for these applications....more
2/11/2013
- H-1B USCIS USCIS Immigrant Fee Visas
Following the extensive (several hours!) hearing on immigration the House Judiciary Committee yesterday, four US Senators released a “Dear Colleague” letter regarding smart enforcement and valuing due process, continuing the...more
2/7/2013
- Border Security Deportation Due Process Immigration Reform
Realizing that the current immigration laws are not start-up friendly, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) launched an “entrepreneur-in-residence” (“EIR”) program in October 2011....more
2/5/2013
- Entrepreneur-in-Residence Training USCIS
