Based on the studies conducted by National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP), denial rates for L-1B petitions have been dramatically increased in recent years. In FY 2012 and 2013, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) increased its already historically high rate of denials for L-1B petitions, a visa category used by employers to transfer highly […]
U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has completed assessment of Optional Practical Training (OPT) – related practices and identified potential risks and noncompliance with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) regulations. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has not identified or assessed fraud or noncompliance risks posed by […]
News today from USCIS: USCIS has received a sufficient number of petitions to reach the congressionally mandated H-2B cap for the first half of Fiscal Year (FY) 2014. March 14, 2014 is the final receipt date for new H-2B worker petitions requesting an employment start date before April 1, 2014. How We Determine the Final […]
The New York Times reports that President Obama has ordered a review of how the government handles deportation cases, and that the White House is considering ways the President “could curb the number of deportations, perhaps by exempting the parents of children who were brought to the United States when they were very young.” “WASHINGTON — President Obama said […]
As most employers and potential specialty employees will already know, the filing season for new H-1B visas begins on April 1, 2014 for Fiscal Year 2015. “On April 1, 2014, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) will begin accepting new H-1B petitions for employment commencing on October 1, 2014. New H-1B petitions are subject to […]
U.S. immigration law allows private companies to hire individuals from abroad and bring them to the United States if the potential employees benefit the U.S. and there are no available alternatives in the local labor market to do the same work. There are different categories of employment-related visas. Some of them are immigrant and others […]
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has been around since 2012, but because many illegal immigrants might not be aware of its existence, I wanted to post some general information about this benefit. DACA is an executive action by President Obama that authorizes the U.S. government to grant legal status to certain immigrants […]
A few weeks ago, The New York Times featured an article discussing Green Card holders who are eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship, but who for various reasons lack a desire to naturalize. The article, entitled “Making Choice to Halt at Door of Citizenship,” is based on numerous interviews with immigrants in the U.S. as […]
USCIS, July 2, 2013 Statement from Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano: “After last week’s decision by the Supreme Court holding that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional, President Obama directed federal departments to ensure the decision and its implication for federal benefits for same-sex legally married couples are implemented […]
