The USCIS released this update this morning: H-1B and L-1 petitions filed on or after Oct. 1, 2015, should not include the additional fee that was previously required by Section 402 of Public Law 111-230, as amended by Public Law 111-347, for certain H-1B and L-1 petitions. The additional fee required by Public Law 111-230, [...]
Q. Why is the new (October) Visa Bulletin different? A. The visa modernization initiative announced by President Obama last year is the reason for this change. As part of this initiative, the USCIS and Department of State have formulated a process of determining visa eligibility. Q. Why are there two grids with dates on the [...]
USCIS announced this today. Beginning July 13, 2015, USCIS will resume accepting Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service for all Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, H-1B extension of stay petitions. Premium processing requests for Form I-129 H-1B extension of stay petitions received by USCIS before July 13, 2015 will be rejected. We [...]
In response to an inquiry by AILA, USCIS has confirmed that the temporary suspension of premium processing for H-1B extensions applies to any H-1B petition requesting an extension of stay for the beneficiary regardless of whether the petition is filed by the same employer or is requesting a change of employer. Courtesy - AILA
Starting May 26, 2015, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will temporarily suspend premium processing for all H-1B Extension of Stay petitions until July 27, 2015. During this time frame, petitioners will not be able to file Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service, for a Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, requesting an [...]
Acknowledging that 20 CFR 656.17(g)(1) does not explicitly require recruitment reports to have "original" signatures, BALCA upheld the denial of 3 labor certifications rejecting the argument that the typewritten name constituted an electronic signature. (Matter of NYC Dept. of Educ., 5/14/15). Read the BALCA decision here.
The Department of State is responsible for administering the provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) relating to the numerical limitations on immigrant visa issuances. This information sheet explains the operation of the immigrant number allotment and control system: http://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Immigrant%20Visa%20Control%20System_operation%20of.pdf
This policy memorandum provides guidance on the adjudication of the L-1B classification, which permits multinational companies to transfer employees who possess "specialized knowledge" from their foreign operations to their operations in the United States. It provides consolidated and authoritative guidance on the L-1B program, superseding and rescinding certain prior L-1B memoranda. USCIS is issuing this [...]
BALCA upheld the CO’s denial for failure to submit a recruitment report describing the recruitment steps undertaken, as 20 CFR 656.17(g)(1) requires, when the employer inadvertently omitted a page. (Matter of Simply Soup LTD., 1/13/15). Read the BALCA case.
USCIS has published an informative webinar thats's available on demand about Form I-9 and how to properly complete it. Please watch the I-9 Form webinar.