Important Changes to Form I-94
On March 27, 2013 the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) published an interim rule in the Federal Register that changes the definition of Form I-94 (also known as an “I-94 card”) in order to allow...
View ArticleExpand paths for legal immigration
It's time for both Democrats and Republicans to recognize the many compelling reasons for overhauling our current immigration system. Start with the economic arguments, which are overwhelming. Our...
View ArticleSenate Passes Sweeping Immigration Bill
Yesterday the U.S. Senate voted 68-32 to pass a sweeping immigration bill that would put the nation’s 11 million unauthorized immigrants on the path to American citizenship and invest $46 billion to...
View ArticleWhat Windsor Means for Same-Sex Married Couples Seeking U.S. Immigration...
On June 26, 2013, the Supreme Court ruled in United States v. Windsor that Section 3 of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (“DOMA”) is unconstitutional. This Section of DOMA prohibited the U.S....
View ArticleBIA Reverses USCIS Denial of I-130 Petition for Same-Sex Couple in Matter of...
In its first decision regarding same-sex immigration benefits since the June 26, 2013, Supreme Court decision United States v. Windsor, which held that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (“DOMA”)...
View ArticleCap Gap Expiration Quickly Approaching: Be Mindful That Some Employees’ Work...
On April 10, 2013, we reported that USCIS had conducted the lottery process for fiscal year 2014 cap-subject H-1B petitions. Those petitions that were selected and approved will be valid starting...
View ArticleUSCIS Telephone Scam Targets Applicants and Petitioners
In recent weeks there have been increased instances of a new telephone scam targeting USCIS applicants and petitioners. Scammers are calling applicants and petitioners using a technique called “Caller...
View ArticleA Welcome AAO Decision on the L-1A Manager Visa Category
Those who closely follow the world of U.S. immigration adjudication trends are painfully aware of the hostile attitude exhibited both by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) adjudicators...
View ArticleIt’s Time to Register for the 2015 Diversity Lottery!
On October 1, 2013, the U.S. Department of State will begin accepting requests to register for the 2015 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-2015), also known as the Green Card Lottery. The Diversity...
View ArticleGovernment Shutdown 2013: How Your Immigration Services Will Be Affected
The impending shutdown of the U.S. federal government on October 1st will impact immigration services across a number of different government agencies. In this alert we address the impact of a shutdown...
View ArticleEnd to Government Shutdown Heralds Resumption of US Immigration Processing
As of October 17, 2013, the government shutdown in effect since October 1, 2013 has come to an end. The shutdown had negatively impacted immigration processing in matters handled by the Department of...
View ArticleUSCIS & DOL Announce Procedures, Reopening of Websites after Government Shutdown
In a welcome move that acknowledges the hardships caused by the government shutdown, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has advised that if an H-1B petitioner submits evidence...
View ArticleHolding the DOL Accountable in PERM Labor Certification Adjudications
We applaud Microsoft Corporation and the numerous parties, including the American Immigration Council and the Chamber of Commerce, who filed amicus briefs last week in a consolidated Board of Alien...
View ArticleIt’s Time to Prepare H-1B Visa Petitions for Fiscal Year 2015
This alert is a reminder of the rapidly approaching April 1, 2014 “deadline” for the filing of H-1B visa petitions for Fiscal Year 2015. Petitions for the new fiscal year, which starts on October 1,...
View ArticleThe Start-up Chile visa program: Chile’s gain is our loss
The following opinion piece by Susan Cohen appeared in the December 20, 2013 issue of VentureBeat and is reprinted here with permission. The U.S. market is a magnet for foreign entrepreneurs. Yet the...
View ArticleThe Deadline is Approaching!
The April 1, 2014 deadline for filing H-1B visa petitions for Fiscal Year 2015 will be here before you know it. We recently published an alert with more information on when you should file and H-1B...
View ArticleApril 1 Deadline for Filing H-1B Visa Petitions Approaches
As of April 1, 2014, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin accepting H-1B petitions for Fiscal Year 2015 (FY2015). Upon approval, petitions for FY2015 will allow foreign...
View ArticleH-1B Cap Hit for Fiscal Year 2015
On April 7, 2014, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it had received more than enough H-1B petitions to meet the numerical limit for fiscal year 2015 cap-subject H-1B...
View ArticleWork and Travel Guidance for F-1 Students with Pending H-1B “Change of...
This advisory summarizes key travel and employment issues if you are an F-1 student with Optional Practical Training (OPT) employment eligibility and an H-1B filing on your behalf has been accepted by...
View ArticleEmbassy of India Changes Service Providers
The Embassy of India in Washington, D.C. has named Cox & Kings Global Services Pvt. Ltd. (“CKGS”) as the new service provider for Indian Visas, Overseas Citizenship of India (“OCI”), Person of...
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