In March 2014, the Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) Ombudsman recommended a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) policy change regarding the narrow interpretation of a provision in the law that impacts J-2 spouses of J-1 physicians. Under the USCIS interpretation of the law, these...
For a long time, global economic competition came down to this: who had the best products at the most favorable price. In today's economy, it goes a step further. So much value is wrapped up in intellectual property and innovation - brilliant ideas, turned into...
Answer A currently approved H1B petition remains valid, even if an extension request is denied. There can be concerns depending upon the reasons for the denial, and any findings of status violations in the denial. But, otherwise, if it is simply a lack of evidence of...
Answer These RFEs are VERY common these days. It is important to answer promptly in order to be eligible for approval once the PD is current. These are being issued for cases that are current and close to current, for the most part. They are issued...
Answer Theoretically, a person can travel to the U.S. on a B-1/B-2 visa even after an I-140 approval. But, even if one has a B-1/B-2 visa already, it is likely that problems could occur at the POE due to immigrant intent. If one tries to apply...
Answer Automatic visa revalidation is used all the time to return from Canada / Mexico. If the requirements are met in terms of holding a valid nonimmigrant status and being eligible to reenter in a valid status, it is usually pretty simple. Of course, there are...
A new study from a respected Washington think tank, the nonpartisan Brookings Institution, corroborates the longstanding claims of American high-tech industries: that positions requiring advanced skills in science, technology, engineering, and math - the STEM fields - actually are much harder to fill than non-STEM...
Leon Rodriguez was sworn in as the new Director of the U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on July 9, 2014, following his confirmation by the U.S. Senate in June. Director Rodriquez is the fourth USCIS Director, since the agency was created in 2003. New...
... I have a pending H1B petition based on my IT degree for the start date of October 1st. If my petition is approved and my F-1 status changes to H1B on that date, can I still be attending school as I really want to...
The Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (CIS Ombudsman) 2014 Annual Report was submitted to Congress on June 27, 2014. The report details various deficiencies found within the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), according to the Ombudsman's office, including problems with H1B and L-1 processing...
