Many are still anxiously awaiting the outcome of petitions filed against the fiscal year 2016 (FY16) H1B cap. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced completion of the lottery selection on April 13, 2015, followed by completion of the data entry process on May...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a news alert this afternoon, noting that the agency has "…completed data entry of all fiscal year 2016 H1B cap-subject petitions selected…" in the lottery. The USCIS "…will now begin returning all H1B cap-subject petitions that were not...
Many questions have arisen regarding the new regulation that will allow certain H-4 spouses to apply for employment authorization documents (EADs). Some of these questions still do not have clear answers, even as the May 26, 2015 start date for H-4 EAD filings rapidly approaches....
Beginning May 1, 2015, stakeholders must begin using a revised version of the H classification supplement (form I-129), which specifically asks whether the beneficiary of the H1B petition has an ownership interest in the petitioning employer. This disclosure requirement is related to U.S. Citizenship and...
The administrative appeals office (AAO) issued a precedent decision on April 9, 2015, that addresses a key requirement for the employment-based, first preference (EB1) immigrant visa (i.e. green card) category designed for multinational managers and executives. This favorable decision should make it easier for some companies...
On April 9, 2015, the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) issued a precedent decision that is expected to prompt many H1B employers to change some long-held practices. The case, Matter of Simeio Solutions, LLC, addresses the issue of relocating an H1B worker to a worksite not listed...
On April 13, 2015, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the completion of the H1B random lottery process for fiscal year 2016 (FY16). As previously noted, the total count of about 233,000 greatly exceeded the cap limits, and was substantially higher than the approximately...
From time to time, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) internally reassigns pending cases by moving them from one USCIS service center to another. These case transfers are an effort to balance workloads between service centers. Such a shift was announced at the end...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today, (April 7, 2015) that the H1B cap has been reached for fiscal year 2016 (FY16). The USCIS confirms receipt of filings in excess of both the 65,000 regular cap as well as the 20,000 advanced-degree exemptions...
The USCIS Service Center Operations (SCOPS) participated in a March 4, 2015 teleconference with members of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), during which a number of key immigration concerns were addressed. One topic of particular note to many stakeholders is that of ongoing delays...
