29 Oct 2010

USCIS Memo on Use of Social Networking Websites

A U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) memorandum regarding the importance of social networking sites in fraud detection was recently disclosed. This memo discusses the use of social networking sites by Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS) officers in investigating potential abuses of U.S. immigration...

22 Oct 2010

BALCA Interprets “Business Day” Broadly

The Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals (BALCA) recently addressed the meaning of the term "business day" in connection with the notice-of-filing requirement in PERM labor certification (LC) cases. In this decision, issued October 12, 2010, BALCA allowed consideration of weekends, as the petitioning employer...

24 Sep 2010

Immigration Basics: PERM Labor Certification Process

Employment-based permanent immigration (often referred to as the "green card process") is generally a three-part process, starting with a PERM labor certification (LC). The entire green card process is often lengthy and, in many situations, takes years to complete. The basic steps required prior to...

17 Sep 2010

2012 DV Lottery to Begin

The beginning of each fiscal year marks the start of another U.S. Department of State (DOS) diversity visa (DV) "green card" lottery opportunity. The start of fiscal year 2011 (FY11) on October 1, 2010, means that it is time to begin another lottery cycle for...

13 Aug 2010

PERM FAQ: Business Day and Other Issues

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released "Round 11," PERM labor certification (PERM / LC) frequently asked questions, or FAQs. The new release is dated August 3, 2010. Included in this set of FAQs is the DOL's definition of business day as well as information...

09 Jul 2010

2010 AILA Annual Conference: DOL Open Forum

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) held an open forum at the 2010 American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Annual Conference. This open forum included a summary by the DOL regarding immigration-related filings. The key points of the DOL summary are explained here for the benefit...