With approvals coming in for cap-subject H1B petitions filed for fiscal year (FY) 2015 and those selected in the lottery, we have been receiving calls from H1B beneficiaries and employers, seeking clarification on how early they can apply for H1B visas based on approvals received...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has confirmed that the U.S. consular posts in Canada have an extremely limited number of appointments available this summer for third-country nationals (TCNs) applying for nonimmigrant visas. To that end, the DOS is urging visa applicants, other than Canadian...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) recently made permanent a visa interview waiver program that was initiated as a temporary, pilot program in January 2012. This program allows some individuals seeking renewals of previously issued visas to have their applications adjudicated without having to attend...
Many foreign nationals travel to Mexico to apply for visas at the U.S. consulates there. Mexico is also a popular tourist destination for U.S. citizens as well as foreign nationals who reside in the United States. However, a Travel Warning recently issued by the U.S. Department...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a report analyzing the current state of the L-1, intracompany transferee program. The report, entitled Implementation of L-1 Visa Regulations, addresses perceived problems with the processing of L-1 cases, and provides suggestions to make...
Updated 7:00am (Eastern Time - U.S.) At 12:30am Thursday, 17.Oct.2013, President Obama signed a bill to reopen the U.S. government. Federal workers are returning to work today.----- NewsFlash! Senate Deal May End Government Shutdown - Updated 16.Oct.2013: Updated 4:27pm (Eastern Time - U.S.) Speaker Boehner has agreed to not...
The U.S. government is in a state of partial shutdown as of October 1, 2013 due to an inability to obtain congressional agreement on appropriations. As of October 1st, the Department of Labor iCert system is unavailable. This system is used for both PERM labor...
If the U.S. Congress cannot reach an agreement on a funding extension before midnight tonight, there will be what is commonly referred to as a government shutdown, effective October 1, 2013. In such a situation, government services are not completely eliminated. However, government operations are...
As was widely reported in the media, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) temporarily closed twenty-two embassies and consulates in early August 2013, due to al-Qaida related security concerns. Nineteen posts were closed through August 10, 2013. Subsequently, nearly all of the embassies and consulates...
On August 2, 2013, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) issued a Travel Alert, warning U.S. citizens of "the continued potential for terrorist attacks, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa, and possibly occurring in or emanating from the Arabian Peninsula." To that end,...
