25 Feb 2011

DV Lottery Scam Alert

The U.S. Department of State (DOS) annual diversity visa (DV) lottery is often a vehicle used by unscrupulous individuals to take advantage of foreign nationals seeking permanent residence in the United States. While the DV lottery is a genuine U.S. government program, it is important...

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...