Most months, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division, Charles Oppenheim, provides visa bulletin explanations and predictions. For the April 2018 Visa Bulletin, Mr. Oppenheim explains the relatively large movement of cutoff dates in several oversubscribed employment-based categories....
Answer Most audits are random. Assuming that the recruitment and filing was done properly, it likely can be cleared as soon as the response is processed. (26.Mar.2018)In frequent sessions of our Chat, Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that clarifies the law in real...
This afternoon, President Trump signed a federal spending bill that keeps the government open through September 30, 2018. This bill also extends the employment-based, fifth preference (EB5) regional center program for the same time period. The bill does not, however, provide any protections to beneficiaries...
Congress must pass a spending bill to extend government operations by midnight of March 23, 2018, or else another temporary shutdown of the federal government will go into effect. A government shutdown at this time would be especially problematic because H1B cap season is upon...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has released the April 2018 Visa Bulletin. The most notable changes are that cutoff dates have been imposed in the employment-based, first preference (EB1) category for India and China, and that there is considerable movement in the employment-based, third...
Answer Yes, if the sponsoring company is owned by someone related to the foreign national being sponsored, that definitely can lead to a denial in a PERM case. In order for the case to be approved in that situation, the employer must be able to demonstrate...
Answer If you previously held H1B status and you have an I-140 approved, you generally can use this as a basis to return to H1B status. (i.e. The approved I-140 can be used to request H1B status beyond the standard 6-year max.) (05.Mar.2018)In frequent sessions of...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has updated the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) with regard to how consular officers should analyze whether a foreign national will be considered a public charge. This update to the FAM also addresses the use of affidavits of support, which...
Answer An H-4 spouse typically can apply for the H-4 EAD at any time, based on the H1B holder's I-140 approval. If the H-4 extension is currently pending, you can provide evidence of the pending case and request that the USCIS approve the H-4 EAD based...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that, effective immediately, the agency now accepts credit card payments for 41 fee-based forms. Some of the more prominent forms include immigrant petition for alien worker (form I-140), application to register permanent residence or adjust status...
