The rule proposed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on December 30, 2015, entitled Retention of EB1, EB2, and EB3 Immigrant Workers and Program Improvements Affecting High-Skilled Nonimmigrant Workers, includes a number of different provisions. While parts of the proposed rule are disappointing,...
Under a deadline set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), as of November 25, 2015, all passports are required to meet machine-readable standards. Foreign governments are not required to accept passports that do not meet these standards. This includes Indian passports issued with validity...
On Friday, April 1, 2016, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin accepting H1B cap-subject case filings for fiscal year 2017 (FY17). April 1st may seem a long time from today, but employers and potential H1B workers would be wise to begin the...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) February 2016 Visa Bulletin was issued on January 8, 2016. This latest visa bulletin provides advancement of the final action (FA) cutoff date in the employment-based, second preference category for India, consistent with earlier predictions. Meanwhile, the date of filing...
As previously reported, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a final guidance memorandum on July 21, 2015 that details the requirements for filing an amended H1B petition based on an H1B employee being moved to a different worksite location. This memo implements the decision...
Earlier today, both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate passed an omnibus spending bill that serves to prevent a government shutdown. President Obama has indicated that he will sign the bill into law once it reaches his desk. Included within the massive...
The USCIS has improved their website with the addition of a virtual assistant named Emma. This is an effort to facilitate the public's ability to navigate the USCIS WebSite and gain access to general immigration information. Named after Emma Lazarus, author of the poem at...
Later today, Congress is expected to approve a stopgap bill to fund the federal government through Tuesday, December 22, 2015. More importantly, it appears Congress is poised to pass an omnibus bill later this week that will fund the government through September 2016. The omnibus...
Immigration law is highly complex, often considered on the level of federal securities law or tax law in its intricacy and complexity. Misunderstandings are common and, frequently, get mixed in with helpful tips exchanged online and elsewhere. A common misconception is a mythical grace period...
Congress approved a spending bill this afternoon that will fund the federal government's operations through the evening of Wednesday, December 16, 2015. President Obama is expected to sign the bill into law later this evening.This bill delays a possible government shutdown, at least for a few...
