Category: Work In The US

A new bill has just been introduced in both houses of the United States Congress that would make a dramatic change to the current immigration system by scrapping the per-country limit on green cards. Bill HR 1044, also known as the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act, proposes that green cards be issued by category and […]

This afternoon, USCIS announced the start of the fiscal year (FY) 2020 H-1B cap season, start dates for premium processing of cap-subject H-1B petitions, and the launch of its new H-1B data hub. USCIS is also reminding petitioners of its new H-1B cap selection process. These new efforts are all part of President Trump’s Buy […]

The United States Department of Labor (DOL) regulations require all H-1B employers to maintain a list of records regarding the H-1B workers that they employ. These records are referred to as the public access file, or PAF. The PAF includes documentation of such information as the rate of pay for the H-1B workers and a […]

In March of 2018, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) suspended premium processing for all H-1B petitions subject to the 2019 cap. The reason for the suspension was to provide an opportunity for the agency to work through a backlog of petitions and thereby reduce overall H-1B processing times. Many H-1Bs had gone unprocessed […]

One advantage of the H-1B visa is that immediate family members of the H-1B visa holder may apply for an H-4 visa, which will allow them to lawfully stay in the United States. What is more, the holder of an H-4 visa, who is seeking employment based on lawful permanent resident status, is eligible to […]

1. Please provide a brief summary of your role in the Visa Services process at BIL. My role is to meet the clients at their visa appointments at the London Embassy. I bring all the required paperwork the client will need for their interview and take the client to the front of the appointment queue. […]

1. What is visa scheduling and why is it important? AG: When applying to work in the United States, it is a two-part processit is not over once U.S. Immigration approves your petition. Most applicants are required to attend a visa interview at a U.S. Embassy/Consulate abroad. 2. What makes the services offered at BIL […]

Beginning March 11, 2019, USCIS will be accepting only the revised Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, with an edition date of 02/04/19. All other additions will be rejected. The new I-539 form will be published along with a new Form I-539A, Supplemental Information for Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status. Form I-539A replaces the […]

The government has placed statutory limits on how many people can immigrate to the United States each year, so once you submit your application, you may have to wait until there is a visa available in the category you applied for. Each month, the Department of State (DOS) issues a visa bulletin, which indicates when […]

Today, the Department of Homeland Security posted a final rule amending regulations governing H-1B cap-subject petitions, including those that may be eligible for the advanced degree exemption. As a reminder, cap-subject petitions are filed on April 1 of each year for individuals who are applying for H-1B status for the first time. To read more about the general […]