Tag: H-1B Visas

On March 3, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced that beginning on April 3, 2017, it will suspend premium processing on all H-1B Petitions for up to six months. What is Premium Processing Service? USCIS currently offers a Premium Processing Service that allows payment of a fee to get a guaranteed faster processing […]

Since May 26, 2015, certain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B visa holders have been eligible for employment authorization. H-4 dependent spouses have been eligible to apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD card) if the primary H-1B visa holder is the beneficiary of an approved Form I-140 or has been granted an extension beyond the […]

Beginning April, 3, 2017, USCIS will temporarily suspend premium processing for all H-1B petitions. This suspension may last up to six months. While H-1B premium processing is suspended, petitioners will not be able to file Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service for Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker. USCIS will notify the public […]

On March 17, 2016, USCIS presented a report titled, “Characteristics of H-1B Specialty Occupation Workers” for fiscal year 2015. Fiscal year 2015 ran from Oct. 1, 2014 through Sept. 30, 2015. The report was originally provided to four members of Congress, including The Honorable Charles Grassley, The Honorable Patrick J. Leahy, The Honorable Robert W. […]

Following President Trump’s controversial Executive Order banning refugees and travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries, another unsigned, draft Executive Order has been circulating through the public, further unsettling U.S. employers who rely on foreign national employees. The draft proposal titled “Executive Order on Protecting American Jobs and Workers by Strengthening the Integrity of Foreign Worker […]

Last month, President-elect Donald Trump met with chief executives from several large tech companies to discuss the possibilities for reforming the distribution of H-1B visas. Trump’s transition team has been actively considering ways to revamp the temporary visa program used to bring foreign workers to the United States to fill high-skilled jobs, which is used […]

In November of 2016, the Department of Homeland Security released the final text of the rule seeking to improve certain aspects of the employment-based immigration system. The new rule seeks to implement certain changes to the nonimmigrant and immigrant visas in order to better allow U.S. employers to retain foreign workers. This rule also provides […]

An H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that permits a company to hire workers in specialty occupations. H-1B visas require that the foreign worker (the beneficiary) has a bachelor’s degree, and that the U.S. company (the Petitioner) can employ the worker for up to six years. Sometimes it can be unclear whether or not individuals […]

USCIS has recently created a webpage for understanding the fee increase for certain H-1B and L-1 petitions. You can visit that page here. Public Law 114-113 requires certain petitioners to pay an additional fee of $4,000 for certain H-1B petitions and to pay an additional fee of $4,500 for certain L-1A and L-1B petitions. Signed […]

Contrary to popular opinion, research shows that H-1B workers complement U.S. workers, fill employment gaps and expand job opportunities for all. Foreign workers fill a critical need in the U.S. labor market, especially in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). The idea that native-born workers compete against foreign-born workers for a fixed […]