Tag: USCIS

USCIS has recently released guidance regarding the precedent decision made by the Administrative Appeal Office in Matter of Simeio Solutions LLC. Under the decision, employers must file a new or amended H-1B petition, along with an updated Labor Condition Application (LCA), if an H-1B worker is transferred to a different geographical area than the one […]

USCIS recently announced that beginning May 26, 2015, it will temporarily suspend premium processing for all H-1B Extension of Stay petitions until July 27, 2015. This temporary change has been implemented so that USCIS will have the time and workforce to put into effect the new rule allowing certain H-4 spouses to apply for work […]

USCIS announced on May 4, 2015, that it had completed data entry of all fiscal year 2016 H-1B cap-subject petitions selected through its computer-generated random process. At this time, USCIS will now begin returning all unselected H-1B cap-subject petitions. Due to the high volume of filings, the time frame for returning these petitions remains uncertain. […]

USCIS has announced that it will begin premium processing for cap subject H-1B petitions requesting premium processing, including petitions seeking an exemption for individuals with a U.S. master’s degree or higher, on April 27, 2015. USCIS also announced that it would temporarily adjust its premium processing practice due to the historic number of premium processing […]

USCIS recently released a proposed policy memorandum on adjudication of the L-1B specialized knowledge nonimmigrant visa category. This is a much-anticipated memo, as practitioners and employers have been awaiting this guidance since USCIS promised to review consistency of L-1B adjudication in 2012. The policy memo aims to supersede and rescind previous L-1B guidance issued over […]

Change to reduce economic burdens, personal stresses experienced by many USCIS Director Leon Rodriguez announced today that effective May 26, 2015, the Department of Homeland Security is extending eligibility for employment authorization to certain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants who are seeking employment-based lawful permanent residence. DHS has amended the regulations to allow these […]

Last week, USCIS issued a notice detailing the next steps of the Executive Actions on Immigration. USCIS is responsible for implementing these initiatives as soon as possible. Some initiatives will be implemented over the next several months and some will take longer. Over the coming months, USCIS will produce detailed explanations, instructions, and forms as […]

Form I-797, Notice of Action is issued as a result of an application or petition submitted to USCIS. It’s important to note that it is not a form to be filled out. USCIS uses seven different types of Form I-797, including six lettered varieties from A through F, to communicate with customers or convey an […]

As part of President Obama’s Executive Orders on Immigration, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson has released a policy memorandum to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The memorandum is broken into five policies aimed to support U.S. high-skilled businesses and workers. The new policies outlined in the memorandum will be good for both U.S. businesses and […]

With 843,000 immigrants coming into the United States during fiscal year 2013, it’s no surprise that immigration services have greatly expanded. While most services seek to help immigrants, some individuals are trying to take advantage of these newcomers with various immigration scams. Immigration scams come in many forms. The most popular happen via telephone, email, […]