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News & EventsUpdate On H-1B Audits
In order to reduce and discourage visa fraud and unlawful employment, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has begun a two-prong enforcement campaign aimed at employers by heavily utilizing H-1B site visits and Form I-9 audits. As a result, as many people...
Affiliations
H-1B professionals who work at following places are exempt from the H-1B numerical caps: Institutions of higher education or related or affiliated nonprofit entities; Nonprofit research organizations; or Governmental research organizations. One issue in contention...
I-9 Central
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will soon announce a new I-9 compliance website, aptly named “I-9 Central,” which should be available in the spring of 2011. The I-9 Central website will provide detailed guidance on how to complete what...
H-1B Usage
The story continues. Last year, 13,500 regular H-1B applications were counted in the first week and 5,600 advanced degree applications. This year 5,900 regular applications were received in the first week and 4,500 advanced degree petitions. USCIS reported that in...
The 3/10 Year Bar
We constantly hear that undocumented immigrants are not obeying the "rule of law" or that because we are "country of laws" undocumented immigrants need to be arrested and deported regardless of their situation and the consequences to either them or the U.S. These...
USCIS Reaches FY 2011 H-1B Cap
USCIS announced on January 27, 2011 that it has received a sufficient number of H-1B petitions to reach the statutory cap for fiscal year (FY) 2011. USCIS is notifying the public that january 26, 2011 is the final receipt date for new H-1B specialty occupation...
After Public Comment, USCIS Announces Final Rule Adjusting Fees For Immigration Benefits
On September 23, 2010, USCIS announced a final rule adjusting fees for immigration applications and petitions. The final rule follows a period of public comment on a proposed rule, which USCIS published in the Federal Register on June 11, 2010. After encouraging...
DOL Continues Its Enforcement Rampage
A Consulting company based in Suwanee, Georgia, Smartsoft International Inc., has agreed to pay nearly $1 million in back wages and interest to 135 nonimmigrant workers temporarily employed by the company under the H-1B visa program. DOL reached this agreement...
President Obama Signs Border Security Bill
(Updated on August 13, 2010 - President Barack Obama signed a bill on August 13, 2010 that provides $600 million in emergency funding to help secure the U.S.-Mexico Border.) For details please click here. The following is the article from August 5, 2010: The Senate...
Musings From The AILA Conference
From June 30th to July 3rd, The American Immigration Lawyer’s Association held their annual conference in Washington D.C. Here are some of the tidbits picked up for our readers. More Efficiency and Sharing between agencies We are being asked by CIS to submit the...