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News & EventsJuly 2016 Visa Bulletin Released
JULY 2016 VISA BULLETIN NO MAJOR RETROGRESSION OR ADVANCEMENT FOR EMPLOYMENT-BASED CATEGORIES. The Department of State (DOS) has issued its July 2016 Visa Bulletin with no major retrogression or advancement for the EB-1 (Priority Workers), EB-2 (Professions Holding...
Major Retrogression for EB-2, India and China, and EB-3 China for June 2016 Visa Bulletin
The Department of State has issued its June 2016 Visa Bulletin with major retrogressions in priority dates for India’s and China’s EB-2 (Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability) and EB-3 (Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers) nonimmigrant visa...
New 24-month OPT Extension for STEM Graduates Takes Effect
International students who have studied STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects for their bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degrees from U.S. universities and who are completing their 12-month Optional Practical Training (OPT) programs...
USCIS Proposes New Filing Fees (05/12/2016)
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced last week a proposal to increase the fees of certain U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) applications. Fee increases generally range from 8 to 60%. However, filing fees related to the EB-5 green card...
E visa options for foreign nationals
For individuals from certain countries who are interested in working, investing, or starting a business in the U.S., one option to consider is the “E” visa. This article will briefly address what an E-1 and E-2 visa is, discuss some key issues and requirements for...
New USCIS Decision Says Evidence of Overseas Personnel Supporting International Managers Should Be Considered for L-1A Classification.
The USCIS Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) recently adopted a binding decision on how to determine “managerial capacity” for L-1A classification. Specifically, the decision holds that when staffing levels are considered in deciding whether an individual will act as...
H-1B Applications for FY 2017
On April 1, 2016, USCIS began accepting H-1B applications for FY2017 (for the fiscal year from October 1, 2016 to September 30, 2017). USCIS will receive petitions until they determine that they have received more than the maximum allowed under the H-1B cap quota...
Delay on Premium Processing for FY 2017 Cap-Subject Petitions
Based on the past few years, it’s reasonable to predict that we will see another lottery for FY 2017. From FY 2014 all the way to 2016 there was a lottery in the first week of April for the Regular Cap as well as the Advanced degree Cap. USCIS will monitor the number...
Amended Regulations on Optional Practical Training (OPT) for Students with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Degrees.
On March 11, 2016, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published amended regulations on OPT for International Students with STEM Degrees. The amended regulations will allow F-1 STEM students to be able to extend their OPT for an additional 24 months beyond...
DHS Pilots Know Employer Program
In January 2015, as part of the White House’s 2015 immigration modernization plan, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it is testing a new Known Employer program, which ultimately aims to streamline the adjudication of some employment-based...