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News & EventsChange in Procedure for E-1/E-2 Visa Stamp applications at the U.S. Embassy/Consulates in Japan
Employees of E-visa registered companies who are working in Japan must apply for an E visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate and attend an interview before they can receive an E visa stamp and be transferred to the U.S. The U.S. Embassy/Consulates used to require that...
CBP new data collection
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced that they will begin testing a new way to collect biometric data of foreign national travelers using a handheld mobile device. CBP officers will be stationed near loading bridges of selected flights departing the...
What Factors Affect a PERM Prevailing Wage Determination
In the PERM stage of the green card process, usually once the beneficiary’s employer has finalized all job duties and requirements, it is a mandatory step to submit a prevailing wage request (PWR) to the Department of Labor’s National Prevailing Wage Center (NPWC) to...
Preclearance
On May 29, 2015, Secretary of Homeland Security, Jeh Johnson, announced that the U.S. is intending to enter negotiations to establish preclearance operations at 10 airports in 9 new countries, including Japan, Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Norway,...
New H-4 EAD Rule
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has finalized a regulatory change that will allow certain H-4 dependent spouses to apply for employment authorization documents (EADs). The new regulation was effective on May 26, 2015. Please note that not all H-4...
NEW H-1B AMENDMENT RULES
We are disseminating a very important announcement for H-1b Holders about NEW REGULATIONS REGARDING H-1B AMENDMENTS. The following are excerpts along with our comments from the USCIS Memo. In a nutshell, if you have an employee who has MOVED LOCATIONS or if...
Employment Period and Visa Stamp Expiration Date for L-1 Visas.
Many Japanese employees stationed to work in the U.S. acquire L-1 visas. We have been receiving many inquiries lately, where people have been confusing the visa stamp expiration date with the actual employment period. The visa stamp expiration date is separate from...
FY 2016 Diversity Visa Lottery Winners Have Been Selected
The U.S. Department of State has chosen the winners of the Fiscal Year 2016 Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery and notified winners of their selection. Foreign nationals who entered the lottery can also check whether they were selected by visiting the Entrant Status Check...
SEVP
Effective May 29, 2015, new Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) regulations will allow dependents of F-1 or M-1 visa holders on F-2 or M-2 status to enroll in studies at universities or vocational schools. Until now, dependents of F-1 or M-1 visa holders were...
L-1B Adjudications Policy
The new L-1B Adjudications Policy will take effect August 31, 2015. The policy will provide clarification in how L-1B petitioners can demonstrate that an employee has specialized knowledge as well as provide information regarding compliance with the requirements of an...