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News & EventsDOL Agrees to Review PERM Regulations
The Department of Labor (DOL) will be reviewing PERM program regulations since it’s launch 10 years ago. Currently, PERM applications must be perfect prior to submission pursuant to recent case law. For example, a case where the employer’s attorney listed the wage as...
Potential changes in definition of specialized knowledge in the L-1b category
An L-1B visa (a type of nonimmigrant visa) may be issued to an alien employee of a multinational company, to allow the employee to transfer from the company abroad to an affiliate company in the United States, if the employee works "in a capacity that . . . involves...
What Entrepreneurs Need to Consider When Hiring a Foreign Worker who needs U.S. Permanent Residence (“greencard”) Sponsorship
As an entrepreneur, one of the key factors to consider is how to get the right people on board to help you grow your business. Say you just received your second round of financing for your start up that is going to make the world a better place, but in order to...
Recent U.S. Supreme Court Decision is a Major Setback to Principles of Family Reunification
June 17, 2014 In Scialabba v. Cuellar de Osorio, a divided Supreme Court ruled last week that young immigrants who were included in their parents’ visa petition, but “aged out” – that is, turned 21 – before their visas became current, would not be able to retain the...
The Latest News on E-Verify
What is E-Verify? E-Verify is a free service provided by the U.S government for designated agents and employers to access U.S. employment-eligibility records via the Internet. E-Verify evolved in 2006 from the Basic Pilot Program established by the Social Security...
Recent U.S. Supreme Court decision is a major setback to principles of family reunification
In Scialabba v. Cuellar de Osorio, a divided Supreme Court ruled last week that young immigrants who were included in their parents’ visa petition, but “aged out” – that is, turned 21 – before their visas became current, would not be able to retain the original...
Visa Bulletin Retrogression for June 2014
The U.S. Department of State has released the Visa Bulletin for June 2014, and unfortunately, for some categories the priority dates have retrogressed. The Priority Date cut-off for Employment-Based Third Preference workers (except India and Philippines) is currently...
Quick Update: Revalidation of L-1 Blanket Visa Stamps
Currently, when an L-1 Blanket Visa is approved by the U.S. Consulate, a five (5) year visa stamp is issued. However, while the visa stamp (in the passport) is valid for a five-year period, the visa petition (I-129S) must be revalidated after three (3) years in order...
H-1B Cap Reached for FY 2015 – Need for a Plan B
As predicted, more than half of the H-1B petitions filed during the first week of April 2014 will be returned without ever being reviewed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). On April 7, 2014, USCIS announced that the fiscal year (FY) 2015 H-1B cap...
Travel Restrictions for H-1B Applicants
Please be advised that there are travel restrictions while your H-1B petition is pending (and until approval period start date of Oct. 1, 2014). This is because immigration law is overseen by multiple government agencies with overlapping jurisdictions. Therefore,...