released April 8, 2011 WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced it continues to accept H-1B nonimmigrant petitions that are subject to the fiscal year (FY) 2012 cap. The agency began accepting these petitions on April 1, 2011. USCIS is monitoring the number of petitions received that count toward the congressionally mandated annual H-1B […]
The H-1B Program U.S. businesses use the H-1B program to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialized fields, such as scientists, engineers, or computer programmers. For more information about the H-1B program, click here for H-1B Specialty Occupation Visa. How USCIS Determines if an H-1B Petition is Subject […]
Lawful permanent residents may apply for naturalization provided they meet certain eligibility requirements. Naturalization is the process of becoming a United States citizen. To be eligible for naturalization, the Immigration and Nationality Act provides that applicants must meet certain residency requirements. The Act requires applicants to reside in the United States continuously as lawful permanent […]
By Elizabeth Veit The recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan have devastated the island. While citizens search for their loved ones they must also grapple with the threat of nuclear meltdown, loss of electricity, and shortage of food and water. These are but a few of the immediate concerns the country will struggle with in […]
From Amnesty International Amnesty International has today called on the Egyptian authorities to investigate serious allegations of torture, including forced virginity tests’, inflicted by the army on women protesters arrested in Tahrir Square earlier this month. After army officers violently cleared the square of protesters on 9 March, at least 18 women were held in […]
Below is a summary of the April 2011 Visa Bulletin with respect to family-based petitions: FB1ROW, China and India move backwards by eight (8) months to May 1, 2004. FB1 Mexico moves forward by two (2) weeks to February 15, 1993. FB1 Philippines moves forward by three and a half (3.5) months to April 1, […]
Due to a huge backlog in processing pending I-130 petitions in November 2010, USCIS transferred approximately 36,000 I-130 petitions from their California Service Center to their Texas Service Center. USCIS hoped that this redistribution of work would result in more timely adjudication of these petitions. However, according to USCIS, due to a number of unforeseen […]
Finally, the Board of Immigration Appeals has come up with a solution for those who entered as K1 fiancées and then had their marriages break up. I have had these situations myself where the spouse then was not eligible to adjust status based on a marriage to anyone else, even after having had a conditional […]
From USCIS.gov USCIS announced today, in response to recent stakeholder feedback, that it is currently reviewing its policy on H-1B cap exemptions for non-profit entities that are related to or affiliated with an institution of higher education. Until further guidance is issued, USCIS is temporarily applying interim procedures to H-1B non-profit entity petitions filed with […]
The Migration Policy Institute, 3/15/2011 While sweeping reform to fix a U.S. immigration system widely acknowledged as broken has taken a backseat politically, opportunities exist within the executive branch to improve the ways in which the nation’s existing immigration laws and policies are administered. A new report by the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), Executive Action […]
