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FY2016 Cap Petition Return Complete
July 14, 2015 | Blog | By Immigration News Team
USCIS announced today, July 14, 2015, that it completed the return of rejected fiscal year 2016 H-1B cap-subject petitions. It was previously announced on May 4, 2015, that USCIS completed data entry of all selected cap-subject petitions.
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USCIS Resumes Premium Processing for H-1B Extensions
July 13, 2015 | Alert
USCIS announced that beginning today, July 13, 2015, the agency will resume accepting premium processing requests for H-1B extension of stay applications. This provides an early cancellation of the previous USCIS directive suspending premium processing of extension petitions from May 26th through July 27th.
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J-1 Training Plan Updates: What Host Companies Should Know
July 8, 2015 | Blog | By Danielle Lifrieri
The Department of State issued an updated Form DS-7002, Training/ Internship Placement Plan for the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a web-based information system maintained by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
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EB-5 Program Reauthorization: Proposed Legislative Reforms
July 6, 2015 | Alert | By Douglas Hauer, Alexander Hecht, R. Neal Martin
Created by the Immigration Act of 1990, the Immigrant Investor Program, more commonly referred to as the EB-5 program, offers foreign investors an opportunity to secure permanent residency in the United States by making a minimum capital investment of $1 million per investor into a New Commercial Enterprise (NCE) that will create at least 10 jobs for US workers.
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Restoration of Visa Issuance at Some Posts
June 24, 2015 | Alert | By William Coffman
The US Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs reports that the database responsible for handling biometric clearances has been restored and is undergoing testing. As of today, June 24, 2015, 39 posts are back online and issuing visas. These posts represent more than two-thirds of the visa issuing posts worldwide.
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Overseas Processing of U.S. Passports and Visas on Hold
June 15, 2015 | Alert
The Department of State (DOS) has announced that its overseas embassies and consular posts halted the issuance of passports and visas on Friday, June 12, 2015 due to technical problems with its Consular Consolidated Database.
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The Supreme Court Takes the BIA to Task
June 2, 2015 | Blog
Yesterday, in an opinion authored by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the U.S. Supreme Court brought a measure of hope to non-citizens facing deportation on the basis of certain minor criminal convictions.
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Work and Travel Guidance for F-1 Students with Pending H-1B “Change of Status” Applications and “Cap-Gap” Employment Authorization for FY16
May 29, 2015 | Advisory | By Cassie Ramos
This advisory summarizes key travel and employment issues if you are an F-1 student with Optional Practical Training (OPT) employment eligibility and an H-1B filing on your behalf has been accepted by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
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USCIS Releases Guidance and Frequently Asked Questions for H-4 Employment Authorization Applications
May 22, 2015 | Advisory | By Michele Frangella
On May 20, 2015, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released guidance and frequently asked questions (FAQs) relating to the filing of H-4 employment authorization applications for spouses of certain H-1B nonimmigrants.
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Premium Processing of H-1B Extensions Suspended as of May 26
May 20, 2015 | Alert | By William Coffman
Late yesterday afternoon, in anticipation of the increased workload to be created by the filing of applications for Employment Authorization Documents (“EADs”) by H-4 spouses of certain H-1B employees beginning May 26, 2015, USCIS announced that as of May 26, it “…will temporarily suspend premium processing for all H-1B Extension of Stay petitions until July 27, 2015.”
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USCIS Completes the H-1B Cap Lottery Selection Process for Fiscal Year 2016
April 13, 2015 | Alert
As previously noted, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on April 7, 2015, that it had received enough H-1B petitions to reach the statutory cap of 65,000 visas for fiscal year (FY) 2016.
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H-1B Cap Hit for Fiscal Year 2016
April 7, 2015 | Alert
On April 7, 2015, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has received more than enough H-1B petitions to meet the numerical limit for fiscal year 2016 cap-subject H-1B visas, which includes both the 65,000 general H-1B cap petitions as well as the 20,000 US master’s degree H-1B petitions filed on behalf of individuals with US advanced degrees.
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Immigration Policy by Lottery?
April 7, 2015 | Blog | By William Coffman
The diversity visa green card lottery has been an important part of U.S. immigration law for the last 20 years. It allows 55,000 foreign nationals to immigrate each year and was implemented to fulfill the worthy goal of increasing the diversity of immigrants in the United States.
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Premium Processing Delayed for FY16 Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions
March 16, 2015 | Alert | By Susan Cohen
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) will begin accepting cap-subject H-1B petitions on April 1, 2015, for start dates of October 1, 2015 or later.
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Mobile Passport Control Expansion
March 10, 2015 | Blog | By Danielle Lifrieri
In its most recent foray into utilizing technology at the border, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) expanded Mobile Passport Control ("MPC") to Miami International Airport.
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Congress Passes Full Department of Homeland Security Funding Bill
March 3, 2015 | Alert | By Susan Cohen
Late Tuesday afternoon, the House of Representatives voted 257-167 to fund the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) through September 30, 2015, covering the remainder of the fiscal year.
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DHS Funded for One More Week; Shutdown Temporarily Averted
February 27, 2015 | Blog | By William Coffman
Republican leaders and both branches of Congress failed Friday to come to a long-term agreement to provide fiscal year funding for the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) and provide confidence that a DHS shutdown will be avoided. A one-week funding extension was passed, and now DHS is poised to run out of money at midnight on March 6th.
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Department of Homeland Security Shutdown 2015: The Effect on Immigration Services
February 24, 2015 | Alert | By Susan Cohen
The Senate remains at a stalemate over funding of the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”), with funding running out on Friday, February 27. A full budget was passed for the rest of the US government in December.
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DHS Extends Employment Authorization for Certain H-4 Spouses
February 24, 2015 | Alert
The Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) announced that, effective May 26, 2015, the agency is extending employment authorization to certain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants.
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DHS Halts Implementation of DACA Expansion and DAPA
February 18, 2015 | Alert | By Susan Cohen
The Obama administration announced on Tuesday, February 17th that it will comply with an injunction temporarily blocking its plan to shield millions of people who are in the United States illegally, suspending applications for deferred action.
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