Since the pandemic began processing times have gone through the roof and continue to increase across for board for all immigration-related applications. USCIS claims it is understaffed, yet they are funded by fees, the majority of which have seen huge increases in the past few years. For example, the premium processing fee increased from $1,410...
H-1B Specialty Occupation & H-4 Dependent visas
Employers that hire H-1B employees need to be aware of their responsibilities when terminating an H-1B employee. When an employee comes to the US to work for an employer, they typically receive approval for 3 years. This means they have an expectation of working for that employer for the full 3 years. Of course, as...
Obtaining an interview at almost any consulate outside of the U.S. has been almost impossible due to the ongoing pandemic and as a result, many have been left unable to return to the U.S. To help facilitate the issuance of visas and clear the backlog, the Department of State announced that they would waive the...
Nov302021
H-1B visa is one of the most utilized visas by employers to bring foreign talent to the U.S. The H-1B program is intended to allow employers to hire foreign workers temporarily, where such skills cannot be found domestically. The H-1B program is available for specialty occupation workers and fashion models of distinguished merit and ability....
Sep202021
Many applicants filing for an H-1B, under the previous administration, had to contend with difficult Requests for Evidence, followed by erroneous denials. According to the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP), a nonpartisan policy research group, the denial rates for H-1B petitions for initial (new) employment was as follows: 24% in FY 2018; 21% in...
USCIS has stated it will suspend the biometrics requirements for H-4, L-2, E-1, E-2 and E-3 applicants from May 17th, 2021 for a period of 2 years. The biometric requirement was introduced by the Trump administration and was particularly cumbersome for H-4 and L-2 applicants as it meant that their applications would no longer be...
Apr302021
More great news coming from the Biden Administration. In 2004 USCIS released a policy which stated that officers should generally defer to prior determinations when making a decision on an extension petition. However, the Trump administration rescinded this policy which created havoc, especially in the H-1B community. It meant that individuals who had previously been...
Despite a new administration no action was ever taken by President Biden to revoke Proclamation 10052. This Trump Proclamation suspended entry of certain nonimmigrants in the US and including those on H-1B, H-2B, J and L1s and was extended by Trump by Proclamation 10131 until March 31, 2021. However, the Department of State (DOS) has...