USCIS released guidance on May 22, 2015 to clarify Administrative Appeal Office (AAO)’s precedent decision on April 9, 2015 on Matter of Simeio Solutions, LLC that all employers must file amended H-1B petitions when a new Labor Condition Application for Nonimmigrant Workers (LCA) is required due to a change in…
Visa Lawyer Blog
Announcing the New E-book ‘My American Job’ by Jacob J Sapochnick, Esq.
After more than 10 years of practicing immigration law the Law Offices of Jacob J. Sapochnick is excited to announce the release of attorney Jacob Sapochnick’s new e-book called ‘My American Job’ now available on Amazon for purchase. An immigrant himself, attorney Jacob Sapochnick first came to the United States…
H-1B Update: H-1B Amendment Necessary if Employment Location Changes
By Ekaterina Powell, Esq. For many years, it has been unsettled in the law and practice whether a change in H-1B employee’s job location is considered to be a “material change” in the terms of employment, requiring filing of an H-1B amendment petition. Prior Guidance According to USCIS unofficial guidance…
Arpaio V. Obama: An Executive Action Update
On Monday May 4, 2015 a federal appeals court heard arguments in the case Joseph Arpaio v. Barack Obama, et al, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, No. 14-5325. Back in November of 2014 in the wake of Obama’s executive actions, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio…
USCIS Announcement: Data Entry Completed for H-1B Cap-Subject Petitions for Fiscal Year 2016
Today, May 4, 2015 USCIS announced that data entry for all H-1B cap-subject petitions has been completed for the 2016 fiscal year. USCIS is scheduled to begin returning all H-1B cap-subject petitions that were not selected in the computer-generated random lottery held early last month. Since USCIS received an unprecedented…
6 FAQS: Question and Answer
You have Questions, We have your Answers. Here are answers to 6 of our Frequently Asked Questions In this blog we are answering 6 of your frequently asked questions in detail. Please remember that every case and every story is different and unique. You should not compare your situation to…
New Rules Governing the H-2B Visa Program
Today, April 28, 2015 the U.S. Department of Labor and Homeland Security announced two new rules governing the H-2B Visa Program. The first is a new interim final rule established for the purpose of reinstating and improving the H2B program and second, a final rule to establish the program’s prevailing…
BREAKING NEWS: USCIS Will Begin Premium Processing for FY 2016 H-1B Petitions on April 27, 2015
On April 13, 2015, USCIS has announced that it has reached the H-1B cap for fiscal year (FY) 2016. Nearly 233,000 H-1B petitions were received for this filing period, including petitions filed for the master’s cap, which is about 60,500 more in total than last year. Roughly, this year’s chances…
How the FY2016 H-1B Visa Lottery Works and What Happens Once USCIS Receives Your H-1B Petition
Today, April 7, 2015, USCIS announced that it has reached the H-1B cap for FY2016. Before running the lottery, USCIS will complete initial intake for all filings received during the filing period. Initial intake/review will sort out multiple or duplicate H-1B petitions filed by an employer for one employer. Regulations…
BREAKING NEWS: USCIS Reaches FY 2016 H-1B Cap
Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reached the congressionally mandated H-1B cap for fiscal year (FY) 2016. USCIS has also received more than the limit of 20,000 H-1B petitions filed under the U.S. advanced degree exemption. USCIS will use a computer-generated process, also known as the lottery, to…