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Visa Lawyer Blog
Visa’s Unavailable for Chinese EB-5 Applicants for 2014 Fiscal Year
On August 23rd the Chief of the Department of State’s Immigrant Visa Control and Reporting Division, Charles Oppenheim, made an important announcement regarding significant changes made to the EB-5 preference category. Oppenheim announced that for the first time since the creation of the EB-5 category, the EB-5 preference category would…
The Canadian Solution for Bypassing the Employment Based Quota System
You are a H-1B visa holder from a country with a backlogged employment based category and you are currently living and working in the United States. You have applied for permanent residence through your employer. You have been working for the same employer for years and have extensive experience in…
Where is Immigration Reform Headed?
Much of the deliberation surrounding immigration reform has largely occurred behind closed doors, despite pressure from the booming immigrant population in the United States to become more transparent. In a much anticipated June speech, President Obama announced that he would be utilizing executive action to bring about comprehensive immigration reform…
Can M1 Visa Students Apply for Work Authorization?
By Lupe Lopez Francis was excited. As a student of holistic nutrition, he had excelled and the school he was attending wanted him to stay on to work with them as an assistant instructor. The school Francis was attending in the M1 status was pleased with his depth of knowledge…
Staff Spotlight: Linda Parrish Senior Paralegal & Notary Public
It is our pleasure to introduce our most senior Paralegal, Linda Parrish, to our readers. Bio: Linda has been working with the Law Offices of Jacob J. Sapochnick since 2005. Linda has extensive knowledge of all aspects of immigration law, though her specialty lies in assisting investors, executives, and…
Conditions of Employment and Volunteer Work While on OPT and STEM OPT Extension
By Ekaterina Powell, Esq. Our office has received a few inquiries on the subject of volunteer work while on OPT and consequences of unemployment, and we have decided to address these issues in further detail for our readers. Conditions of Employment while on OPT The main conditions of employment while…
DOS & CBP Procedures for Travel Permission for Visa Applicants Affected by CCD Technical Problems
The Department of State (DOS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have announced a joint initiative, in response to the technical problems the U.S. Department of State’s Consular Consolidated Database (CCD)—responsible for the issuance of visas—has been experiencing. These technical problems have had a significant impact on the department’s…
Application for TN under NAFTA
By Yingfei Zhou, Esq. The TN is a wonderful category to achieve quick entry for Canadians and Mexicans without the extra H-1B baggage of a labor condition application (LCA) or specialty occupation analysis. Canadian professionals listed in Appendix 1603. D.1 to Annex 1603 of NAFTA can apply and be admitted…
Expedite Requests for Cases Rejected or Denied Based on USCIS Administrative Error
If your petition or application was denied or rejected based on a data entry and/or administrative error, it is possible to request an expedited review of your case and correction of the decision within a period of 5 business days, once the request is received by USCIS. In order to…