U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron said Monday his government would do everything possible to prevent a planned immigration cap from depriving U.K. companies of skilled workers from overseas. In a speech to the Confederation of British Industry on Monday, Mr. Cameron signaled the government was rethinking how the cap on…
According to a recent USCIS guidance an employer may not hire an H-1B worker prior to USCIS approving the H-1B petition unless the employee (i) is currently in H-1B status, or (ii) is the beneficiary of a timely filed H-1B extension of status petition. If the employee is in another…
This is an important update for all Religious Workers filing for Permanent Residency. On October 13, 2010, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a mandate overturning the permanent injunction ordered by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington allowing special immigrant religious workers…
USCIS has updated the H-1B Cap Count recently: H-1B Cap Count Cap Type – H-1B Regular Cap Cap Amount – 65,000 Cap Eligible Petitions – 44,300 Date of Last Count – 10/22/2010 Cap Type – H-1B Master’s Exemption Cap Amount – 20,000 Cap Eligible Petitions – 16,200 Date of Last…
USCIS announced the launch of a redesigned Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550) with new security features that will reduce fraud—part of USCIS’ ongoing efforts to enhance the integrity of the immigration system. USCIS began using redesigned certificates at all offices last week, and the agency anticipates that over 600,000 new…
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced it has begun issuing a redesigned, more secure Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550) as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance the integrity of the immigration system. The agency anticipates that over 600,000 new citizens will receive the enhanced certificate over the…
Our clients, participants of J-1 exchange visitor programs, are often confused as to the nature of this rule and its applicability. Below is a summary on what this rule means and when it applies. Certain J-1 exchange visitors are subject to two-year foreign residence requirement, also known as a “two-year…
The US Embassy in Slovakia stated in an announcement that its country’s visa regime works according to the principle of reciprocity and noted that after several years of negotiations, the Slovak government has failed to modify the visa validity for Americans working in Slovakia beyond the current limit of two…
Arizona’s Toughest Sheriff Joe Arpaio brings his round-’em-up-and-deport-’em politics to Las Vegas on latest stop of Tea Party Express. In a packed saloon on the edges of town last night, the Tea Party Express battle bus rolled in and fired up a crowd of about 2,000 supporters with lurid tales…
When times get tough, Immigration fraud is on the rise. Pretty disturbing news. A Brazilian husband and wife were sentenced Thursday for their involvement in a $55 million visa fraud scheme, following an investigation led by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Wilson,…