USCIS announced on Friday, April 5, 2013, that it received more H1B petitions than the combined annual cap quota of 65,000 regular and 20,000 Master’s degree H1B. As a result, an “H1B lottery” will be held to determine which petitions would receive a precious H1B number for the upcoming year. Perhaps the best words came … Continue reading »
USCIS announced that it anticipates the H-1B quotas of 65,000 for the “Regular Cap” and 20,000 for the “Master’s Cap” to be reached by April 5, 2013. As a result, it has delayed the adjudication of Premium Processing cases until after April 15, 2013. (USCIS H-1B Announcement) Employers should note: The H-1B cap may possibly be … Continue reading »
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) published a new two-page I-9 Form on Friday, March 8, 2013, that is effective immediately. USCIS has provided a 60-day grace period, until May 7, 2013, in which employers may still use the old I-9 forms. The new I-9 form is available on USCIS’s website at: http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-9.pdf What are … Continue reading »
We wish to provide an update to our alert published on February 5, 2013. There has been some indication that the quota of 65,000 H-1B for Fiscal Year 2014 will be exhausted earlier than previously expected. Some have predicted that the quota will be met by the end of the first week of April 2013. … Continue reading »
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will start new cap-subject H-1B petitions on Monday, April 1, 2013. Employers not wishing to take any chances will be sending their H-1B petitions on Friday, March 29 to ensure that their petitions will be date-stamped by USCIS on the very first day of the H-1B filing season. These … Continue reading »
Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on the East Coast, resulting in a catastrophic loss of lives and property. Our thoughts are with the suffering victims, and we hope everyone can resume their normal lives as quickly as possible. We often advise employers on how to respond to ICE’s audit letters and we conduct training on completing … Continue reading »
Husband and wife owners of two hotels in Kansas City have been arrested and charged with the following crimes by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE): * One count of conspiracy to harbor undocumented aliens for personal gain * Five counts of harboring undocumented aliens for personal gain * Four counts of wire fraud A desk clerk … Continue reading »
USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services) and ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) officers conducted a half-day training at the USCIS District Office in Phoenix, Arizona on Tuesday, August 28, 2012. USCIS and ICE did a great job. They presented “something for everyone” regardless of level of expertise in the areas of I-9 and E-Verify. Employers who attended … Continue reading »
Starting August 15, 2012, eligible individuals can submit applications for “deferred action” through the “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals” process (“DACA”). Simply put, the DACA process is a method by which U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) prioritizes its resources with respect to enforced removal (“deportation”) of undocumented individuals. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) … Continue reading »
On June 15, 2012, Secretary Janet Napolitano of the Department of Homeland Security announced that effective immediately that the group of young immigrants known as the “Dreamers” will be eligible to be considered for an interim legal status, “deferred action.” Our nation’s immigration laws must be enforced in a firm and sensible manner. But they … Continue reading »
