Headlines: 1. Premium Processing Begins for Remaining H-1B Cap-Subject (Lottery) Petitions -On June 10, 2019, USCIS will begin premium processing for all remaining FY 2020 H-1B lottery petitions. 2. OFLC’s New Online ‘FLAG’ Portal to Replace iCERT -The Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) will serve as the new application filing and case management portal for […]
Headlines: 1. State Dept. Notes Continued Heavy Demand, Retrogressions (Visa Unavailability) in Several Employment-Based Immigrant Visa Categories -The Visa Bulletin for June 2019 notes heavy demand in several employment-based visa categories for India and Vietnam. 2. USCIS Requests Info on EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa Experience -USCIS wants information from attorneys, accredited representatives, regional center owners, […]
Headlines: 1. Regulatory Agenda Includes Stripping Employment Eligibility From H-4 Spouses of H-1B Visa Holders, Other Actions -The agenda also includes a proposal to revise the definition of “specialty occupation” to “increase focus on obtaining the best and the brightest” foreign nationals via the H-1B program, revise the definition of “employment” and “employer-employee relationship” to […]
Headlines: Trump Proposes Merit-Based Immigration Plan – President Donald Trump proposed an immigration plan on May 16, 2019, that shifts the emphasis to a merit-based system to admit highly educated, high-skilled immigrants. USCIS Completes Data Entry for FY 2020 H-1B Cap-Subject (Lottery) Petitions – USCIS announced that it has completed data entry for all […]
Headlines: 1. USCIS Clarifies Period of Authorized Stay for P-1S Essential Support Personnel of Individual Athletes -USCIS emphasizes that the periods of initial authorized stay are different for individual athletes (P-1A visa) and their essential support personnel (P-1S visa). 2. DHS Increases H-2B Cap for FY 2019 by 30,000 Additional Visas -The purpose of the […]
Headlines: 1. SSA Resumes Issuing No-Match Letters -The Social Security Administration has resumed mailing notifications to employers identified as having at least one name and Social Security Number combination submitted on the wage and tax statement (Form W-2) that do not match SSA’s records. A no-match letter is not necessarily an indication that a person […]
Headlines: 1. E-2 Investor Visa Program Opens to Israelis May 1 -Effective May 1, 2019, the E-2 investor visa program will open to Israelis under a reciprocal treaty investor agreement signed between the United States and Israel. 2. USCIS Responds to Congressional Letter Asking for Info on Backlog Causes -The letter asked the agency to […]
Headlines: 1. Visa Bulletin Shows Slight Forward Progress in Some Backlogged Preference Categories -Regarding EB-1 for China and India, the bulletin notes a continued “extremely high rate of demand” that may require temporary retrogression until October. 2. New USCIS Policy Guidance Clarifies Marijuana-Related Activities Bar on Naturalization -Certain marijuana-related activities generally bar naturalization even if […]
Headlines 1. DOCUMENT RETENTION POLICIES AND PRACTICES: AN OVERVIEW -This article provides an overview of document retention policies and practices in Canada and Italy. 2. COLOMBIA -This article summarizes several developments in Colombia: All visa procedures must now be completed online; the Migrant Mercosur visa for Chilean nationals has been suspended due to a lack […]
Headlines: 1. DHS Secretary Forced Out; Others May Leave in Trump Purge -Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen has been forced to resign, according to reports. Officials told media organizations that other departures may follow. 2. USCIS Completes H-1B Cap Random Selection Process for FY 2020, Reaches Advanced Degree Exemption Cap -On April 10, 2019, […]