Headlines: 1. USCIS Holds Quarterly Stakeholders Meeting – As part of a quarterly EB-5 stakeholders call, USCIS released statistics on usage of the EB-5 program for FY 2010 and other information. 2. USCIS Confirms Indirect Job Creation Can Occur Outside Regional Center Boundaries – USCIS recently agreed to count jobs indirectly created outside the geographical […]
Headlines: 1. DREAM Act Fails in Senate – Prospects are dim for further developments in the near future, although Democrats vowed to push for the legislation and to include it in any comprehensive immigration reform bill. 2. USCIS Delays Deemed Export Attestation on New I-129 – The new edition of Form I-129, Petition for a […]
Headlines: 1. House Passes DREAM Act, Senate Passage Uncertain – Democrats hope to bring the bill to a Senate vote by the end of the Congressional session; if it is not passed by then, prospects are dim for the near future. 2. USCIS Introduces First-Ever Fee Waiver Form – The new form states requirements for […]
Headlines: 1. DOS Discusses Upcoming Employment Visa Number Priority Cut-Off Dates – It is unlikely that any cut-off dates will be set in the employment first preference during the coming months. 2. USCIS Issues Reminder on New Fees, Q&A on New Fee Schedule; Makes Corrections, Clarifications – The new fee schedule for immigration-related applications […]
Headlines: 1. USCIS Issues Reminder on New Fees – The new fee schedule will take effect on Tuesday, November 23, 2010. 2. ETA Extends Comment Period on H-2B Wage Methodology Rule – The agency has extended the comment period until November 12, 2010. 3. DOS Final Rule Revises Exchange Student Regs – DOS is revising […]
Headlines: 1. WHD Plans Nationwide Audit of Independent Contractor Misclassifications – Targeted industries may include may include agriculture, construction, distribution, food processing, hospitality, janitorial services, landscaping, manufacturing, restaurants, and sanitation. 2. District Court Finds NY Education Law Limiting Pharmacist Licenses to U.S. Citizens, LPRs Unconstitutional – A New York education law was found unconstitutional because […]
Headlines: 1. ETA Publishes Proposed Rule on Wage Methodology for H-2B Temporary Non-Agricultural Employment – The proposed rule would revise the methodology by which the Department calculates the H-2B prevailing wage. 2. USCIS Releases Q&A on H-1B and L-1 Fee Increases – Among other things, USCIS noted that all employees in the U.S., regardless of […]
Headlines: 1. USCIS Raises Many Fees, Adds New Fees – Among other things, USCIS is raising fees for most immigration benefits by a weighted average of 10 percent, establishing several new fees, and raising the premium processing service fee. 2. 2012 Diversity Visa Lottery Program Registration Begins in October – The Department of State strongly […]
Headlines: 1. Dep‘t of State Updates Guidance on Medical Grounds of Inadmissibility – Following an update by the CDC to its technical instructions, the State Department has updated guidance on medical grounds of inadmissibility and issued a corresponding cable to the field. 2. USCIS Discusses Effects of Invalid Puerto Rico Birth Certificates on I-9 Process […]
Headlines: 1. USCIS Implements H-1B, L-1 Fee Increases – Effective immediately, the provisions require an additional fee of $2,000 for certain H-1B petitions and $2,250 for certain L-1A and L-1B petitions postmarked on or after August 14, 2010. 2. CBP Clarifies TN Extensions of Stay While Immigrant Petition Is Pending/Approved – U.S. Customs and Border […]