Washington, D.C. U.S. House of Representatives (House) has passed the H.R. 1044 – Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019 today. The bill will now goes to U.S. Senate (Senate). Passed/agreed to in House on motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 365[Read More]
Legal Alerts
U.S. begins implementation of E-2 Investor Visas for Israeli Nationals
Washington, D.C. Adhikari Law PLLC. The U.S. has started the implementation of the U.S. E-2 Investor Visa for Israeli nationals, beginning May 1. E-2 visa is a temporary (nonimmigrant) visa that can be used to develop, direct, or provide specialized skills to an enterprise in which the owner has invested a substantial amount of capital.[Read More]
USCIS projects it will reach H-1B visa regular cap for 2020
USCIS has said it received a sufficient number of petitions projected as needed to reach the congressionally-mandated 65,000 H-1B visa regular cap for fiscal year 2020. USCIS will next determine if we have received a sufficient number of petitions to meet the 20,000 H-1B visa U.S. advanced degree exemption, known as the master’s cap. The[Read More]
USCIS announces the start of the 2020 H-1B cap season, premium processing dates, and the launch of its new H-1B data hub
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today the start of the fiscal year (FY) 2020 H-1B cap season, start dates for premium processing of cap-subject H-1B petitions, and the launch of its new H-1B data hub, while reminding petitioners of its new H-1B cap selection process. Start of FY 2020 Cap Season USCIS will[Read More]
Department of Homeland Security posts final rule amending regulations governing H-1B cap-subject petitions, including those that may be eligible for the advanced degree exemption.
Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted the Final Rule. The final rule will amend the regulations governing H-1B cap-subject petitions, including those that may be eligible for the advanced degree exemption. The final rule reverses the order by which U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) selects H-1B petitions under the H-1B regular cap[Read More]
USCIS will accept H-1B petitions on April 1, 2019 for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020
USCIS will accept H-1B petitions on April 1, 2019 for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 H-1B quota cases. If the petition is approved the H-1B beneficiary can start working on October 1, 2019 or earlier if he/she is eligible for H-1B cap-gap. It is very important to start the H-1B sponsorship process well in advance[Read More]
Partial government shutdown in effect
A partial government shutdown is currently in effect. Approximately 25 percent of government functions are shut down. Immigration-related agencies that are impacted by the shutdown include the Department of Homeland Security and its immigration-related components (CBP, ICE, USCIS, CIS Ombudsman), the Department of Justice (EOIR), and the Department of State. · DOL: Is NOT impacted by this government[Read More]
Department of Homeland Security to propose a merit-based rule to benefit U.S. graduate students and a mandatory online pre-registration requirement for cap-subject H-1B programs
Washington, DC. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is going to propose a merit-based rule to benefit graduates (master’s and PhDs) of U.S. institutions of higher education and a mandatory online pre-registration requirement for cap-subject H-1B programs. In November, USCIS Director had said they were proposing this new rule. On December 3rd, USCIS published a notice[Read More]
E-Verify new interface in late March: All E-Verify Cases With A Final Case Result Should Be Closed
Washington, D.C. On March 14, 2018 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that E-Verify will transfer all case data to a new interface later this month. To assist in the transition USCIS required all open cases must reach a final case result and be closed. Open cases that have not been accessed for more than 365 days[Read More]
Notice to DHS Contractors and Subcontractors on Compliance with E-Verify
Washington DC, Jul 19, 2017. DHS article on FedBizOps summarizes E-Verify requirements. The Department of Homeland Security expects employers to abide by the immigration laws of the United States and to employ in the United States only individuals who are eligible to work. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clause 52.222-54 Employment Eligibility Verification, requires federal contractors and[Read More]