As U.S. immigrant and nonimmigrant visa issuance bans imposed by the Trump administration have lapsed and U.S. consulates abroad have restarted routine visa appointments, most applicants for popular work visas, such as H-1B and L-1, and their U.S. employers do not realize that the current visa backlog includes nearly half a million applicants who meet
USCIS Announces Completion of H-1B Cap Lottery U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that they have received enough electronic registrations during the initial registration period to reach the fiscal year (FY) 2022 H-1B numerical allocations (H-1B cap) including the advanced degree exemption (master’s cap), and that they have now notified all prospective petitioners with
Department of Homeland Security Update – This update reflects some of the best news from DHS as U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced it may reopen and/or reconsider its denial decisions of Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, proceedings that were based on three recently rescinded policy memos. USCIS is expected to use
H-1B Registration Period for FY2022 Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions Opens On March 9 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that the initial registration period for FY2022 H‐1B cap-subject petitions will open at noon Eastern on March 9 and run through noon Eastern on March 25. USCIS intends to notify registrants by March 31st whether
With the challenging times for nearly everybody, uncertainty for immigrants is easily at its highest. This brief guidance is not intended as exhaustive legal advice; rather, it is a starting point for a few “what if” situations you or your sponsored workers may encounter. Please remember that specific factual situations require case-by-case analysis to ensure
H-1B Registration To Open Soon for FY2022 Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions The beginning of the new cap-H-1B petition filing season with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is upon us. USCIS will once again be using the H-1B registration process implemented last year to select the H-1B petitions. Instead of the prior process requiring preparation
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a final rule which adopts, with a few changes, the interim final rule of October 8, 2020, amending the regulations pertaining to permanent labor certifications (PERMs) and Labor Condition Applications (LCAs) to incorporate changes to the computation of prevailing wage levels. The rule is slated to go
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has started the new year with an announcement of the final rule intended to modify the annual H-1B petitions selection process under the government-imposed cap, amend current H-1B visa lottery procedures, and prioritize wages to protect the economic interests of U.S. workers and “better ensure the most highly skilled
Munsch Hardt’s Immigration Team is wishing you the best this Holiday Season and beyond, and we are hopeful for a Happy New Year for all! With the ongoing pandemic, we are updating our usual holiday travel advisory to include a few safety tips should you plan to travel internationally before the year’s end or in
H1-B Visa Program: Interim Final Rule DHS has announced its interim final rule (IFR) that amounts to an overhaul of the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program with a goal to protect the U.S. labor market. According to DHS, “more than half a million H-1B nonimmigrants in the United States have been used to displace U.S. workers,”