Department of Homeland Security

DHS Update

DHS has recently provided a notice of proposed rulemaking that would require H-1B petitioning employers to pay a $10 fee for each electronic registration they wish to submit to USCIS prior to submitting an H-1B cap-subject petition. This proposed fee is related to the DHS’s final rule of January 31, 2019 requiring H-1B cap-subject petitions’

Department of State

Department of State Update

Entering the first month of the 2020 government fiscal year has brought an influx of immigrant visa numbers. The U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) has also advised that the agency will be using the Dates for Filing chart (Chart B) to file employment-based preference cases during October, which generally has more favorable priority dates

Department of Homeland Security

DHS Update

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed the return of all H-1B cap-subject petitions filed in April 2019 that were not selected for processing under the annual lottery. The rejected petitions have been returned to petitioners or their immigration legal counsel with the filing fees. Any petitioners that have not received either receipt

Department of Homeland Security

DHS Update

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed the return of all H-1B cap-subject petitions filed in April 2019 that were not selected for processing under the annual lottery.  The rejected petitions have been returned to petitioners or their immigration legal counsel with the filing fees.  Any petitioners that have not received either receipt

Department of Homeland Security

DHS Update

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed the return of all H-1B cap-subject petitions filed in April 2019 that were not selected for processing under the annual lottery. The rejected petitions have been returned to petitioners or their immigration legal counsel with the filing fees. Any petitioners that have not received either receipt

Department of State

Department of State Update

The September visa bulletin reflects important movement in several preference classifications. EB-1 Priority Workers for All Chargeability areas, El Salvador/Guatemala/Honduras, Mexico, Philippines and Vietnam advance 15 months to October 1, 2017. EB-1 China retrogresses another two and a half years to January 1, 2014, while EB-1 India becomes “U”navailable. EB-2 “Members of the Professions Holding

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) News

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Update

Per the recent data released by the agency, ICE currently holds the record 55,185 individuals in its custody. Contrary to the popular belief, significant increase in the number of detainees is due, mostly, to prolonged detentions vs. border apprehensions. The average length of stay in detention is currently 46 days. These extended detentions drain ICE’s

Department of Homeland SecurityImmigration Enforcement News

DHS Update

USCIS has published a final rule implementing a number of substantive changes to the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program.  The new rule, which will become effective on November 21, 2019, is raising the minimum investment amounts for foreign investors seeking Green Cards from $1 million to $1.8 million, revising the standards for certain targeted employment areas

Department of State

DOS Visa Bulletin

The August visa bulletin reflects important movement in several preference classifications. EB-1 Priority Workers for All Chargeability areas, El Salvador/Guatemala/Honduras, Mexico, Philippines and Vietnam retrogresses almost two years to July 1, 2016. EB-1 China also retrogresses nearly a year to July 1, 2016, while EB-1 India has no movement and holds at January 1, 2015.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) News

Immigration Enforcement News

With the ongoing debates regarding the border wall construction and mass deportations of illegal aliens, many have forgotten of the infamous ‘silent raids’ which have not slowed down with the current administration in Washington. These raids do not involve immigration agents’ search of company facilities and arrests ‘on the spot.’ Rather, businesses are served Notices