Although the H-1b lottery season is still 6 months away, the high demand for IT workers along with the shortage of qualified workers is causing many to ask the question of whether it is time to raise the H-1b cap ? Although in theory, it would be nice if our politicians would consider market conditions… Continue reading More H-1b Visas ?
Category: Visas – H-1b, L-1, E, O, TN
Another Trump Era H-1b Rule is Declared Invalid
Last week, a Federal judge declared the last of the Trump Era (Stephen Miller creations) regulations illegally issued and declared it invalid. This last regulation would’ve changed the way H-1b cap cases were selected moving from a random lottery to a system that selected petitions by salary. This would’ve been a major boost to international… Continue reading Another Trump Era H-1b Rule is Declared Invalid
Visa Ban to be Lifted for travelers who are Vaccinated
Based upon a press event held by the White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator, Jeff Zients, the requirement for an NIE to enter the US for persons from countries subject to the Visa ban will be lifted in November. All persons entering the US will be subject to vaccination requirements. The exact date this will go… Continue reading Visa Ban to be Lifted for travelers who are Vaccinated
U.S. Consulates Update
The CATO Institute recently released a sobering update on the status of operations for US Consulates in Aug. showing that over 60% were either fully or partially closed during the month. More details can be found here.
H-1b Denial Rate Shrinks!
Due to a number of Federal Court rulings and the rescission of multiple Trump Admin memos restricting legal immigration, the denial rate for H-1b visas in the 1st 2 Q’s of FY2021 (Oct 2020-March 2021) have returned to normal levels. Check out this article for more details.
H-1b Visas in the News
The H-1b Visa, always a hot political topic, has been in the news a lot lately. Now that the H-1b lottery numbers have been released by the USCIS and we know that over 300,000 registration were submitted, we can quickly calculate that about 35% of those seeking a visa were selected. Check out this recent… Continue reading H-1b Visas in the News
Biden Administration Defends Trump’s H-1b Lottery Rule
As part of a Federal Court action pending in California, the Biden Administration submitted briefs defending the Trump Administration’s rule which prioritized the selection of H-1b visas by salary levels. This change from the current random process would have a negative effect on international students but, would be welcome news to large international employers who… Continue reading Biden Administration Defends Trump’s H-1b Lottery Rule
H1b Registration Lottery – Second Round
USCIS has conducted a second lottery for H1b CAP registrations filed earlier this year. These newly selected cases can begin to be filed in August. The standard 3 month filing window applies to these CAP cases. Registrations that were filed by our office will be shared as soon as the individual confirmations become available through… Continue reading H1b Registration Lottery – Second Round
Canadian Border News
The Canadian government announced that it will re-open its border on Aug 9th to fully vaccinated US citizens and permanent residents and if conditions remain favorable, on Sept. 7th, to others. For employers operating in both the US and Canada, this is welcome news. For those looking to obtain new or extend TN visas and… Continue reading Canadian Border News
NIE Conference Call
Got questions about getting an NIE so you or your international employees can obtain a visa and enter the U.S. ? We are hosting a free conference call for clients and friends on July 7th. Please register here.
H-1b Lottery News
The USCIS recently disclosed that they received over 308,000 registrations for FY 2022 H-1b visas. This compares to only 275,000 in FY 2021. Almost half requested MS degree or higher consideration. In the 1st lottery, the USCIS selected 87,500 registrants. Last year, a 2nd lottery was conducted in August and an additional 18,000 were selected… Continue reading H-1b Lottery News