Canadian L-1 Applicants at Blaine, Washington Ports of Entry

Beginning April 30, 2018, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will no longer adjudicate L-1 intracompany transferee petitions for Canadian citizens at the Blaine, Washington ports of entry. Canadians seeking L-1 status who wish to enter the United States through Blaine must first file their petitions with the USCIS California Service Center for processing. This… Continue reading Canadian L-1 Applicants at Blaine, Washington Ports of Entry

L-1 RFE’s are handed out inconsistently between Service Centers?

The Service’s annual 2016 report to the Ombudsman was recently release and contained concerning information for L-1 visa petitioners. Unfortunately, the RFE rates of L-1 visas appear to continue to have no rhyme or reason. “L-1A RFE data shows inverse trending between the CSC and the VSC. For example, CSC’s L-1A rates surged to 55… Continue reading L-1 RFE’s are handed out inconsistently between Service Centers?

H1-B and L-1 Reform Bill Introduced

On July 8, 2016, Bill Pascrell Jr., Democrat – New Jersey, introduced legislation Thursday designed to “overhaul” the H1-B and L-1 visa programs. H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2016, or H.R. 5657. The bill is being introduced under the guise of protecting workers and cracking down on foreign outsourcing companies that “take high-skill… Continue reading H1-B and L-1 Reform Bill Introduced

Updates to Increases in H-1B and L-1 Petition Fees

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (Public Law 114-113) was signed into law on December 18, 2015 and increased the fee for certain H-1B and L-1 petitioners. USCIS issued a web alert today that the additional fee now applies when a petitioner employs 50 or more individuals in the United States, with more than 50% of… Continue reading Updates to Increases in H-1B and L-1 Petition Fees

H-1b and L-1 Filing fees to double

Buried in the Omnibus Appropriations Bill that Congress is currently considering is a provision that would re-instate and double the “penalty” filing fee imposed on employers with 50 or more employees where 50% of those employees are H-1b or L-1b visa holders. The new fee would also apply to extensions. The new penalty fee for… Continue reading H-1b and L-1 Filing fees to double

Public Law 111-230 Fee Expiration Opens Window

On October 1, 2015, Congress failed to extend the additional filing fees for petitioners whose workforces are heavily reliant on H-1B and L-1 employees. The law, known as Public Law 111-230, required an extra $2,000 fee for certain H-1B petitions, and a $2,250 fee for L-1A and L-1B petitions, whose company had 50 or more… Continue reading Public Law 111-230 Fee Expiration Opens Window

U.S. Consulate in Hyderabad Announces Change

Last week, the U.S. Consulate in Hyderabad announced changes to the process of submission of documents for H-1b and L-1 visa issuance. No longer will they require documents to be submitted in advance to the VFS but, documents must be brought in person at the time of the interview.  This change also applies to persons… Continue reading U.S. Consulate in Hyderabad Announces Change

DHS Releases data on NIV usage

Last week, the DHS released data regarding NIV usage in FY2010. Although it conatins a lot of data that could easily go into the category of “why would anyone need to know that ?” it is probably worth the 5 minutes it will take to skim through it.

The End of H-1b visas for consulting/staffing cos. ?

Senate bill 887 proposed by Senators Grassley and Durbin, contains provisions that if enacted would eliminate the use of H-1b visas for any staffing or consulting company.  Essentially, the bill would prohibit the placement of H-1b workers at any third party work-sites unless a waiver was first obtained and a waiver would not be available… Continue reading The End of H-1b visas for consulting/staffing cos. ?