Department of State released the visa bulletin for June 2016. Below is a copy of the visa bulletin for the employment-based category and a summary of the changes. Application Final Action Dates for Employment-Based Preference Cases Note: USCIS USCIS designated the below chart as applicable dates for I-485 adjustment of status applications within U.S. Employ- […]
Read MoreUSCIS announced that the 15-day processing period for cap-subject H-1B petitions requesting premium processing, including petitions seeking an exemption for individuals with a U.S. master’s degree or higher, will begin on May 12, 2016, regardless of the date on the Form I-797 receipt. If your premium processing H-1B petition was selected by the lottery, you […]
Read MoreOn February 25, 2016, the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman’s Office hosted a public teleconference on issues related to Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) benefits for certain nonimmigrant workers, including H and L nonimmigrants. Individuals whose employers timely file for extension of nonimmigrant status receive an automatic 240-day extension of work authorization while the petition […]
Read MoreDepartment of State released the visa bulletin for May 2016. Below is a copy of the visa bulletin for the employment-based category and a summary of the changes. 1. Application Final Action Dates For Employment-Based Preference Cases Note: USCIS designated the below chart as applicable dates for I-485 adjustment of status applications within U.S. Employ- […]
Read MoreUSCIS announced today that it has received enough H-1B petitions to reach the statutory cap of 65,000 visas for fiscal year (FY) 2017. USCIS has also received more than the limit of 20,000 H-1B petitions filed under the advanced degree exemption, also known as the master’s cap. USCIS received over 236,000 H-1B petitions during the […]
Read MoreU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reached the congressionally mandated H-1B cap for fiscal year (FY) 2017. USCIS has also received more than the limit of 20,000 H-1B petitions filed under the U.S. advanced degree exemption. USCIS will use a computer-generated process, also known as the lottery, to randomly select the petitions needed to […]
Read MoreFor Family-Sponsored Filings: You may use the Dates for Filing Visa Applications chart for April 2016. For Employment-Based Filings: You must use the Application Final Action Dates chart in the Department of State Visa Bulletin for April 2016.
Read MoreOn April 1, 2016, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin accepting H-1B petitions subject to the fiscal year (FY) 2017 cap. U.S. businesses use the H-1B program to employ foreign workers in occupations that require highly specialized knowledge in fields such as science, engineering and computer programming. USCIS expects to receive more than […]
Read MoreThe U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia granted DHS’s motion for limited relief from the court’s August 12, 2015 order, and ordered that vacatur of the 17-month STEM OPT extension be further stayed from its original deadline of February 12, 2016 for additional 90 days. The DHS now has until May 10, 2016 […]
Read MoreDepartment of State released the visa bulletin for February 2016. Below is a copy of the visa bulletin for the employment-based category and a summary of the changes. I. Application Final Action Dates For Employment-Based Preference Cases Note: USCIS designated these dates as applicable for adjustment of status (I-485) within U.S. Employment- Based All Chargeability […]
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