Starting on Oct. 1, the fee for premium processing of eligible employment-based petitions will increase by roughly 15% to $1,410. Premium processing is available for certain employment-based petitions and applications. With this expedited service, USCIS guarantees a decision on a petition or application within 15 calendar days. Without premium processing, a petitioner can wait for…
DetailsInternational students and their employers have reason to breathe a big sigh of relief. Last month, USCIS revised two policy changes that would have dealt severe consequences for international students and those doing practical training and their employers: One policy changed when the clock began ticking on unlawful presence for international students and exchange visitors. The…
DetailsBy Sophie Alcorn and Valerie Dagama Pereira How can visas in the Land Down Under benefit U.S. companies? Australia offers a few visa options, including a pilot program that began last month, aimed at attracting specialized workers, established companies, and startups. U.S. employers could use these options to transfer foreign workers who cannot renew or…
DetailsAleen Bagdasaryan recently celebrated her two-year anniversary as a member of the Alcorn Immigration Law team. Congratulations! As our firm’s senior case manager, Aleen organizes and monitors clients’ cases, completes documentation, and schedules court cases and meetings. She is an invaluable member of the Alcorn team, helping us optimize efficiency for both clients and staff.…
DetailsNine nonprofits from across the country filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) seeking an explanation for the skyrocketing naturalization backlog. The FOIA request asks for information and documents to assess the agency’s costs, budget allocations, policies and practices related to processing N-400 naturalization applications. The group…
DetailsThe Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the Department of Labor have joined forces to step up scrutiny of employers who sponsor or hire foreign nationals. More than ever, employers must make sure they are and remain in compliance with immigration laws and regulations, from sponsoring employees for visas to maintaining and reviewing records…
DetailsUnder a new policy, if U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) denies a visa, an extension, or another immigration benefit, the agency will immediately begin deportation proceedings against the foreign national. That means doing it yourself now carries a higher risk of deportation. USCIS, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP)…
DetailsWe recently held office hours at Draper University to answer immigration questions from the current batch of students in the summer startup training program. Thanks to one of our clients—a graduate of the program—Draper staff invited me and my colleagues, Jeff Huang and Gabby Phillips, to talk to interested students about their options. When we…
DetailsWhen Amelia and Oliver* left their native Australia nearly two years ago, the married couple was excited about embarking on their next life adventure in the U.S. Oliver, an algorithmic programmer, accepted a new job in Silicon Valley. Amelia, a university-trained artist, thought life in a new country would inspire her work. And it did…
DetailsAn E-2 investor visa offers a relatively quick option for foreign investors to come to the U.S. to live and work by starting a company. It enables foreign nationals whose home country has an investment treaty with the U.S. to live and work here if investing capital and creating jobs. The problem is that many…
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