We start gearing up in December with clients for the annual H-1B lottery in April. With U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issuing more Requests for Evidence (RFEs), it’s now more important than ever to get started with preparing an H-1B petition. The Alcorn Immigration Law team continues to win H-1B visas for our clients…
Companies in metro areas in Texas and on the East Coast—not Silicon Valley or San Francisco—employed the most H-1B recipients between 2010 and 2016, according to a Pew Research Center report. By filing a public records request, Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan think tank based in Washington, D.C., obtained the government data on H-1B visa…
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has directed personnel to reject all multiple H-1B petitions filed by related employers for the same beneficiary in the H-1B lottery, which begins on April 2. USCIS publicly released a policy memo this week that offers guidance to personnel in evaluating multiple H-1B petitions for the same prospective employee.…
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will temporarily suspend premium processing for H-1B visa petitions that are subject to the annual lottery, which starts on April 2. USCIS expects to resume premium processing after Sept. 10. USCIS will continue to accept premium processing requests for H-1B petitions that are exempt from the lottery, such as…
Expect delays in premium processing for H-1B visa applications this year. With the annual H-1B lottery fast approaching on April 2 and the expected processing delays, your company should act now to prepare H-1B petitions for prospective candidates—if it hasn’t already. The Alcorn Immigration Law team knows what it takes to put together successful H-1B petitions. Moreover,…
This is the second in a series I’m writing to showcase some of the Alcorn Immigration Law team’s client success stories.* To maintain confidentiality, the client’s name has been changed. And some details of the case may have been omitted or slightly altered. Is it possible to create a startup that can sponsor my H-1B…
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is imposing stricter rules for H-1B visa applications submitted by outsourcing companies for highly-skilled foreign workers. According to a policy memo issued last month, “USCIS recognizes that significant employer violations—such as paying less than the required wage, benching employees (not paying workers the required wage while they wait for projects or work)…
Companies seeking H-1B visas for foreign workers with special expertise should start preparing now to submit petitions in annual H-1B visa lottery in April—if they haven’t already. While a few months may seem like plenty of time to prepare an H-1B petition, devising a strong approach, providing compelling evidence, and formulating a backup plan all…
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services resumed premium processing for all H-1B visa petitions on Sept. 18, less than six months after it was suspended. This includes premium processing for H-1B petitions filed by U.S. companies seeking to transfer or extend an existing employee’s status. The highly coveted H-1B visa allows U.S. companies to employ highly…
Timing is everything. That’s the upshot of a recent decision from the Administrative Appeals Office of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to an H-1B appeal. The decision, which denied the appeal, provides guidance to USCIS employees when evaluating H-1B petitions and to companies sponsoring H-1B candidates. The H-1B Process The H-1B visa…