A survey of 12 countries by the Pew Research Center found strong public support to welcome immigrants into their country including in the U.S., but only if they are highly skilled. The results of this survey, which the nonpartisan think tank conducted last spring, indicates the support for merit-based immigration in the U.S. Who…
Legislation introduced in the House and Senate this month would eliminate the seven percent per-country limit on employment-based green cards. Called the “Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act,” the joint legislation also increases the per-country cap for family-sponsored green cards from seven to 15 percent. Rep. Zoe Lofgren and 113 other representatives from both parties sponsored…
The Alcorn Immigration Law team’s H-1B season began in December. Since then, we’ve been working with employers preparing H-1B visa applications for the April lottery. Given the increased scrutiny, requests for evidence (RFEs), and denials these applications face, employers and H-1B candidates should focus on assembling the strongest petition they can. Delays, uncertainty about visa…
When Rohan* filed for his green card, he and his American wife, Kristen*, had just returned from their honeymoon in Hawaii. They felt relaxed and blissful. Rohan decided to file his marriage-based green card petition on his own. Filling out the application and assembling the required documentation looked a bit time-consuming, but relatively simple. And,…
Mei’s parents immigrated from Taiwan to the U.S. decades ago. Her parents would take her to visit relatives in Taiwan from infancy until she left home for college. As an adult, Mei continued to travel to Taiwan to see family. Mei* met Yan-ting* during one of those trips. After that trip, Mei and Yan kept…
When Ji-hye* married her husband, she thought she found her happily ever after. Ji-hye came to the U.S. from South Korea to attend a university. She had dreamed of leaving her homeland to escape the sexual abuse she suffered for years at the hands of a family member. While in school, she began dating an…
That’s what Luca*, who has a green card and a fiancée living over overseas, asked us recently: What would be the quicker way for his fiancée Maja* to get a green card: If he married and sponsored her now as a green card holder or if he waited until he became a citizen and then…
You might assume U.S. employers facing a tight labor market would increasingly look to foreign talent to fill positions. However, the number of H-1B specialty occupation visa applications that employers filed on behalf of workers in the annual lottery has declined nearly 20% since 2016. The Trump administration is having a chilling effect on U.S.…
Sara Zinsman has been a valued member of the Alcorn Immigration Law team for nearly two years. As our calm and highly organized executive assistant, Sara is the perfect first point of contact that clients have to the Alcorn Immigration Law office. “I’m sensitive to the needs of our clients, and look forward to assisting…
In a previous blog post, I discussed how individuals from China, India, and other countries that do not have a trade treaty with the U.S. can still qualify for an E-2 Visa for Treaty Investors. The process? Individuals from these countries just need to become a citizen of the Caribbean nation of Grenada, which offers…