We’re thrilled to introduce Paige Whitlow, who brings 20 years of immigration paralegal experience to the Alcorn Immigration Law team. Paige joined our business immigration team last fall. Most recently, Paige worked as an immigration paralegal at a corporate and immigration law firm based in Raleigh, N.C. At Alcorn, Paige works with the business immigration…
The days of immediate processing of F2A green cards are coming to an end. And some F4 green cards, as well as EB-2 and EB-3 green cards will retrogress shortly. If you or loved ones are eligible for these green cards, we recommend filing a petition as soon as possible. Every month, Charles Oppenheim, chief…
The H-1B visa lottery system is changing fast. And these changes may be a boon for American small businesses and startups and their H-1B candidates. Starting with the April 2020 lottery, employers must now pay a nonrefundable $10 fee to register each candidate for the H-1B lottery. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees U.S.…
Looking ahead to 2020, a lot of changes are in store for U.S. immigration policy. Not through laws passed by Congress, but through rule-making processes from Federal agencies including USCIS. The White House Office of Management and Budget recently released its regulatory agenda, which outlines policy priorities for federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland…
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released H-1B data, including records compelled by two Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits, that continues to show the impact of Trump administration’s restrictive immigration policies. The approval rate for all H-1B specialty occupation visa petitions remained steady at nearly 85% in fiscal year 2019, which ended in…
We’re pleased to introduce Quratulann Farooqi, who goes by Cori. Cori joined the Alcorn Immigration Law team a few months ago as an associate attorney in our family immigration team. “I feel deeply rewarded when I help people navigate the complicated U.S. immigration system,” says Cori. “I’m honored to be a part of their journey…
Draper University recently invited me to speak to participants of its Silicon Valley entrepreneurship program. In addition to covering the main pathways for international entrepreneurs to move to the U.S. to grow their startups, I focused on the journeys of three immigrant founders. Their stories all show how employing a bit of creativity produces successful…
The American Institute of Legal Counsel has named Founder Sophie Alcorn one of the 10 best immigration lawyers in California. “I am honored to receive this award,” said Sophie. “I am grateful for the support of the amazing Alcorn Immigration Law team and for our clients from all over the world. Our clients inspire us…
Next April’s H-1B season will be different: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirmed it is rolling out a new digital system for employers to register H-1B beneficiaries in April 2020. Join me on December 6, noon PST, for a webinar updating you on all the latest. The new system holds great promise for early-stage technology…
Founder Sophie Alcorn hosted a special workshop for international founders and startups to understand how to rise above borders and bring their companies to Silicon Valley at TechCrunch Disrupt SF earlier this month. Sophie discussed the most important immigration challenges faced by international startup founders: How founders can take their immigration status into their own…