Headlines: 1. FY 2013 H-1B Filing Season Rapidly Approaches – Beginning on April 2, 2012 (because April 1 is a Sunday), employers may file cap-subject H-1B petitions for fiscal year (FY) 2013, for employment starting on October 1, 2012, or later. 2. Eleventh Circuit Blocks Additional Portions of Alabama Immigration Law – The court ruled that Alabama may not […]
Headlines: 1. FY 2013 H-1B Filing Season Rapidly Approaches – Beginning on April 2, 2012 (because April 1 is a Sunday), employers may file cap-subject H-1B petitions for fiscal year (FY) 2013, for employment starting on October 1, 2012, or later. 2. Witnesses Discuss Controversial DHS OIG Report at House Hearing – The report, which indicates that adjudicators are […]
Headlines: 1. Over One Million Employers Use E-Verify; USCIS Announces Expansion of Self-Check – Employers are now using E-Verify at more than one million worksites. Also, USCIS announced that Self Check is now available in all 50 states; Washington, DC; Guam; Puerto Rico; the U.S. Virgin Islands; and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. 2. DOL Announces […]
Headlines: 1. DOJ’s Office of Special Counsel Lists Employer Best Practices During Worksite Enforcement Audits – The Department of Justice’s Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices released do’s and don’ts for employers facing ICE audits. 2. USCIS Announces Several Thousand EB-5 Green Cards Issued So Far in First Quarter of FY 2012, Releases Latest Stats – […]
The conventional residence permit, the residence card and permanent residence card, and the replacement ID in paper form are being replaced by the electronic residence permit, which will be granted in a credit card-style format. Since September 1, 2011, applicants for a German electronic residence permit (elektronischer Aufenthaltstitel or eTA) must attend an in-person meeting […]
Sponsors should be cautious when considering dismissal of 457 visa holders. As with their Australian counterparts, 457 visa holders have access to employment remedies under the Fair Work Act. Even where a sponsored employee’s employment is terminated under an employment agreement, the dismissal may still be held to be harsh, unjust, or unreasonable. Under Australian […]
Headlines: 1. China, India Visa Number Priority Cut-Off Dates Move Forward – The China and India cut-off dates continue to move forward, in some cases at a rapid rate. 2. U.S. Consulate in Chennai Stops Processing Immigrant Visa Petitions – The U.S. embassy in New Delhi and U.S. consulate in Mumbai are now the only acceptance centers in India […]
Headlines: 1. USCIS Announces Several Thousand EB-5 Green Cards Issued So Far in First Quarter of FY 2012, Releases Latest Stats – Between October and mid-January, 2,364 EB-5 green cards were issued. At that rate, over 9,000 EB-5 visas might be issued this fiscal year, which is very close to the statutory cap of 10,000. […]
Headlines: 1. ETA Announces 2012 Adverse Effect Wage Rates for H-2A Workers – The AEWRs range from a low of $9.30 per hour in Mississippi and Louisiana to a high of $12.26 per hour in Hawaii. 2. USCIS Changes Stand-Alone I-130 Filing Locations – USCIS has changed the filing locations for Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative. 3. California Steel […]
Headlines: 1. State Dept. Implements Fee Increases for Certain Consular Services – Affected services include nonimmigrant visas and border crossing cards. 2. Sen. Grassley Puts ‘Hold’ on Per-Country Limits Legislation – Sen. Grassley said that he has “concerns about the impact of this bill on future immigration flows.” 3. Senate Judiciary Committee Holds Hearing on EB-5 Regional Center Program – Sen. […]