Immigration Insider
News from the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers Vol. 10, No. 2A • February 01, 2014
Headlines: 1. USCIS Expands Site Visits To Review of L-1 Petitions – The agency is reviewing extensions of L-1 petitions and L-1 job duties and salaries to determine whether they are consistent with the L-1’s classification. 2. H-1B Alert: Filing Starts April 1 for Next Fiscal Year – This past fiscal year, H-1B numbers were exhausted within the first […]
News from the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers Vol. 10, No. 1B • January 15, 2014
Headlines: 1. Is Immigration Reform Possible in 2014? – House Speaker John Boehner hopes to push immigration reform legislation forward in 2014, a year in which midterm elections will take place in November. 2. Visa Bulletin Shows Advancement in Several Categories – The Department of State’s Visa Bulletin for February 2014 shows advancement in priority dates for several employment-based […]
News from the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers Vol. 10, No. 1A • January 01, 2014
Headlines: 1. DHS OIG Report on EB-5 Regional Center Program Stirs Controversy – The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General has released a controversial new report on the EB-5 regional center program that includes four recommendations. 2. OSC Reiterates That Employers May Not Institute a Hiring Preference for U.S. Citizens Unless Required To Do So – The […]
News from the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers Vol. 9, No. 12B • December 15, 2013
Headlines: 1. Supreme Court Hears Oral Argument in CSPA Case; USCIS Issues Policy Guidance – The memo addresses automatic conversion and priority date retention for certain children of immigrant visa petitioners. 2. Court Approves Final Settlement on Employment Authorization for Asylum Seekers – The settlement agreement provides that certain individuals who intend to file, or have already filed, an […]
News from the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers Vol. 9, No. 12A • December 01, 2013
Headlines: 1. USCIS Announces E-Verify Anti-SSN Fraud Effort – USCIS has announced an E-Verify effort to combat identity fraud by identifying and deterring fraudulent use of Social Security Numbers for employment eligibility verification. 2. Temporary Accommodation for Form I-129 H-2A Petitions Has Expired – The Office of Foreign Labor Certification has stopped sending Adobe PDF copies of approved temporary […]
News from the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers Vol. 9, No. 11B • November 15, 2013
Headlines: 1. Infosys Settles Visa Fraud and Abuse Case for Record $34 Million – Infosys has agreed to pay a record $34 million civil settlement based on allegations of systemic visa fraud and abuse of immigration processes. The company also has agreed to enhanced corporate compliance measures. 2. Office of Foreign Labor Certification Deals With Backlogs After Shutdown – […]
News from the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers Vol. 9, No. 11A • November 01, 2013
Headlines: 1. Federal Government Reopens; OFLC, USCIS Announce Temporary Accommodation for I-129 H-2A Petitions – The Department of Labor’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification and USCIS announced temporary accommodation for I-129 H-2A petitions. 2. EOIR Updates Guidance on Immigration Court Filings After Government Shutdown, Changes Zip Code – EOIR issued details about immigration court filings in the wake of […]
News from the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers Vol. 9, No. 10B • October 15, 2013
Headlines: 1. DOS Releases Info on Cut-Off Date Calculations; November 2013 Visa Bulletin Shows Movement in China ‘Other Workers’ Category – DOS has released information about how it calculates visa availability cut-off dates. Separately, the Visa Office has released the latest November 2013 Visa Bulletin. 2. EOIR Issues Guidance on Immigration Court Filings During Government Shutdown – During the […]
News from the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers Vol. 9, No. 10A • October 01, 2013
Headlines: 1. Effects of Government Shutdown on Immigration Services Summarized – E-Verify is unavailable, among other effects of the federal government shutdown. 2. Diversity Visa Registration for 2015 Program Begins; Nigeria No Longer Eligible – Online registration for the DV-2015 Program began on Tuesday, October 1, 2013, at 12 noon EDT (GMT-4), and will conclude on Saturday, November 2, […]
News from the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers Vol. 9, No. 9B • September 15, 2013
Headlines: 1. State Dept. Sends Guidance to Posts on New Electronic Immigrant Visa Application – The Department of State recently sent a cable to all diplomatic and consular posts providing guidance and describing the timeline for deployment of the new electronic DS-260 (Immigrant Visa Application) and DS-261 (Choice of Address and Agent). 2. USCIS Implements Identity Verification at […]
News from the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers Vol. 9, No. 9A • September 01, 2013
Headlines: 1. DHS Inspector General Releases Report on Implementation of L-1 Visa Regulations – Among other things, the report says that more communication between the Departments of Homeland Security and State would improve the processing of blanket L-1 petitions. 2. Special Immigrant Visa Program for Iraqis Set To Expire – Individuals applying under this program, including family members, must […]
News from the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers Vol. 9, No. 8B • August 15, 2013
Headlines: 1. USCIS To Conduct I-9 Form Study – Following a study to be conducted in September, USCIS plans to propose a revised I-9 form and invite public comment. 2. State Dept. Releases Cable, FAQ on DOMA – The Department of State recently released a FAQ and a cable to the field, “Next Steps on DOMA—Guidance for Posts.” 3. USCIS […]