April 2016 Visa Bulletin update
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) released its April 2016 Visa Bulletin. For details regarding the format, read Introducing the new Visa Bulletin.
Which presidential candidate can fix the immigration system?
In the VISANOW Immigration Trends 2016 survey, a majority of employers acknowledged that the U.S. immigration system is broken. We asked them to identify which presidential candidate was best suited to reform the current immigration system. The results were split:
DHS Known Employer Pilot Program Begins
The Known Employer Pilot Program, introduced in January 2015 in the Department of Homeland Security’s United States-Canada Beyond the Border initiative, was just launched to assess methods for streamlining the adjudication process for employers sponsoring work visas and green cards.
How to support your foreign nationals during H-1B cap season
“It’s tense for a lot of people applying for the cap,” says Ken Aranas, senior customer relationship manager at VISANOW. “Especially if they’re on Optional Practical Training [work authorization for international students]. There is a lot of uncertainty about whether they are going to be able to maintain their status.”
First half of H-2B cap nearly reached
Update: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) met its congressionally mandated H-2B Temporary Nonagricultural Worker visa cap in mid-May. This means it won’t accept any new petitions that request an employment start date before Oct. 1, 2016. Learn more about the cap here.
How foreign nationals unlock greater ROI
Filling the skills gap is a well-known benefit of hiring foreign nationals. But international workers contribute more than their education and skill set – their unique perspectives can offer the companies they work for a competitive advantage in the global market.
3 best practices for onboarding foreign nationals
In the United States, when you receive a job offer, you accept it, put in notice at your current company and start the new job within a few weeks. But if you’re a foreign-born worker pursuing a U.S.-based job, you accept, then wait for the immigration process to play out. And you wait.
And you wait.
March 2016 Visa Bulletin update
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) released its March 2016 Visa Bulletin. For details regarding the revised charts’ formatting, read Introducing the new Visa Bulletin.
Filing an H-1B visa? Here are 3 mistakes to avoid during cap season
In 2015, out of the 233,000 H-1B Person in Specialty Occupation petitions submitted, only 36 percent were selected in the capped government lottery for processing – leaving 148,000 high-skilled foreign nationals without the legal ability to work in the United States. Circumstances haven’t changed for the upcoming H-1B cap season. Only 85,000 new H-1B visas are available, making it incredibility important that petitioners don’t falter during application prep.
New memo clarifies comparable evidence for O-1 work visa
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memorandum clarifying when petitioners and attorneys may submit comparable evidence for the O-1 Individuals with Extraordinary Ability or Achievement work visa. This visa classification is typically used by high profile performers, professional athletes and film actors.
