February 2016 Visa Bulletin update
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) released its February 2016 Visa Bulletin. For details regarding the charts’ formatting, read Introducing the new Visa Bulletin.
Envoy Immigration Trends 2016 survey: Mapping trends in employment-based immigration
We’re thrilled to announce the results of the Envoy Immigration Trends 2016 survey. After interviewing more than 400 HR professionals, we found that although more U.S. companies are making substantial investments in recruiting foreign nationals, the hiring professionals responsible for overseeing the process find the current U.S. immigration system frustrating, opaque and difficult to navigate.
5 tips for H-1B cap season procrastinators
“People dread it.”
That’s the answer Natalie Napolitano, customer relationship manager at VISANOW, provides when asked why employers drag their feet on the H-1B Person in Specialty Occupation visa application process. The process is so laborious that some employers wait until there are only a couple weeks left before April 1 – the deadline to submit applications for H-1B cap season.
U.S. District Court validates 17-month OPT STEM extension until May 10
Update, as of August 1, 2016: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services recently alerted 17-month STEM OPT holders that they can apply to add seven months to their STEM OPT period if they properly file their Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization (with the required fee and signature) on or before August 8, 2016. USCIS will deny applications filed after August 8, 2016. Click here to see all of the requirements.
Final Rule from DHS Eases Immigration Regulations for H-1B, E-3, CW-1, EB-1 Visa Holders
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published Enhancing Opportunities for H-1B1, CW-1, and E-3 Nonimmigrants and EB-1 Immigrants in the Federal Register, a final rule first proposed in May 2014. The amended immigration regulations seek to “improve the programs […] and remove unnecessary hurdles that place such workers at a disadvantage when compared to similarly situated workers in other visa classifications.” The rule, established with input from the public, is effective Feb. 16, 2016.
H-1B cap season by the numbers
The H-1B work visa cap has filled quickly in recent years, requiring thousands of unselected petitioners to refile the following season or find a viable alternative. As more U.S. companies rely on foreign national talent to fill highly technical roles, and the H-1B work visa for specialty workers grows more popular, the intensity of competition during the cap season has reached an all-time high. Read on for a snapshot of cap seasons past, and gain insight into today’s most competitive U.S. work visa.
Supreme Court to rule on expanded DACA, DAPA immigration actions
Traducción en Español disponible debajo de la version Ingles.
The Supreme Court announced Tuesday that it would hear the Obama administration’s appeal on an injunction against its Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) and expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programs. The announcement means that after more than a year of political tug-of-war, the case for the executive action will be argued for the final time in April, and the Supreme Court’s ruling will come in June. If the court rules in favor of the expanded programs, President Obama could implement them before he leaves office.
A numbers game: the history of the H-1B work visa program
65,000.
Every year around April 1, that number is top of mind for foreign nationals applying for work visas, as well as the employers who sponsor them. While U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) received nearly 233,000 applications for the H-1B Person in Specialty Occupation visa in 2015, only 65,000 were selected and approved in a random lottery, which opened and closed in seven days.
DHS proposes rule to encourage immigrant worker retention
The green card application process spans multiple years for many employment-based petitioners. As a result, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed a new rule granting select benefits to green card petitioners in an effort to encourage immigrant workers to stay in the United States while waiting for legal permanent residency.
January 2016 Visa Bulletin
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) released its January 2016 Visa Bulletin highlighting the processing dates for employment- and family-based green card applications. The format of the bulletin recently changed. Each month the DOS will publish the updated Visa Bulletin and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will issue a subsequent announcement one week later, informing foreign nationals if they may use the Dates for Visa Application charts or not. For more information, read Introducing the new Visa Bulletin.
