The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) receives thousands of family- and employment-based green card applications every year, which creates a backlog. As a result, the U.S. Department of State issues the monthly Visa Bulletin, allowing applicants to learn when their petition will be processed.
With Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) you can apply for a social security number and start building credit. A good credit score informs financial lenders of your trustworthiness so you can apply for student loans, a car note, and a home mortgage! However, with your new social security number comes a great deal of responsibility because while having no credit isn’t ideal, having bad credit is even worse. As a result, you must build credit smartly so you can manage it and have financial stability for the future.
June is Immigrant Heritage Month and VISANOW is joining the nationwide celebration. The holiday was founded last year by nonprofits Welcome.us and FWD.us, which are dedicated to promoting immigration and tech communities in the U.S., respectively.
If you qualify for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) you may be wondering what to do until the deferred action injunction is lifted.
The short answer? Stay busy by joining a community-based organization. These grassroot groups work hard each day to provide educational, career advancement and other resources to people in need. Immigration groups, in particular, are great to join because you no doubt have a shared goal—immigration reform!
How to find immigration groups:
Get active on Twitter
The Latino community is very active on social media outlets, including Twitter. Search popular immigration-based hashtags, like #DACA, #DAPA, #DACAmented, and #ImmigrationReform to read the latest buzz on deferred action. Then check out what organizations are using these hashtags and follow them to get a daily feed of their posts or message them directly to learn more.
Search national organizations
National groups, such as United We Dream, tend to have local affiliate locations. Become a member and they can keep you updated on local legislation, such as tuition benefits for DREAMers and changes in driver license eligibility.
Ask a friend
Chances are your friends have ties to community-based organizations. Ask them which groups they belong to and what are the benefits of joining. Then you’ll have some insight into the organization before you participate in their events.
Bonus tip: Spread the word
The Internet has tons of resources for DACA and DAPA qualifiers. When you find something useful, share the wealth by passing it on to others in your network. Who knows, you may come across someone who hasn’t read the deferred action eligibility requirements yet.
Want more information on DACA and DAPA? Check out our deferred action infographics below.
Recently, USCIS changed the required filing process for when an H-1B employee changes work locations outside the area of intended employment. If any of your employees have changed work locations since the most recent H-1B filing, you may need to file an amended petition.
Here’s what you need to know:
Here are your next steps:
If you have employees who’ve made work location changes since the last H-1B filing, request a copy of the petition by emailing customer support at [email protected].
To begin work on an amended H-1B petition, please contact your client manager directly or call (855) 960-5403.
On May 26, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) request to stay (remove) the injunction on expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA).
In other words, expanded DACA and DAPA are still on hold.
What comes next?
The Obama administration’s appeal of the preliminary injunction, which is different than the request to stay, is still in effect and a hearing on the matter is tentatively scheduled for July 6.
If the court decides to lift the injunction, USCIS can begin accepting applications for both expanded DACA and DAPA soon afterwards. However, if the 5th Circuit Court decides not to remove the injunction, the DOJ can appeal to the Supreme Court.
Either way, the deferred action lawsuit continues.
What you can do!
Stay updated on the latest deferred action injunction news by subscribing to our blog.
If you have any questions, feel free to give us a call at 855-960-5468 or send us a message.
Calling all H-1B and H-4 holders! The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services recently announced that select H-4 dependents are now eligible to apply for work authorization. Beginning May 26, some H-4 holders can start filing their applications and be on their way to obtaining employment authorization.
Who Qualifies?
H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants can file for this special work authorization if the H-1B holder has an approved I-140 Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker or has pending PERM/labor certification application that has been pending for at least 365 days and has extended the H-1B status past the six-year limit. If you want more information, check out our Extended Employment Eligibility for Some H-4 Dependent Spouses infographic.
H-4 work authorization application tips
Once you determine your eligibility, you’re ready to begin the application process. To help you start, here are three work authorization application tips:
Next Steps
If you’re ready to prepare your H-4 work authorization application, get started here.
If you have questions you can visit USCIS’s Frequently Asked Questions page or contact a VISANOW immigration specialist.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) receives thousands of green card applications every year, which creates a significant backlog. In result, the U.S. Department of State issues the monthly Visa Bulletin, providing updated priority dates and application quota numbers.
Each date indicates how long the current backlog is, as well as the expected processing time.
June 2015: Family-Based Green Card Visa Bulletin
Source: USCIS
Month-to-Month Changes
Overall, there wasn’t much movement for family-based green cards since May. Most categories advanced two weeks to a month, however, some stood the same. The biggest update: F-1 green card petitions from the Philippines regressed five years to March 1, 2000.
Trends
The eight-month trend for family-based green cards shows consistent advancement for most categories. While there is multiple-month movement, the priority dates haven’t jumped more than six months in most cases.
Family-based green card categories:
June 2015: Employment-Based Green Card Visa Bulletin
Source: USCIS
Month-to-Month Changes
Trends
Employment-based green card categories:
Subscribe to our Immigration Blog for an update on next month’s Visa Bulletin. If you need assistance filing a family- or employment-based green card, contact VISANOW.
Did you know that 66% of filed H-1B lottery applications won’t be considered for processing this year? That’s because the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) received more than 233,000 H-1B petitions for FY 2016, which is a staggering two-thirds more than the 85,000 limit.
Why is there a limit?
There are many skilled workers from around the world that would like to join the U.S. labor market. To manage immigration levels, the USCIS limits the amount of new H-1B applications each year.
What happens next?
If you submitted any H-1B cap cases, here are a few things you may want to know:
We’ve created The H-1B Alternatives Guide to help you learn what other visa categories for which your employee may qualify. It includes information on the:
Want to know more about these visa categories? Download The H-1B Alternatives Guide and improve your odds of landing the best talent.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) receives a massive volume of green card applications every year, creating a significant backlog. As a result, the U.S. Department of State issues the monthly Visa Bulletin, which provides updates regarding priority date timelines and application quota numbers.
Each date indicates how long the current backlog is, as well as the expected processing time.
For example: If the date is 01SEP07, it means the USCIS is processing applications that were filed on September 1, 2007. If the foreign national’s priority date is prior to the cutoff date, it is possible to move forward with an adjustment of status (I-485) application.
May 2015: Family-Based Green Card Visa Bulletin
Source: U.S. Department of State
The visa bulletin advanced for each family-based green card category, except for F1 applications from the Philippines. Most visa bulletin dates progressed two weeks to a month.
Family-based green card categories:
May 2015: Employment-Based Green Card Visa Bulletin
For employment-based green cards, the listed date corresponds to the PERM application filing date. If you’ve filed before that date, your priority date is current and you’re eligible to file your I-485 adjustment of status application. “C” indicates applications are “current” and there is no backlog.
Source: U.S. Department of State
Similarly to April’s Visa Bulletin, the EB-1 and EB-4 green card categories are current. EB-2’s China and India backlogs moved up two months or more. For some areas, EB-3 green cards have progressed three months.
Employment-based green card categories:
Subscribe to our Immigration Blog for an update on next month’s Visa Bulletin. If you need assistance filing a family- or employment-based green card, contact VISANOW.
