ITEMS OF INTEREST AND IMPORTANCE

Each year, Congress allocates 65,000 visas for new H-1B applicants for the fiscal year. For the last two years, all of the 65,000 were given out on April 1, the earliest date that USCIS will accept an H-1B petition for the next fiscal year. This is a reminder that if you are an employer and want to employ a person with a bachelor’s degree and the job you are offering requires a bachelor’s degree, the petition should be ready to be filed on April 1, so that the individual can start working on October 1. An H-1B, as you know, can be renewed for up to six years. If you have different circumstances for the petition you are filing, there may be a different classification. Please contact us and we will assist you to find the best classification to meet your needs.

Click here to see the current USCIS fee schedule effective July 30, 2007.

For updates on other immigration changes click on the USCIS home page link below

Change of Address. If you are a foreign national living in the U.S., it is a requirement and your responsibility, to inform USCIS of your address change. To change your address online, simply click the link below.

PERM. Our experience is that the US Department of Labor is certifying labor applications (ETA-9089) in approximately 120 days if submitted electronically. If you are considering obtaining Permanent Residence in the U.S., you may want to get started soon. There will probably be a rush to file ETA-9089s as soon as Congress passes a new immigration reform bill. You may want to get ahead of the rush! We will help you through the process.

Religious Workers. Each petition for an R-1 non-immigrant classification or an I-360 immigrant petition (the first step of a religious worker’s permanent resident status) is being carefully scrutinized by USCIS examiners due to their concern over the possibility of fraud in this classification. Therefore, it is wise for a religious organization or church to seek professional assistance in preparing these cases. We have been specializing in this area since 1994 and would be pleased to assist you.

Quota Backup.  There is little good news on this subject.  The background to this issue briefly is that each country in the world has a quota on the number of people who can adjust to permanent resident in one fiscal year.  The quota is set by Congress.  Since USCIS is approving cases more quickly now, the quota numbers for people adjusting to permanent residents is currently "backed up".  A few countries are more severely affected such as China, Philippines and Mexico.  But all countries are affected.  The date you file for Labor Certification is your priority date.  Your priority date determines when you are eligible to file for Adjustment of Status from a nonimmigrant to an immigrant.  You can file the first two steps of an employment based case now, but not Adjustment of Status.  A current quota number must be available.  Perhaps by the time you get the approvals for the first two steps approved, the quota for your country will be current.  You can keep up to date on the quota numbers available by accessing the Visa Bulletin on the Department of State web site.

LINKS

USCIS Home page - http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis
US Embassies - http://usembassy.state.gov/
State Department - http://travel.state.gov/visa/visa_1750.html
Current Visa Bulletin - http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/bulletin/bulletin_1360.html
Foreign Labor Certification - http://www.foreignlaborcert.doleta.gov/
Electronic change of address - https://egov.immigration.gov/crisgwi/go?action=coa

If you have questions, please contact
us at info@international-expediters.com
or call 703-209-9550