The economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic has been felt by nearly all sectors of the economy, but perhaps the most unexpected victim has been the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Unlike many other government agencies, USCIS does not depend on government funding to survive. Instead, the agency…
Articles Posted in Employment Based Petitions
The Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act Proposes Relief for Nurses and Physicians applying for Green Cards
We are pleased to report the introduction of a brand-new Senate bill called the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act, sponsored by Senators David Perdue, Todd Young, Dick Durbin, and Chris Coons. The purpose of the bill is to increase the number of health care workers available to meet the demand of…
May 2020 Visa Bulletin: What to Expect?
The Department of State has released the visa bulletin for May 2020 outlining the availability of immigrant visa numbers for the upcoming month. Please note: Unless otherwise indicated on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website at www.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo, individuals seeking to file applications for adjustment of status with USCIS in…
COVID-19 UPDATE: Are Green Card Interviews Being Waived?
UPDATE: Green card interviews are being waived for at least some applicants during COVID-19 Unprecedented times call for unusual measures. Recently USCIS announced the closure of field offices nationwide—until May 3rd–to help slow the spread of COVID-19. This announcement was immediately concerning given that green card applicants (family and employment-based)…
H-1B Information Technology Workers Win Big Victory in Federal Court
A new decision issued by a federal judge in the case Itserve Alliance Inc., et al., v. L. Francis Cissna, will dramatically change the way that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) adjudicates H-1B petitions for Information Technology companies. The new ruling invalidates key provisions of the CIS…
BREAKING: USCIS Completes H1B FY 2021 Electronic Registration Selection Process
Great news! Today, March 27, 2020, USCIS announced that it has received enough electronic registrations to reach the FY 2021 H-1B cap—just 7 days after the registration period closed on March 20, 2020. USCIS randomly selected from among registrations that were properly submitted to meet the 65,000/20,000 annual numerical limitations…
USCIS Publishes FAQs and Video Instructions for H-1B Electronic Registration Process FY 2021
Great news for FY 2021 H-1B registrants! USCIS has published step-by-step video instructions showing you how you can submit an electronic registration on the USCIS website without the use of an attorney or representative. It is not too late to register. The registration period closes noon ET on March 20,…
March 2020 Visa Bulletin Highlights
In this blog post, we discuss visa bulletin trends and projections for the month of March. The U.S. Department of State (DOS) recently released the March 2020 Visa Bulletin revealing some good and bad news for employment based categories and family preference categories. Adjustment of Status Filing Charts March 2020:…
All About the H-1B Electronic Registration Requirement: When and Where to Register and More…
Are you ready for the upcoming H1B season for fiscal year 2021? With the registration period fast approaching, we want to make sure you know everything there is to know about the new mandatory H-1B electronic registration process for fiscal year 2021 (FY 2021). The following FAQ provides the most…
USCIS Publishes Notice in Federal Register Formally Implementing H-1B Mandatory Registration Requirement
It’s official. Yesterday, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a notice in the Federal Register formally implementing the mandatory registration requirement for H1B petitioners seeking to file a cap-subject petition for Fiscal Year 2021. The notice went into effect on January 9, 2019, the date of publication.…