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…
Are you a small business owner feeling the pinch of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic? Have no fear, the newly passed Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) provides emergency financial relief for small to mid-sized businesses in the United States, to help business owners keep employees on their payroll.…
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…
It has been nearly two weeks since the President of the United States declared a public health emergency for COVID-19, forcing the American economy to come to a screeching halt. Thereafter, states enacted their own measures requiring non-essential businesses across the country to shutter temporarily until the virus has been…
As the impact of COVID-19 grows, we think it is important that you hear directly from us about the mitigation efforts that we the Sapochnick Law Firm have enacted to reduce the risk of infection to our clients, attorneys, and valued staff members. At this critical juncture, our focus remains…
In the midst of the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID 19) pandemic, USCIS reminds applicants and petitioners impacted by the pandemic that they can seek certain types of discretionary relief on a case-by-case basis. Relief for Individuals Seeking Extensions/Change of Status Special relief is available to individuals who were unable to file…
In this post, we will discuss Form DS-5540, a mandatory public charge questionnaire that must be completed by all foreign nationals seeking an immigrant visa at a U.S. Consulate or Embassy abroad and some non-immigrant visa applicants. What is Form DS-5540, Public Charge Questionnaire? Shortly after the publication of the…
In light of the global Coronavirus pandemic, on March 11, 2020, the President signed a presidential proclamation suspending and limiting the entry of immigrants and nonimmigrants who were physically present within the Schengen Area (most EU states) during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United…
Welcome back to Visalawyerblog! In this blog post we cover the latest immigration news of the week. USCIS Launches Online Form to Report Fraud On March 3rd USCIS announced the launch of a new online form available on the USCIS website that can be used to report suspected immigration fraud…
H-1B season has officially kicked off! The new mandatory H-1B electronic registration system for fiscal year 2021 opened yesterday at noon ET on March 1, 2020 and will remain open until noon ET on March 20, 2020. In order to have a chance of being selected, from now on all…