Update: USCIS Resumes Premium Processing for All H-1B Petitions
Giselle Carson Nov 9, 2017 in Agencies (CBP, DHS, DOL, DOS, USCIS, ICE)
On October 3, USCIS resumed premium processing for all types of H–1B petitions. Premium processing for H–1B petitions and other selected types of employment-based cases is available for an additional government filing fee of $1,225. In exchange, your petition is processed within fifteen calendar days.
Continue ReadingCombined EAD and SSN Application Form Will Allow Faster Onboarding of New Employees
Giselle Carson Oct 27, 2017 in Agencies (CBP, DHS, DOL, DOS, USCIS, ICE)
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) have teamed up to allow eligible foreign workers to apply for both an employment authorization document (EAD) and a Social Security number (SSN) using one new Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. Previously, applicants had to file Form I-765 with USCIS to obtain their EAD, and then visit their local Social Security office in person and complete additional paperwork to get their SSN […]
Continue ReadingUSCIS Policy Guidance on H-1B Master’s Cap Exemption
Giselle Carson Oct 12, 2017 in Agencies (CBP, DHS, DOL, DOS, USCIS, ICE)
This May, USCIS issued an important policy memorandum about the H-1B master’s cap exemption. In order to qualify for the exemption, the institution granting your master’s degree must be considered a US institution of higher education, as defined by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), at the time you received your master’s degree. If the institution is qualified after your graduation date, you are not eligible for the master’s cap exemption and must enter the general H-1B […]
Continue ReadingWondering How the New Employment-based Adjustment of Status Interview Requirement Will Affect You?
Giselle Carson Oct 4, 2017 in Agencies (CBP, DHS, DOL, DOS, USCIS, ICE)
On August 28, USCIS announced that there will be a new requirement for in-person interviews for employment-based Adjustment of Status cases that were filed after March 6, 2017. This new requirement will be effective starting October 1. Since the 1990s, most of the employment-based Adjustment of Status cases have been adjudicated without interviews. This new requirement was made in reaction to the president’s Executive Order titled “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the […]
Continue ReadingDo You Know the Current Processing Time for Your Case?
Giselle Carson Oct 4, 2017 in Agencies (CBP, DHS, DOL, DOS, USCIS, ICE)
We encourage our clients and readers to please check the approximate processing times published by USCIS for certain petitions and applications. Although these are only approximate times, they can help you plan better, including postponing or cancelling travel plans; planning for a new hire or a new job; and/or applying for a driver’s license. With a caveat, the actual processing times can be longer (and in some unique and welcomed situations slightly faster) than those […]
Continue ReadingAlert: Requests for Additional Evidence for H-1B Petitions
Giselle Carson Sep 6, 2017 in Agencies (CBP, DHS, DOL, DOS, USCIS, ICE)
Imagine winning a coveted lottery. You are over the moon… and then someone threatens to take your deserved, well-documented, and legally required win away. This is what is happening to many employers and foreign nationals that were fortunate to be selected under the H-1B lottery petitions – now, USCIS has been widely using Requests for Additional Evidence (RFE) and Notices of Intent to Deny on thousands of those petitions. These types of policies don’t just […]
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