Why the Huge Processing Delays?
Giselle Carson May 3, 2019 in Agencies (CBP, DHS, DOL, DOS, USCIS, ICE)
Nationwide millions of employers and people applying for work visas and green cards are waiting longer than ever for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to process and approve applications and petitions. Five years ago, an average case took about five months to process. By fiscal year 2018, that same employer waited nearly 10 months. Today, that wait can be 10 months to a year. Many factors are slowing down cases, including new USCIS’ policies […]
Continue ReadingUSCIS Resumes Premium Processing for H-1B Cap Petitions
Giselle Carson Feb 14, 2019 in Agencies (CBP, DHS, DOL, DOS, USCIS, ICE)
On January 28, USCIS resumed premium processing for FY 2019 H-1B cap petitions only! This is because USCIS still has FY 2019 unadjudicated petitions as a result of the ongoing system inefficiencies and unjustified requests for evidence, which are creating huge delays and backlogs in the system. If you have received a request for evidence (RFE) and choose to pay for premium processing, you should include your RFE response with the request for premium processing. […]
Continue ReadingUSCIS Policy Change: Outright Visa Denials without a Recourse
Giselle Carson Aug 29, 2018 in Agencies (CBP, DHS, DOL, DOS, USCIS, ICE)
USCIS recently announced a major policy change. Officials may immediately reject visa applications at their discretion starting September 11, 2018. Officials are no longer required to send Requests for Evidence (RFEs) or Notices of Intent to Deny (NOIDs) when they encounter something that could be further explained and supported. This means that more applications will be denied without an opportunity to further explain very technical and specialized issues. If you need guidance for submitting your […]
Continue ReadingUSCIS Finishes Data Entry for FY2019 H-1B Cap-Subject Petitions
Giselle Carson Jun 7, 2018 in Agencies (CBP, DHS, DOL, DOS, USCIS, ICE)
It’s official! USCIS has completed the data entry for all H-1B cap-subject petitions selected in the lottery. It has now begun to adjudicate petitions. The petitions not selected and the related USCIS’ filing fees will be returned in a few months. Since there are so many petitions, the timeline for returning all petitions is unknown. However, the process is usually completed by August.
Continue ReadingThe Rise of Arrests and Audits: Immigration Crackdown Targets Employers
Giselle Carson Jun 5, 2018 in Agencies (CBP, DHS, DOL, DOS, USCIS, ICE)
Since Trump took office in 2017, there has been a sharp increase in audits to verify that employees are authorized to work in the United States. And there are plans to further increase the pressure on employers. Employers who are found to be noncompliant may be subject to hefty administrative fines and even criminal prosecution in some cases. A Look at the Numbers So Far Between October 2016 and September 2017, only 1,360 audits were […]
Continue ReadingUpdate: 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 Reading