Is a New H-1B Registration System Really Coming Next Year?
Giselle Carson Oct 9, 2019 in Immigration News
Short answer: maybe? Rumors have been swirling for a little while now that USCIS will have a new electronic registration system for H-1B applications starting in the FY2021 cap filing season. But USCIS hasn’t confirmed anything. So AILA, along with 14 business, higher education, and HR associations, sent a letter to USCIS asking for clarity on the issue. Their response? According to The Mercury News, Ken Cuccinelli, Acting Director of USCIS, said that ultimately the […]
Continue ReadingUSCIS has announced that all H-1B cap-subject petitions for FY 2020 that were not chosen in their computer-generated random selection process have been returned. Read more.
Continue ReadingWhy 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 announced that the cap of 85,000 new H-1B visas for FY2020 was met. They received a total of 201,011 H-1B cap petitions. There was an 11% increase from FY2019 in H-1B advanced degree (master’s and above) petitions selected in the FY2020 lottery; about 63% of those selected were advanced degree petitions. Unfortunately, as it has been for the last two years, being selected is just the first challenge. With the Request for Evidence (RFE) […]
Continue ReadingChanges Announced to the H-1B Cap-Subject Process Days Before Filing Began
Giselle Carson Apr 2, 2019 in H-1B/H-4
On April 1, 2019, USCIS started taking cap-subject H-1B petitions for FY 2020. Just 20 days before that, they released a memo detailing a new filing process. It includes changes to premium processing that have never been tested or used and the announcement of a new H-1B Data Hub online. The changes to premium processing are based on a new two-phase approach. The first phase applies to FY 2020 cap-subject H-1B petitions that request a […]
Continue ReadingForbes recently highlighted alarming data on how the H-1B adjudicatory process is affecting U.S. businesses and in particular the IT services sector. If you’re a frequent reader of my newsletter, you know about the unprecedented number of Requests for Further Evidence (RFEs) and outright denials. This article objectively shows the numbers: If you’re a frequent reader of my newsletter, you know about the unprecedented number of Requests for Further Evidence (RFEs) and outright denials. This […]
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