Immigration Blog
Our blog is a source of latest immigration news, policy updates and trends for thousands of readers every month.
EB-2 Retrogressions Are in the News. Is Your Country One of Them?
Occasionally in the immigration visa world, there is more demand from a particular country than the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services expected. When that happens, a retrogression may occur. In those circumstances, the State Department pushes back the final action dates for the EB-2, moving them backward instead of the typical forward momentum. This retrogression was recently announced in the USCIS May 2023 Visa bulletin as necessary to keep the number of immigrant visas under the FY 2023 limit.
PERM Labor Certification and the NIW
Foreign nationals who plan to head to the United States for employment can do so if they receive a job offer from an approved business. The initial steps include filing evidence of eligibility that they qualify for an employment-based preference petition via a PERM labor certification, an exemption of the labor certification as a National Interest Waiver (NIW) beneficiary, or a Schedule A. We’ll explain the difference in these forms and when they apply in this blog.
What You Need to Know About E-Verify as an H-1B Employer
If you're an H-1B employer, you already know that hiring foreign workers comes with a unique set of challenges. One of those challenges is navigating the complex world of immigration laws. With the recent changes to the H-1B visa program and increased scrutiny of immigration policies, understanding the ins and outs of the visa process is more important than ever. In this article, we'll walk you through everything you need to know about E-Verify as an H-1B employer, including how it works and the government’s plan to roll out E-Verify NextGen.
What to Do If You Weren't Selected in This Year's H-1B Lottery
There’s no denying that the H-1B visa is arguably the most popular category on the market. But with many more petitioners than visas allocated, it’s also very difficult to obtain. This year’s lottery, FY 2024, saw the largest influx of registrations in history, but the US Citizenship and Immigration Services can only provide 85,000 visas. If you weren’t one of the chosen few, you still have options, as we’ll discuss here.
A Call for Changes to the Current H-1B Lottery System
The H-1B visa program, as it is structured today, began in 1990. The lottery system is more than ten years old, yet it has not changed since its inception. Opponents of the current system have called for a change for years, but after the FY 2024’s lottery results, this request has become increasingly vocal, and here is what they’re saying.
How Laid-Off Tech H-1B Holders Are Staying in the US Legally
If you’ve paid attention to the immigration climate in the United States, you’ve heard about the massive layoffs in the tech sector. Many of these workers were H-1B visa holders who rely on steady employment to keep their legal status in the country. Per the H-1B visa’s terms, workers have 60 days to find another employer willing to sponsor their visa status, or they must return to their home country. But with so many people searching for work within similar industries, this is a challenging endeavor. However, a recent workaround may keep thousands of these laid-off tech workers in the US legally while they look for employment, even after their 60-day grace period ends by changing from an H-1B to a B-1 or B-2 visa.
Nonimmigrant Visa Fee Increases Are Effective Now
Followers of the immigration law landscape in the United States have been bracing for rising fees for months. One of those increases is slated for May 30, 2023. This rate hike affects anyone applying for a nonimmigrant visa. What does this mean for you? We have the details here.
National Interest Waiver Changes and Who They Benefit
The National Interest Waiver program benefits those wishing to enter the United States without a sponsored job offer. Once there, they can take the Green Card path to permanent residency — provided it’s in the nation’s best interest to approve this waiver. However, recent changes make this challenging process a little more accessible to certain categories of people. What are these adaptations, and will they benefit you? Read on to find out.
Does Florida’s Immigration Enforcement Legislation Impact Your H-1B Visa?
There are 50 states and multiple territories in America, plus Washington, DC. Each of these regions must follow federal laws, but in many cases, the states have individual authority to decide how to implement the guidelines that pertain to each law. So, while states like Florida must allow immigration per the terms of federal law, the state can determine the legislature behind the law. Florida’s recent legislative package, introduced on March 7, 2023, hit the headlines because of its potential adverse effects on immigrants in the state and those who would come to that part of the US in the future. How might these changes impact your H-1B visa? We’ll explain everything you need to know here.
Changes to Premium Processing in 2023
Changes to how the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services department handles premium processing have begun, and the latest round began on April 3, 2023. These adjustments directly affect students in certain F-1 categories and those petitioning for nonimmigrant foreign worker visas. This blog explains how you may be affected by the new regulations for premium processing.
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The H-1B visa provides the opportunity for foreign professionals to work in the United States. It allows employers to hire qualified foreign workers in the U.S.
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An O-1 visa is designed to allow foreigners at the very top of the arts, sciences, sports, education, business, motion picture or television industries entry into the United States.
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