What to Do at a Site Visit

1. Be alert and aware of the possibility of a site visit at the beneficiary’s work location, even if the work location is at a third party worksite. It is important that H-1B/L-1 employers have policies and procedures in place in case of an FDNS inspection. Human resource departments, staff, and company signatories should be aware of the potential for unannounced site visits and should be prepared to follow the employer’s response plan.

2. Be 100% confident that everything included in the H-1B or L-1 petition is accurate.

3. Ask for and record the credentials of the inspector. The employer should record the name, title, and contact information of the inspector to ensure that any post-visit communications are directed toward the appropriate agent.

4. Make sure the person who signs the petitions (and/or their assistant) knows where to find copies of the petitions quickly and to the extent possible, to review those petitions before meeting with the inspector.

5. Remember that material changes to job duties, and in the case of H-1Bs, changes to work location, require amended petitions.

6. If there are discrepancies between pay stubs and the salary listed on the I-129 petition, be ready with a complete explanation. For example, some L-1 companies pay part of the beneficiary’s salary through the foreign employer, which is an acceptable practice.

7. Contact your attorney immediately if a site visit occurs.

8. Write a detailed description of what happened immediately after the visit.

9. If you are unsure of an answer to a question, ask for additional time and offer to follow-up with the officer, rather than guessing.

Here is a breakdown of the costs and forms involved in the international entrepreneur visa. DHS estimates that 2,940 entrepreneurs could be eligible for parole annually. Each applicant for parole would face a total filing cost—including the application form fee, biometric filing fee, travel costs, and associated opportunity costs—of $1,480, resulting in a total cost of $4,349,827 (undiscounted) for the first full year the rule could take effect and any subsequent year. Additionally, dependent family members (spouses and children) seeking parole with the principal applicant would be required to file an Application for Travel Document (Form I-131) and submit biographical information and biometrics.

DHS estimates approximately 3,234 dependent spouses and children could seek parole based on the base estimate of 2,940 principal applicants. Each spouse and child 14 years of age and older seeking parole would face a total cost of $550 per applicant, for a total aggregate cost of $1,779,604. 3 Additionally, spouses who apply for work authorization via a Form I-765 application would incur a total additional cost of $416.20 each.

Based on the same number of entrepreneurs, the estimated 2,940 spouses would incur total costs of $1,223,630 (undiscounted). The total cost of the rule to include direct filing costs and monetized non-filing costs is estimated to be $7,353,061 annually. DHS anticipates that establishing a parole process for those entrepreneurs who stand to provide a significant public benefit would advance the U.S. economy by enhancing innovation, generating capital investments, and creating jobs.DHS does not expect significant negative consequences or labor market impacts from this rule; indeed, DHS believes this proposal would encourage entrepreneurs to pursue business opportunities in the United States rather than abroad, which can be expected to generate significant scientific, research and development, and technological impacts that could create new products and produce positive spillover effects to other businesses and sectors.

The impacts stand to benefit the economy by supporting and strengthening high growth, job-creating businesses in the United States.

DHS further proposes that if parole is granted, the entrepreneur would be authorized for employment incident to the grant of parole, but only with respect to the entrepreneur’s start-up entity. The entrepreneur’s spouse and children, if any, would not be authorized for employment incident to the grant of parole, but the entrepreneur’s spouse, if paroled into the United States pursuant to 8 CFR 212.19, would be permitted to apply for employment authorization consistent with proposed 8 CFR 274a.12(c)(34).

As noted, the purpose of the proposed parole process is to provide qualified entrepreneurs of high-potential start-up entities in the United States with the improved ability to conduct research and development and expand the entities’ operations in the United States so that our nation’s economy may benefit from such development and expansion, including through increased capital expenditures, innovation and job creation.

Finally, DHS is proposing conforming changes to the employment authorization regulations at 8 CFR 274a.12(b) and (c), the employment eligibility verification regulations at 8 CFR 274a.2(b), and fee regulations at 8 CFR 103.7(b)(i). The proposed rule would amend 8 CFR 274a.12(b) by: (1) adding entrepreneur parolees to the classes of aliens authorized for employment incident to their immigration status or parole, and (2) providing for temporary employment authorization for those applying for re-parole.

The proposed rule would amend 8 CFR 274a.12(c) by extending eligibility for employment authorization to the spouse of an entrepreneur paroled into the United States under 8 CFR 212.19. The proposed rule would amend 8 CFR 274a.2(b) by designating the entrepreneur’s foreign passport and Arrival/Departure Record (Form I-94) indicating entrepreneur parole as acceptable evidence for employment eligibility verification (Form I-9) purposes. Finally, the proposed rule would amend 8 CFR 103.7(b)(i) by including the fee for the new proposed application form.

Washington—El Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de Estados Unidos (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglés) propuso hoy una nueva regla que permitirá ciertos empresarios internacionales ser considerados al permiso de ingreso (ingreso temporal estar en los Estados Unidos), de modo que puedan empezar o desarrollar su empresa aquí en los Estados Unidos.

Lea la versión avanzada de la notificación de reglamentación propuesta “Regla de Empresario Internacional” (International Entrepreneur Rule). Una vez la notificación de regla propuesta sea publicada en el Registro Federal, el público tendrá 45 días a partir de la fecha de publicación para hacer sus comentarios. Para enviar sus comentarios, siga las instrucciones en la notificación.

“La economía estadounidense se ha beneficiado por mucho tiempo de las contribuciones de los inmigrantes y sus empresas, desde Main Street hasta a Silicon Valley,” dijo el Director León Rodríguez. “Esta regla, una vez finalizada, ayudará al crecimiento de nuestra economía con la expansión de las opciones de inmigración para empresarios extranjeros que cumplan ciertos criterios como crear empleos, atraer inversiones y generar ingresos en los Estados Unidos”.

La regla propuesta permitirá al Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS, por sus siglas en inglés) usar su autoridad estatutaria discrecional para otorgar permisos a empresarios de las empresas emergentes cuya permanencia en EE.UU. proveerá un beneficio público por medio del potencial sustancial y demostrado de crecimiento rápido del negocio y la creación de empleos. Bajo esta regla propuesta, DHS puede conceder permiso de ingreso sobre una base caso por caso, a empresarios elegibles de empresas emergentes:

• Que tengan interés significativo como propietarios en la empresa emergente (un mínimo de 15%) y tengan un papel activo y central en sus operaciones
• Que se hayan fundado en los Estados Unidos en los últimos tres años y
• Cuyo comienzo demuestre potencial sustancial para el crecimiento rápido del negocio y la creación de empleos, como se evidencie por:

• La recepción de capital de inversión significativo (mínimo de $345,000) por parte de inversores cualificados establecidos con un récord de inversiones exitosas en los Estados Unidos
• Premios o becas significativos (mínimo de $100,000) de parte de los gobiernos federal, estatal o local o
• Satisfagan parcialmente uno o dos de los criterios arriba en adición a otra evidencia fiable y convincente de que la empresa emergente tiene potencial sustancial de crecimiento rápido y de crear empleos.

Bajo la regla propuesta, a los empresarios se les puede otorgar una estadía inicial de hasta dos años para supervisar y hacer crecer su empresa emergente en los Estados Unidos. Una petición subsiguiente del permiso (hasta tres años adicionales) será considerada solamente si el empresario y la empresa emergente continúan proveyendo un beneficio público como se evidencia en aumentos significativos en la inversión de capital, ingresos o puestos de trabajo.

La notificación de esta regla propuesta en el Registro Federal invita a un periodo de 45 días de comentarios públicos, luego de lo cual USCIS evaluará los comentarios recibidos. La regla propuesta no entra en efecto con la publicación de la propuesta de reglamentación. Entrará en vigor en la fecha indicada en la regla final cuando sea publicada en el registro Federal.

Para información acerca de USCIS y sus programas, visite www.uscis.gov/espanol

What Happens at an FDNS site visit?

When an FDNS inspector appears at the employer premises, he or she will likely ask to speak with the human resources manager or the company official who signed the H-1B petition. During an FDNS site visit, the inspector is typically charged with verifying the existence of the employer, the validity of the information the employer provided in the H-1B or L-1 petition, and whether the foreign national is working in compliance with the terms of the H-1B or L-1 approval.

FDNS may ask to take photographs of the facility to verify its existence, and interview the beneficiary, and supervisors or other personnel to confirm the details of the beneficiary’s physical work area, hours, salary, and duties. In most situations, there is no advance notice of a site visit. Site visits typically take less than one hour and often take significantly less time.

The inspectors may also ask for pay stubs or W-2s and may ask questions regarding the rate of pay, title, and job duties in order to compare that information with the information reflected in the H-1B or L-1 petition and supporting letter. If an FDNS investigator asks questions which are beyond the scope of the petition or would require internal research, it is okay to ask for additional time to respond. If follow-up is required, it is important that the employer quickly respond with the requested information or documentation to ensure that the Compliance Review Report can be completed by the inspector in a timely manner.

If at any point the petitioner or beneficiary indicates an unwillingness to continue, FDNS should end the inspection. However, the inspector will likely complete the Compliance Review Report based only on the information that was gathered before the inspection was terminated and will indicate that the interview was terminated upon request. FDNS may follow-up at a later time.