WASHINGTON — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) resumed premium processing today for all H-1B visa petitions subject to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 cap. The FY 2018 cap has been set at 65,000 visas. Premium processing has also resumed for the annual 20,000 additional petitions that are set aside to hire workers with a U.S. master’s degree or higher educational degree.

H-1B visas provide skilled workers for a wide range of specialty occupations, including information technology

El Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglés) reanudó hoy el procesamiento prioritario de todas las peticiones de visas H-1B sujetas a la cantidad máxima reglamentaria del año fiscal 2018. La cantidad máxima reglamentaria de visas H-1B para el año fiscal 2018 ha sido fijada en 65,000 visas. También se reanudó el procesamiento prioritario de las 20,000 peticiones anuales adicionales para contratar trabajadores que tengan un grado de maestría o grado superior de

In the wake of two hurricanes that have brought massive flooding to Texas, Louisiana and Florida, many foreign nationals are reporting that their passports and visas have been water-damaged. Clients with water-damaged documents should be advised to replace them prior to traveling internationally (if possible) or ensuring that they allow time to apply for a new visa or passport abroad before attempting to return to the United States. The ink that is used in the documents does not hold up to

USCIS offers immigration services that may help people affected by unforeseen circumstances, including disasters such as Hurricane Irma.

The following measures may be available on a case-by-case basis upon request:

• Changing a nonimmigrant status or extending a nonimmigrant stay for an individual currently in the United States. Failure to apply for the extension or change before expiration of your authorized period of admission may be excused if the delay was due to extraordinary circumstances

RESCISSION OF DEFERRED ACTION FOR CHILDHOOD ARRIVALS (“DACA”)
WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) initiated the orderly wind down of the program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
“This Administration’s decision to terminate DACA was not taken lightly. The Department of Justice has carefully evaluated the program’s Constitutionality and determined it conflicts with our existing immigration laws,” said Acting Secretary Elaine Duke. “As a result of

The administration's policy, which will take effect Tuesday would include:

• DHS will provide a limited 6 month window in which it will adjudicate the renewal process for DACA recipients
• The administration won't consider new applications for legal status dated after Sept. 5. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will reject all daca initial requests and EAD applications received after the date of Tuesday's memo, September 5th.
• USCIS will adjudicate on an individual Case by case basis

WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin expanding in-person interviews for certain immigration benefit applicants whose benefit, if granted, would allow them to permanently reside in the United States. This change complies with Executive Order 13780, “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States,” and is part of the agency’s comprehensive strategy to further improve the detection and prevention of fraud and further enhance the

Not every immigrant athlete has Senator Chuck Schumer on their side such as Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka.

In 2014 the New York Senator pulled strings within the USCIS expediting the pitcher’s P Visa application for a prompt arrival at the New York Yankees training camp in February of that year.[i]
More recently, Jung Ho Kang, a South Korean baseball player and recently signed Pittsburgh Pirate, was denied entry to the United States this year because three DUI’s. Now, the Korean ball-player

On July 11, 2017, the Trump Administration announced that it would delay implementation of the "International Entrepreneur Rule," a final rule that was set to go into effect on July 17, 2017. The International Entrepreneur Rule would have provided temporary parole status to entrepreneurs who could demonstrate that their parole would provide a significant public benefit in the form of economic growth and the creation of U.S. jobs.

AILA is seeking examples of individuals who have taken steps to

The MAVNI program was established in 2009 to allow immigrants with certain skills to become naturalized U.S. citizens after completing basic training and enlisting in the armed forces. According to the Department of Homeland Security’s Annual Report in June of 2017, as of 2016, USCIS completed 9,822 MAVNI naturalizations with an average processing time of 147 days. Now, lengthy processing times and delays are creating major problems in the program. Recently, the Pentagon began considering

Graham, Durbin to Hold Press Conference on Bipartisan Dream Act

WASHINGTON –U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) will hold a press conference on their bill, The Dream Act of 2017, that would allow a select group of young immigrant students– more commonly known as Dreamers – to earn lawful permanent residence and to have access to a path towards citizenship.

WHEN:

USCIS announced on July 19, that it has returned all fiscal year 2018 H-1B cap-subject petitions that were not selected in our computer-generated random selection process. USCIS previously announced on May 3, that it completed data entry of all selected cap-subject petitions.

If you submitted an H-1B cap-subject petition between April 3 and April 7, 2017 and have not received a receipt notice or a returned petition by July 31, you may contact USCIS for assistance.

We serve the following

USCIS anunció 19 de julio que ha devuelto todas las peticiones H-1B sujetas a la cantidad máxima reglamentaria establecida para el año fiscal 2018 que no fueron seleccionadas bajo nuestro proceso de selección al azar generado por computadora.
Anteriormente, el 3 de mayo, USCIS anunció que había completado la entrada de datos de todas las peticiones sujetas a la cantidad máxima reglamentaria.
Si usted presentó una petición H-1B sujeta a la cantidad máxima reglamentaria entre el 3 y el 7 de

USCIS released a revised version of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, on July 17. Instructions for how to download Form I-9 are available on the Form I-9 page. Employers can use this revised version or continue using Form I-9 with a revision date of 11/14/16 N through Sept. 17. On Sept. 18, employers must use the revised form with a revision date of 07/17/17 N. Employers must continue following existing storage and retention rules for any previously completed Form I-9.

Revisions to

WASHINGTON — Las empresas estadounidenses que están en peligro de sufrir daños irreparables debido a la falta de trabajadores temporales no agricultores disponibles podrán contratar hasta 15,000 trabajadores no agricultores temporales adicionales bajo el programa H-2B según una regla final que los Departamentos de Seguridad Nacional y de Trabajo presentaron hoy al Registro Federal. Para cualificar para las visas adicionales, los peticionarios deben declarar, bajo pena de perjurio, que sus

WASHINGTON — U.S. businesses in danger of suffering irreparable harm due to a lack of available temporary nonagricultural workers will be able to hire up to 15,000 additional temporary nonagricultural workers under the H-2B program under a final rule that the Departments of Homeland Security and Labor submitted to the Federal Register today. To qualify for the additional visas, petitioners must attest, under penalty of perjury, that their business is likely to suffer irreparable harm if it

“Internationally Recognized” Athletes

The P-1A Athlete Visa required for foreign aliens to enter the United States and participate in sports has been crucial to the development of major leagues as well as minor leagues since the 2006 COMPETE Act ratification. The qualifications for the athlete visa has been somewhat contentious and in 2011, USCIS clarified the qualifying definition of an “internationally recognized” athlete.

According to PM-602, revising chapter 33.5 (a) in the AFM, “The P-1A

WORLDWIDE, EL SALVADOR, GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, MEXICO, AND PHILIPPINES Employment-based Second (E2) Preference category: Readers were advised in item D of the May Visa Bulletin number 6, that it was likely that a date would be imposed at some point. High demand for numbers for USCIS adjustment of status applicants has required the establishment of a date for August. This action will allow number use to be held within the Worldwide E2 annual limit.

The E2 date for these countries will once

Visa Bulletin For August 2017