U.S. Immigration Attorneys and Counselors

Archive for July 2010

Jul

AILA Sues USCIS Under FOIA For Release of H-1B Policy Documents

On Tuesday, July 20th, AILA filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) seeking the release of records concerning agency policies and procedures for the H-1B visa program. AILA had attempted to obtain these documents under a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request which had been denied in full by USCIS.

Jul

Developments in Neufeld Memo Lawsuit

We have previously written extensively about the January 2010 Neufeld Memorandum and the recent lawsuit challenging its validity. We wanted to provide some recent updates on the case as it is of great interest to many of our clients and readers.

Jul

FY2011 H-1B Numbers Update – 25,300 Regular and 11,000 Masters Cap Visas Used (July 16, 2010)

USCIS released the weekly FY2011 information on the numbers of cap-subject H-1Bs filed since April 1. As of July 16, 2010, USCIS has received approximately 25,300 H-1B petitions counting toward the 65,000 cap (an increase of only 500 over the week). Similarly, as of July 16, there were 11,000 H-1B visas filed subject to the U.S. Masters cap which has 20,000 limit (an increase of only 400 over the week).

Jul

AAO Processing Times Report (July 1, 2010)

Our office handles a fair amount of appeals with the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) and we often receive inquiries not only about about the procedural aspects of an AAO appeal but also about the current processing times for AAO cases.

Jul

FY2011 H-1B Numbers Update – 24,800 Regular and 10,600 Masters Cap Visas Used (July 9, 2010)

USCIS released the weekly FY2011 information on the numbers of cap-subject H-1Bs filed since April 1. As of July 9, 2010, USCIS has received approximately 24,800 H-1B petitions counting toward the 65,000 cap (an increase of only 600 over the week). Similarly, as of July 9, there were 10,600 H-1B visas filed subject to the U.S. Masters cap which has 20,000 limit (an increase of only 200 over the week).

Jul

August 2010 Visa Bulletin – EB-2 and EB-3 Substantial Forward Movement

The August 2010 Visa Bulletin was just released by the State Department. The eleventh visa bulletin for the fiscal year 2010 brings some substantial forward movement in the EB-2 India category which had not moved for the past few months. Also, there is some gradual forward across all EB-3 employment-based categories.

Jul

Current PERM Processing Dates/Times (as of May 31, 2010)

The Department of Labor (“DOL”) has provided an update on the current PERM processing dates as of May 31, 2010. They are as follows:

Regular processing: August 2009. DOL is processing PERM applications with priority dates in August of 2009. This suggests that there is certain forward movement for regular PERM processing. Accordingly, regular PERM processing times should be approximately nine (9) months.

Jul

USCIS Plans Increase in Filing Fees

In a recent announcement, USCIS, as part of their annual budget review and due to lower-than-estimated fee revenue collection, proposed a fee increase that will amount to an average increase of 10% across the board.

Jul

FY2011 H-1B Numbers Update – 24,200 Regular and 10,400 Masters Cap Visas Used (July 2, 2010)

USCIS released the weekly FY2011 information on the numbers of cap-subject H-1Bs filed since April 1. As of July 2, 2010, USCIS has received approximately 24,200 H-1B petitions counting toward the 65,000 cap (an increase of only 700 over the week). Similarly, as of July 2, there were 10,400 H-1B visas filed subject to the U.S. Masters cap which has 20,000 limit (an increase of only 400 over the week).

We are Hiring!

Immigration Paralegal

New! Immigration Live Chat

Live Immigration Chat - Immigration Attorneys Answer Your Questions

Visa Bulletin Forecast

Free Initial Consultation

Client Testimonials

Testimonial B.T., U.S. (December 27, 2011). "Thank you kindly for your excellent service throughout the entire [employment-based green card] process. I have been so impressed and grateful for your clear and timely communication. You are very well organized and knowledgeable about the entire [...] process. We always felt you were representing us well and moving us through all of the requirements in a very expeditious and professional manner."
» More client testimonials...

Tools

Check Your USCIS Case Status

Weekly Newsletter
Subscribe Now | Read Past Issues

Client Extranet
Client Login | About