U.S. Immigration Attorneys and Counselors

Archive for March 2011

Mar

Update on EB-2 Visa Availability: Low EB-1 Demand to Cause EB-2 India to Advance

A recent update from USCIS and Charles Oppenheim at the Department of State (the person who is responsible for the Visa Bulletin and visa number allocations) should provide some hope to applicants in some categories, but most notably to the EB-2 India category.

Mar

Reminder: H-1B Work Visa Quota Opens for New Filings on April 1

One of the most popular U.S. work visas, the H-1B, will start accepting filings for new H-1B employment on April 1, in exactly one week. Pursuant to each yearly H-1B quota, new H-1B filings can be filed on April 1, at the earliest, for a starting date of employment on or after October 1.

Mar

E-Verify Self Check System Now Available to Residents of Five States and DC

As of yesterday, March 21, 2011, the E-Verify Self Check system has been launched and made available to users who maintain an address and are physically located in Arizona, Idaho, Colorado, Mississippi, Virginia or the District of Columbia.

Mar

Immigration Relief Options for Japanese Nationals Impacted by the Recent Disaster

After the recent earthquakes and tsunami in Japan, our office is receiving a number of inquiries by Japanese nationals regarding relief options and alternatives in various U.S. immigration situations. USCIS has also indicated that they would provide relief in a number of situations understanding that a disaster may affect the ability of an individual to maintain status in the U.S. or to otherwise comply with the relevant immigration regulations.

Mar

What Does the Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) Do?

The Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) is a centralized processing facility for petition-based nonimmigrant visa programs and for the Diversity Visa program (also known as “green card lottery”). Located in Williamsburg, Kentucky, KCC serves a variety of important functions affecting many visa applicants and foreign nationals who are selected under the Diversity Visa lotttery. There are 300 employees, of which 97% are under private contracts.

Mar

April 2011 Visa Bulletin – Slow Movement in EB; No Movement (Again) for EB-2 India; FB1 Retrogresses; FB2A Moves Forward

The U.S. State Department just released the April 2011 Visa Bulletin which is the seventh Visa Bulletin for the FY2011 fiscal year. The major headline in the upcoming month’s bulletin is the slow forward movement in FB2A (after few significant backward movements), the significant retrogression in the FB1 preference visa numbers, accompanied by the continued slow forward movement across the employment-based categories.

Mar

AAO Processing Times (March 1, 2011)

Our office has established a reputation as one of the premier practices for handling 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. The AAO processing times are published monthly, at the beginning of the month, and we are providing monthly updates and analysis for the benefit of our clients and readers.

Mar

New Mailing Address for Form AR-11, Change of Address

About Forms AR-11 and AR-11 SR

The law requires that most non-U.S. citizens residing in the U.S. to report a change of address within 10 days of moving by completing a Form AR-11, Change of Address. Similarly, AR-11 SR is a form which requires non-U.S. citizens who are subject to “Special Registration” to update their address within 10 days of moving.

Mar

U.S. Consulate in Mumbai to Stop Accepting New H and L Visa Stamp Applications

The Department of State announced yesterday that effective March 3, 2011, the U.S. consulate in Mumbai, India would limit the number of applicants it can process due to the building’s aging infrastructure. While a new multi-million dollar facility is under construction (scheduled to open later this year), the current facility of the consulate seems incapable of handling the current number of visa interviews.

Mar

USCIS Publishes Proposed Rule on H-1B Cap Pre-Registration Requirement

In early January we wrote about a USCIS proposal to create a pre-registration system for new H-1B cap cases in order to make the H-1B cap application process more efficient and to eliminate waste associated with H-1B cap petitions which are filed on or shortly after April 1st (when the H-1B cap filing window opens) but are not ultimately selected because the demand of H-1B cap petitions exceeds the available 65,000 (plus 20,000 for U.S. Masters degree holders) H-1B visas.

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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."
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