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United States: USCIS Publishes Proposed Rule on H-1B Registration
USCIS has published a proposed rule that would require H-1B employers to register with the agency and receive a number prior to filing cap-subject petitions. The purpose of the rule is to reduce the...
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United States: USCIS Publishes First H-1B Numbers for FY 2012
USCIS received 10,400 cap-subject H-1B petitions during the initial filing period for FY 2012. Petitions counting against the cap may still be filed. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)...
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United States: USCIS Finalizes I-9 Document Rule without Change
A final rule on acceptable documents for the Form I-9 employment eligibility verification process makes no changes to employer obligations.A U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) regulation...
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United States: White House and USCIS Unveil Immigration Initiatives for...
To encourage foreign entrepreneurs to remain in the United States and create jobs, the Obama Administration and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services unveiled new policies aimed at allowing...
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United States: EB Immigrant Visa Numbers Unavailable Until October 1
The State Department has run out of immigrant visa numbers in all employment-based categories for this fiscal year. Until October 1, when next year’s visa quota becomes available, USCIS cannot approve...
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United States: Employers Now Getting Original Approval Notices from USCIS
USCIS recently began sending original Form I-797 petition approval notices (many with attached I-94 cards) to employers instead of their immigration attorneys. In the past, USCIS sent the original...
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United States: USCIS Will Not Conduct an H-1B Cap Lottery for FY 2012
All properly completed FY 2012 H-1B cap petitions received on or before November 22, 2011 will be processed to completion. USCIS has confirmed that it will not conduct an H-1B cap lottery for FY 2012....
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United States: USCIS Invites Business Leaders to Advise on Immigrant...
USCIS hopes that participants in the Entrepreneurs in Residence program will provide private-sector expertise in immigrant entrepreneurship and related business issues. Applications for the three-month...
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United States: USCIS Reports I-129 Receipting Delays
Due to the large number of H-1B cap cases submitted in recent weeks, USCIS Service Centers are delayed in issuing filing receipts for Form I-129 petitions. It may take up to 60 days or more for...
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United States: USCIS Announces Hurricane Relief Measures
USCIS has announced relief measures for foreign nationals and employers affected by Hurricane Sandy. In general, the agency may exercise its discretion to extend deadlines and forgive late filings from...
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United States – Immigration Fraud Schemes Continue to Target Foreign Nationals
Foreign nationals must continue to be on guard against a widespread fraud scheme currently being perpetrated in the United States. In the scam, individuals posing as immigration officers call or text...
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USA: USCIS begins unannounced visits to L-1 employers
The fraud unit of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is expanding its oversight of certain L-1 visas by initiating unannounced visits to petitioners beginning this month. USCIS...
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UNITED STATES: USCIS Expands Worksite Inspection Program to L-1 Employers
USCIS officers have begun making unannounced visits to the worksites of L-1 employers. The purpose of the visits is to verify whether L-1 employees are working in compliance with the terms of their...
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UNITED STATES: New data: Approvals of L-1B petitions fell in 2013
March 11, 2014 - New data released by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) show that the number of L-1B intracompany transfer petitions approved in FY 2013 fell sharply from FY 2012. For...
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UNITED STATES: USCIS to Delay Premium Processing of FY 2015 H-1B Cap Cases...
USCIS will not begin to work on H-1B cap cases requesting premium service until April 28, 2014. This means that employers will wait longer for cap filing receipts and may not see agency action on...
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UNITED STATES: FY 2015 H-1B Cap Season Begins
Demand for the FY 2015 H-1B cap is expected to be very high and cap numbers are likely to be exhausted quickly. Employers should be prepared for delays as the agency works to process the large number...
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UNITED STATES: H-1B Cap Update: To Address Courier Service Delivery Delays,...
Due to reports that courier services were unable to confirm delivery of a number of FY 2015 H-1B cap cases, USCIS is temporarily relaxing its prohibition against duplicate H-1B filings. In limited...
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UNITED STATES: USCIS clarifies new policy on I-693 medical exam validity
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has clarified its new policy on the validity period of Form I-693 Medical Exams required for adjustment of status applications. The new policy,...
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UNITED STATES: Stats show low success rates for H-1B, L-1 and EB-1...
The approval rates for H-1B, L-1, and EB-1 petitioners who file administrative appeals are extremely low, according to recently released statistics by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)....
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UNITED STATES: Amid Sustained High RFE and Denial Rates, USCIS Ombudsman...
The USCIS Ombudsman’s 2014 Annual Report targeted USCIS’s continued close scrutiny of high-skilled visa classifications. During the first half of fiscal year 2014, RFEs were issued in nearly 50% of...
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