USCIS to Raise Fees December 23, 2016
The United States Citizens and Immigrations Services (USCIS) agency has announced filing fee increases effective December 23, 2016. The average increase is 21%, but the increases range from 8% to 41% depending on the form. What can you do? If you are planning to file a form in the near future, please contact me as […]
Proposed Rule Offers New Hope for Foreign Entrepreneurs
A new proposed rule represents a hopeful change for foreign entrepreneurs looking to stay in the U.S. to start and grow their businesses. Currently the only routes for foreign entrepreneurs to obtain a visa involve huge risk. Those routes, via a Treaty E visa or the EB-5 visa program, require applicants to make significant […]
Form I-9 Gets Smart
Have you ever had an employee come to you to say that the Form I-9 documentation they gave when you hired them 5 years ago was not correct? Maybe they are coming forward now with the correct documents. Maybe they are just alerting you. Either way, you get an uneasy feeling. Because you know this […]
THE WAITING BEGINS: WILL YOUR H-1B CASE BE SELECTED IN THE LOTTERY THIS YEAR?
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on April 7, 2016, that it received significantly more H-1B petitions than allowed under the statutory cap for fiscal year (FY) 2017. U.S. businesses use the H-1B program to employ foreign workers in occupations that require highly specialized knowledge in fields such as science, engineering and computer programming. […]
The 5 Best Ways to Succeed in H-1B Season
The cork is barely out of the new year’s champagne when I begin working on the H-1B petition process for clients. Yes, H-1B season is upon us and this year looks to be another tight lottery. Here are the five best ways to approach your H-1B process to give you the greatest chance of […]
The STEM OPT Saga and What It Means For Employers Now
Did you know that 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies were started by immigrants or their children? Yes, 40 percent. Companies such as Kraft, Heinz, Proctor & Gamble, General Electric, Mattel and Disney all fall into that category. Apple and Google are also on the list. Technology and the internet have seemed to accelerate […]
Making Sense of the Simeio Decision
In the six months since the Matter of Simieo Solutions LLC decision, H-1B employers and foreign nationals have experienced much anxiety over the new ruling and what they need to do to comply. Despite the guidelines issued on July 21, 2015, the decision continues to cause confusion. If you would like to better understand the […]
How It All Started…And My Thanks
In weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, I want to thank you for your faith in me and for letting me help you support your foreign national employees. Helping foreign nationals has been a passion of mine from the time I was in college. When I went to Boston University for my undergraduate studies, many foreign […]