USCIS Implements New Immigrant Visa Processing Fee
The USCIS implemented a new Immigrant Visa fee effective February 1, 2013. Applicants for an Immigrant Visa package issued on or after February 1, 2013, at a U.S. Consulate or Embassy abroad (including Canada and Mexico) are required to pay two Immigrant Visa fees: one to the U.S. Department of State (DOS) and one to […]
Fiscal Year 2014: H-1B Filing Date Coming up Quickly.
The H-1B visa category is used by employers hiring a foreign national in a professional level position (“specialty occupation”) requiring at least a Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) will begin accepting H-1B petitions on April 1, 2013 , with a start date of October 1, 2013 (FY 2014). […]
Who’s creating jobs now? Stall in U.S. Immigrant Entrepreneurship
According to a study released last month by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the U.S. is experiencing a steady decline in the percentage of immigrant founded start-ups. Nationwide, the percentage of immigrant founded start-ups declined from 25.3 to 24.3 percent since 2005. In Silicon Valley, the situation is even more pronounced with the percentage of […]
Special Registration and Third-Country Nationals
How would you respond if a clients asks, “I am a Canadian citizen, but I was born Iran. Do I need to comply with Special Registration?” The answer is not altogether clear from current immigration policies and regulations, but it is advisable to err on the side of compliance—even if it proves unnecessary. Your client […]
How to Document your Valid Relationship for Immigration Purposes
By: Gary Chodorow (gary@fwhonglaw.com) and Jacqueline Lentini McCullough (jacki@lentinivisas.com) Date: Aug. 20, 2009 Do you have a pending immigration case that will require you to prove the validity of your marital relationship to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) or to a U.S. Consulate? If you are applying for a K-1 fiancée visa, you […]
Four Ways to Apply for a Green Card
Legal Permanent Resident (“LPR”) What is a green card? –Allows foreign nationals to work in the US for any employer –Permits self-employment –Cannot vote –Can be deported if commit a crime that would rise to the level of deportation Immigration Agencies -U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) -Customs and Border Protection (CBP) -Immigration and Customs […]
Technology Company Agrees to Pay more than $740,000 in Back Wages to 73 H1-B Workers
In a recent settlement announced by the Department of Labor (DOL) in June 2012, Semafor Technologies, of Norcross, Georgia, agreed to pay workers $741,288 in back wages. The DOL’s Wage and Hour Division found violations of the H-1B visa program, which permits foreign nationals to work temporarily in the United States. Semafor Technologies is an […]
I-94 Card Automation
On April 30, 2013, Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) began automating the issuance of Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record for foreign nationals entering the U.S. by eliminating the paper form I-94. The form I-94 will be available in an electronic format for foreign national nonimmigrants arriving by air and sea, and does not apply to individuals […]