USCIS Issues Revised Employment Authorization Document
As of May 11, 2010, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS ” ) has revised the Employment Authorization Document (“EAD”), to add a machine-readable zone to the back of the card. This update is part of the USCIS’ ongoing efforts to prevent immigration fraud. The machine-readable zone is compliant with International Civil Aviation Organization […]
B-1/B-2 Visitors: Change of Status Needed to Enroll in School
Before enrolling in classes, individuals who hold B-1 or B-2 status must first obtain student status, either F-1 (academic student) or M-1 (vocational student) status. USCIS recently reminded B-1/B-2 visitors that enrolling in classes while in B-1/B-2 status will result in a status violation. If B-1/B-2 visitors enroll in classes before a change of status […]
Termination of H1-B workers
With a recession upon us, many companies have no choice but to terminate some workers. What happens if a terminated worker is a nonimmigrant H-1B visa holder? There are several issues that arise for employers and terminated H-1B workers: (1) what happens to the authorized stay of a H-1B worker upon termination? (2) what is […]
FEE HIKES: DOS Increases Fees for Nonimmigrant Visa Applications and USCIS Proposes a 10% Filing Fee Increase
The Department of State (“DOS”) issued a fee increase effective June 4, 2010 for most nonimmigrant visa categories. The amount of the fee increase depends on the visa category. Most nonimmigrant visas have been increased to $140, such as the B-1/B-2 visa and Border Crossing Cards. Petition-based visa categories such as the H-1B, L-1, O-1, […]