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In its recent decision in Matter of Khan, 26 I&N Dec. 797 (BIA 2016), the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) held that an Immigration Judge does not have jurisdiction to consider a waiver of inadmissibility under section 212(d)(14) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) for an applicant for U nonimmigrant status. The BIA held that […]
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“The driver is safer when the roads are dry, the roads are safer when the driver is dry.” Certainly true. For individuals who have entered the United States on non-immigrant visas, I would also add “the driver’s non-immigrant visa is safer when the driver is dry.” Driving Under the Influence (DUI) of alcohol is serious, […]
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Cases for U non-immigrant status are taking an abnormally long time to process with USCIS currently. The backlog is frustrating for applicants and attorneys, alike. The delays are attributed to many factors, including an increase in petitions, a cap on visa limits, and a large backlog at the Vermont Service Center of USCIS. U non-immigrant […]
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has amended the regulations regarding Optional Practical Training (OPT) for certain F-1 students who earned a degree in Science, Technology Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) from a U.S. college or university. The amended rule allows F-1 Students currently on OPT who possess a degree in a STEM field to extend […]
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Once again, H-2B employers are on pins and needles trying to ascertain whether the government will follow its own regulations in order to facilitate the timely issuance of H-2B seasonal visas for temporary skilled workers. The H-2B process in and of itself is one of the most technical and time-sensitive immigration procedures in the United […]
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Recently, USCIS released statistics regarding Form I-918 U Nonimmigrant Status Petitions. While the numbers were generally not surprising, they give us a general indication of the strains on the U visa program. U Nonimmigrant Status, commonly referred to as a U visa, is available to people who have been victims of certain crimes, and who […]
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In September 2015 the U.S. Department of State (DOS) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) jointly announced a new framework for foreign national beneficiaries in the employment based and family based visa preference categories. This new framework is implemented through the new Visa Bulletin which took effect on October 1, 2015. The new Visa […]
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The U.S. Department of State has announced that the worldwide “Visa Freeze” is over, and U.S. Embassies and Consulates around the world are able once again to schedule visa interviews and issue U.S. visas. The State Department expects that the backlog of cases should be cleared by this week. The separate problems with the online […]
Continue Reading The U.S. State Department has announced that due to a computer hardware failure, it is currently unable to issue most immigrant and nonimmigrant visas. The technical problem impacts visas that were approved on or after June 8, 2015. In addition, the State Department announced that due to the technical issue, visa applications filed on or […]
Continue Reading U.S. employers of all sizes use the H-1B visa program to employ foreign workers in professional level occupations that require specialized knowledge in their field. Many years ago, the U.S. Congress set a limit or “cap” of 65,000 H-1B visas for each fiscal year (FY). An additional 20,000 H-1B visas are available for foreign workers […]
Continue Reading On April 9, 2015, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service’s Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) issued an important decision that will impact thousands of H-1B employers across the country. In its precedential decision, Matter of Simeio Solutions, LLC, 26 I&N Dec. 542 (AAO 2015), the AAO held that when an H-1B employee changes his or her […]
Continue Reading Posted by Zuzana Geremes, Paralegal President Obama concluded his three-day visit to India on January 27, 2015 where he met, among others, with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. With regards to US immigration issues, President Obama and Prime Minister Modi touched on the topic of the H-1B visas. In particular, the Times of India […]
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