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The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on March 15, 2013 that, based on feedback from a number of stakeholders, “USCIS anticipates that it may receive more than 65,000 cap-subject H-1B petitions and more than 20,000 petitions filed on behalf of individuals with a U.S. master’s degree or higher between April 1, 2013 and … Read more

A new bill, introduced by Senators Barbara Boxer (D-California) and Roy Blunt (R-Missouri), mandates the inclusion of Israel in the Visa Waiver Program.  The Visa Waiver Program allows citizens of certain designated countries to enter the U.S. for up to 90 days for business or tourism purposes without first having to apply for a visa. … Read more

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released the new revised Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) on March 8, 2013. As background, employers are required to use the Form I-9 to verify the identity and employment authorization eligibility of each individual they hire.  Employers are required to maintain Forms I-9 for as long as an … Read more

Starting March 4, 2013, certain relatives of U.S. citizens who are in the country illegally will be able to complete part of the processing of their immigration cases without having to leave the country. Under current immigration law, many immigrants who enter the country illegally or overstay their visas cannot apply for permanent resident status … Read more

The annual H-1B cap season for U.S. companies (other than institutions of higher education and non-profit research institutions) will be opening in less than two months, on April 1, 2013!  Experts are predicting that this season will be the shortest since the start of the 2008 recession.  This means that there will likely only be … Read more

Members of Congress will be debating a new bill proposing that Israel be admitted as a member of the U.S. Visa Waiver Program.  If the bill is passed, it would enable Israeli citizens to enter the United States for up to 90 days for business or tourism purposes without having to first apply for a … Read more

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced an extension of the re-registration period for Haitian nationals who have already been granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and seek to maintain that status for an additional 18 months. Given the impact of Hurricane Sandy on regions where many Haitians reside, the re-registration period has been extended until … Read more

On February 1, 2013, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin collecting a new Immigrant Fee of $165 from foreign nationals seeking permanent residence in the U.S. through consular processing. According to USCIS, the new fee allows the agency to recover the costs of processing immigrant visas in the U.S. after immigrant visa holders … Read more

As expected, on Wednesday, December 5, 2012, Senate Democrats blocked consideration of a Republican bill that was passed in the House of Representatives on November 30, 2012.  The bill would have given 55,000 immigrant (permanent resident) visas to foreign graduates of American universities with advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The bill … Read more

The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 6429, the “STEM Jobs Act of 2012,” by a 245-139 vote on November 30, 2012.  The bill would allocate 55,000 immigrant visas for certain foreign graduates in advanced degree programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).  It would exclude students with degrees in biological and biomedical fields. … Read more