H-1B Visa for Foreign Architects and Civil Engineers

business immigrationEkaterina PowellApril 22, 2024H-1B Specialty Occupation Visa, h-1b visa, unlicensed architect, unlicensed civil engineer, foreign workersComment

USCIS Is Changing who may qualify for H-1B visa

USCIS is Changing Who May Qualify for H-1B Visa

Ekaterina PowellOctober 13, 2020H-1B Specialty Occupation Visa, h-1b visa, Trump Administration, changes DHS, specialty occupation, employer-employee relationship, nonimmigrant workersComment

Upcoming Changes to the H-1B Visa Program and Prevailing Wage Levels

USCIS may soon implement new regulations pertaining to the H-1B visa program aimed at attracting only the best and the brightest foreign talents.

Ekaterina PowellOctober 2, 2020H-1B Specialty Occupation Visa, work visa, uscis, immigration proclamations, prevailing wage, h-1b visa, highly-skilled workersComment

H-1B Visas for FY 2020: USCIS Announces Filing Date, Updates, & Changes

Along with the filing date for cap-subject fiscal year 2020 H-1B specialty occupation visas, USCIS has announced a number of other important changes and updates to the program.

Ekaterina PowellMarch 25, 2019Employment-Based Visas, H-1B Specialty Occupation Visa, Immigration Law, Employment Immigration Attorney, California, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Form I-907, Form I-129, United States Citizen and Immigration Services, USCIS, Department of Homeland Security, DHSComment

L-1 Intracompany Transfer Visa: USCIS Announces a Restrictive New Interpretation

A new USCIS memo introduces changes to the L-1 Intracompany Transfer Visa’s requirements that could very well result in severe complications concerning one’s eligibility for the benefit.

Ekaterina PowellJanuary 21, 2019California, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Employment Immigration Attorney, Employment-Based Visas, L-1B, L-1A, L-1 Intracompany Transfer Visa, United States Citizen and Immigration Services, USCIS, H-1B Specialty Occupation Visa, E-2, Policy MemorandumComment

DHS’s Proposed Changes to the H-1B Visa Lottery Process

DHS has proposed rule changes that will significantly impact the H-1B Specialty Occupation Visa program, namely the process petitioners will apply under and the order by which applications will be selected.

Ekaterina PowellDecember 14, 2018H-1B Specialty Occupation Visa, Employers, Employees, Employment-Based Visas, Business Immigration Attorney, Immigration Law, United States Citizen and Immigration Services, USCIS, DHS, Department of Homeland Security, California, San Diego, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Los AngelesComment

USCIS Extends Suspension of Premium Processing for H-1B Visa Petitions

USCIS will extend its suspension of premium processing services for H-1B petitions into next year.

Ekaterina PowellAugust 30, 2018H-1B Specialty Occupation Visa, USCIS, United States Citizen and Immigration Services, Employment-Based Visas, entrepreneur immigration, Business Immigration Attorney, Immigration Attorney, California, Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, San Diego, San FranciscoComment

USCIS Completes Lottery Selection of the Year's H-1B Visa Petitions

USCIS has announced the completion of its data entry for all FY 2019 H-1B cap-subject petitions selected in its computerized random selection process.

Ekaterina PowellMay 18, 2018H-1B Specialty Occupation Visa, Employment-Based Visas, USCIS, United States Citizen and Immigration Services, Business Immigration Attorney, California, Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, San Diego, San FranciscoComment

USCIS Update: H-1B Cap for Fiscal Year 2019 Reached

USCIS has announced that the cap for next years H-1B non-cap exempt visa petitions has been reached.

Ekaterina PowellApril 9, 2018United States Citizen and Immigration Services, USCIS, H-1B Specialty Occupation Visa, Business Immigration Attorney, Immigration Law, California, Los Angeles, San Diego, Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Employment-Based VisasComment

H-1B Cap Petitions: USCIS Suspending Premium Processing for Fiscal Year 2019

The USCIS-announced suspension of premium processing for cap-subjected H-1B petitions and its notable implications.

Ekaterina PowellMarch 21, 2018United States Citizen and Immigration Services, USCIS, H-1B Specialty Occupation Visa, Premium Processing, Form I-907, Form I-129, Expedited ProcessingComment

New Guidance on H-1B Petitions for Third-Party Site Workers

The H-1B specialty occupation visa process has undergone another overhaul, at least when it comes to third-party workers.

Ekaterina PowellMarch 5, 2018H-1B Specialty Occupation Visa, Third-Party Workers, United States Citizen and Immigration Services, USCIS, Itinerary, Labor Condition Application, LCA, US, Employers, Employees, Business Immigration Attorney, San Diego, California, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Silicon ValleyComment

H-1B Wage Level 1 RFEs: Specific Actions to Take

USCIS has adopted the inappropriate practice of using wage levels to help determine whether a H-1B position is a specialty occupation. Here are some specific actions petitioners may take in securing a favorable outcome.

Ekaterina PowellJanuary 19, 2018H-1B Specialty Occupation Visa, Department of Labor, DOL, USCIS, United States Citizen and Immigration Services, Wage Levels, Labor Condition Application, LCA, Education, Employment-Based Visas, Degree, Business Immigration Attorney, San Diego, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Los AngelesComment

Strategies for Combating Level 1 Wage RFEs for H-1B Petitions

Each and every argument USCIS uses in justifying its use of wage levels to determine an H-1B position's specialty occupation eligibility is propped up by flaws that, if appropriately expounded upon, may assist in obtaining a favorable adjudication.

Ekaterina PowellJanuary 16, 2018H-1B Specialty Occupation Visa, Department of Labor, USCIS, DOL, United States Citizen and Immigration Services, Wage Levels, Business Immigration Attorney, LCA, Labor Condition Application, San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Silicon ValleyComment

USCIS Now Issuing H-1B Specialty Occupation RFEs Due to Low Wage Levels

In a startling new trend, USCIS has begun issuing RFEs to H-1B petitions claiming Level 1 and 2 wage levels. What has led to this sudden occurrence, and is there any reasonable justification?

Ekaterina PowellJanuary 15, 2018H-1B Specialty Occupation Visa, Business Immigration Attorney, Requests for Evidence, Trump Administration, Employment-Based Visas, Wage Levels, Job Zones, USCIS, Department of Labor, United States Citizen and Immigration Services, American Immigration Lawyers Association, San Diego, Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, San FranciscoComment

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