Important H-1B Update: FY 2024 H-1B Cap Petitions May Be Filed Starting April 1, 2023. The period for filing the H-1B cap-subject petition will be at least 90 days, through June 30, 2023. Learn more.

Important H-1B Update: FY 2024 H-1B Cap Petitions May Be Filed Starting April 1, 2023. The period for filing the H-1B cap-subject petition will be at least 90 days, through June 30, 2023. Learn more.

Category: Employment Visas

Increases to Visa Costs Delayed Until 2024

After six months of little word about the proposal, USCIS has announced that proposed increases to visa fees will not be instituted until March 2024. This is excellent news for both potential employment visa recipients and their sponsors, as the rate increases primarily focused on these applications.  However, USCIS is just delaying fee hikes, not canceling them. The agency still

Read More »

USCIS Provides New Guidelines for Compelling Circumstances EADs

Foreign nationals with H-1B visas rely on their employment to remain in the US. H-1B holders are technically defined as nonimmigrants, but many have approved I-140 applications and are waiting for their green card.  This nonimmigrant status puts them in a precarious and even dangerous position if they lose their jobs. In most cases, they must either find new employment

Read More »

Canadian Program to Recruit US H-1B Visa Holders Meets Quota in One Day

US H-1B visas are more popular than ever before. In fact, these employment visas are so renowned for attracting educated and driven applicants that Canada has opened a program specifically to poach H-1B holders.  This program, known as the Tech Talent Strategy, was designed to attract some of the best and brightest H-1B applicants to Canada. It offered applicants with

Read More »

U.S. Pilot Program May Permit Limited In-Country Renewal of H-1B Visas

As part of a new “people-to-people” initiative, the Biden administration has announced the launch of a limited pilot program to permit recipients of certain employment visas to renew their visas without leaving the country.  This announcement occurred after a bilateral meeting between President Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Tens of thousands of H-1B workers must leave the U.S.

Read More »

Should You Consider the EB-5 Visa?

Demand for U.S. visas has exceeded the supply for years. However, certain visas are less well-known than others. For example, the EB-5 visa is an often-overlooked option for people looking to live and work in the U.S. However, the EB-5 visa is gaining wider recognition as alternatives like the H-1B visa become increasingly competitive. It has all the benefits of

Read More »

90% of Laid-Off H-1B Employees Found New Jobs

Several months ago, Silicon Valley and the wider tech industry experienced a dramatic series of layoffs. Employers like Google, Facebook, Twitter, and other giants laid off thousands of employees each, with nearly 95,000 people losing their jobs in just a few weeks.  This number included thousands of H-1B visa holders. Tech companies hire a significant majority of all H-1B candidates

Read More »

USCIS Identifies Widespread H-1B Visa Fraud

In a surprising announcement last month, USCIS alleged that several dozen “small technology firms” conspired to commit H-1B registrant fraud.  According to the announcement, these companies worked together to give their candidates a better chance of selection in the annual H-1B visa lottery by registering multiple times. USCIS has stated it is in the process of performing “extensive fraud investigations,

Read More »

The Importance of the I-797 Form in H-1B Applications

If you are sponsoring a candidate for an H-1B visa, you need to understand the I-797 form. This form is sent to visa applicants by USCIS to notify the recipient about important updates to their applications. However, multiple types of I-797 forms can be sent depending on the circumstances. ‘ No matter where you are in the sponsorship process, these

Read More »

New H-1B and L-1 Bill Introduced in Senate

A new bill introduced to the Senate has the potential to completely overturn much of the H-1B and L-1 visa application processes. The bill, called the “H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act,” was introduced by a bipartisan group of senators to make it more difficult to acquire these visas and require employers to focus more heavily on recruiting U.S. employees. 

Read More »

Court Ruling Declares H-1B Spouses Permitted to Work in the U.S.

As of April 2nd, 2023, a federal ruling has confirmed that spouses of H-1B visa holders are authorized to work in the U.S. This ruling confirms the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulation that first offered this authorization.  The ruling was issued in Save Jobs USA v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Advocacy group Save Jobs USA argued that the

Read More »

Schedule a consultation

DUBLIN OFFICE

6379 Clark Avenue, Suite 260
Dublin, CA 94568

SANTA CLARA OFFICE

5201 Great America Parkway,
Suite 320, Santa Clara, CA 95054