USCIS Announces Changes to Stand-Alone I-130 Filing Locations

USCIS has announced changes in the filing locations for Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative. Effective January 1, 2012, domestic petitioners will mail their stand-alone I-130 applications to either the Chicago Lockbox or the Phoenix Lockbox, depending on where they reside in the United States. USCIS has also announced that the new filing...

February 2012 Visa Bulletin: EB-2 Priority Dates for India and China reach 01/01/10

In the recently published U.S. Department of State Visa Bulletin for February 2012, the EB-2 priority dates for India and China have moved significantly to January 01, 2010 from January 01, 2009 in the January 2012 Visa Bulletin. Meanwhile, the EB-2 numbers for other countries remained current, along with EB-1, EB-4, and EB-5 numbers for all...

January 2012 Visa Bulletin: EB-2 Priority Dates for India and China reach 01/01/09

In the recently published U.S. Department of State Visa Bulletin for January 2012, the EB-2 priority dates for India and China have moved significantly to January 01, 2009 from March 15, 2008 in the December 2011 Visa Bulletin. Meanwhile, the EB-2 numbers for other countries remained current, along with EB-1, EB-4, and EB-5 numbers for all...

Bill that could reduce waiting period of Indians and Chinese for EB Green Cards passed

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the ‘Fairness for High-Skilled Workers Act’ that proposes, among other provisions, a provision to end per-country quota for employment based Green Cards. The bill proposes to eliminate the current provisions under which citizens of a country can be issued no more than 7% of total employment-based Green C...

December Visa Bulletin: EB-2 Priority Dates advance significantly for India and China

In the recently published U.S. Department of State Visa Bulletin for December 2011, the EB-2 priority dates for India and China have moved significantly to March 15, 2008, from November 1, 2007 in the November 2011 Visa Bulletin. Meanwhile, the EB-2 numbers for other countries remained current, along with EB-1, EB-4, and EB-5 numbers for all...

USCIS enhances filing process for select Naturalization and Citizenship forms

USCIS has informed that it is enhancing the filing process for select Naturalization and Citizenship (N-forms) forms. Beginning October 30, 2011, the new process will allow individuals to file these N-Forms at a secure Lockbox facility instead of USCIS local offices and individuals should begin submitting affected forms directly to the appropriate...

USCIS to allow bundled filings for L-1 petitions

USCIS has, in a communication to stakeholders, informed that if petitioners bundle multiple L-1B petitions related to the same project, where the location and the specialized knowledge duties of the beneficiaries are the same, USCIS will consider them together. It will also consider petitions for L-1A managers included with the bundle if such...

Chennai Consulate to be the Sole Blanket L Visa Processing Center in India

The US Embassy in New Delhi has announced that starting December 1, 2011, the US Consulate General in Chennai will be the sole Blanket L category visa acceptance and processing center in India. Companies throughout India will be requested to send Blanket L applicants exclusively to Chennai for visa interviews. The Embassy has announced that...

ALJ approves Settlement Agreement in Prince George’s County H-1B Teachers case

On September 20, 2011, the Office of the Administrative Law Judges (ALJ) of the U.S. Department of Labor, Washington, DC, issued a Decision and Order approving a Settlement Agreement between the Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division, and Board of Education of Prince George’s County in the matter of violations related to teachers in H-1B n...

The H1B Visa and EB-2 Green Card for Entrepreneurs and Start-up Companies

On August 2, 2011, the Obama Administration and USCIS outlined a series of initiatives to continue to promote start-up enterprises and spur job creation in the U.S. Under these initiatives, which are aimed at stimulating investment in the U.S., qualified entrepreneurs, including sole employees, can now utilize the H1B visa to establish and run a...

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