Headlines: 1. Immigration Reform Bill Passes ‘Test’ Vote in Senate – The Senate’s bipartisan bill on comprehensive immigration reform has passed a “test” vote; formal debate has begun. 2. DOL Publishes Final Labor Certification Rule, Prohibits Substitutions; USCIS Terminates Premium Processing for I-140s Requesting Substitutions – The regulation’s provisions apply to permanent labor certification applications […]
by Cyrus D. Mehta* and Poorvi Chothani** America is a nation of immigrants and its history of admitting newcomers goes all the way back since its inception. Millions upon millions of people have been attracted to this country because it provides opportunities to anyone who works hard, regardless of race, religion or national origin. In […]
by Cyrus D. Mehta* During the week ending May 18, 2007, there has been significant seismic activity that could radically change the way we know US immigration law. Rumblings have gone on throughout the week involving advances in employment –based visa numbers, a DOL rule that will eliminate substitutions and prohibit foreign nationals from paying […]
We reproduce the following message from the AILA Infonet site: Your urgent action has never been needed more than now, when the debate and negotiations on comprehensive immigration reform legislation are nearing a "make or break" point. Contrary to what you may be reading in the press, the negotiations between a White House-led group of […]
by Cyrus D. Mehta* On May 4, 2007, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has received enough H-1B petitions to fill the 20,000 cap for those who have earned master’s degrees or higher from a U.S. institution of higher education. The announcement retroactively assigns April 30, 2007 as the “final receipt […]
Headlines: USCIS Completes FY 2008 H-1B Selections, Changes Procedures – USCIS has completed the random selection process to determine which FY 2008 H-1B petitions would be accepted for processing, and outlined new procedures. DHS Issues Final Rule on Petitioning Requirements for O and P Nonimmigrants – DHS issued a final rule to permit petitioners to […]
by Elizabeth T. Reichard* March was indeed a month of madness for immigration lawyers. We had to balance a number of very pressing concerns – the need to prepare hundreds of H-1B visa petitions so that they were received by the USCIS on April 2, 2007, the April 1, 2007 deadline to submit all RIR […]
by Cyrus D. Mehta * While the debate on whether to legalize millions of undocumented immigrants and create a pathway for their citizenship continues to rage, a gem of a book advocates for a paradigm shift on how we ought to be viewing immigrants. It essentially states that immigrants ought to be treated like citizens. […]
by Cyrus D. Mehta* 65,000 H-1B visas are not enough to meet the demands of our work force! Tell Congress today! Call or email your senators and representative and let them know that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services received on April 2 – the first day H-1B applications could be filed for fiscal year […]
by Elizabeth Reichard* The U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) just announced that it has reached the H-1B cap after having received 150,000 H-1B petitions on April 2, 2007. April 2 was the first day on which a Fiscal Year 2008 H-1B petition could be filed with the USCIS under the congressionally mandated yearly cap […]
