From our firm to everyone throughout the world, we wish each and every one of you a Happy Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving Day is in essence a harvest festival observed primarily in Canada and the United States.  It is a time to give thanks for the harvest and giving thanks for what is most important to people in general.  While possibly religious in origin, Thanksgiving [...]

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reported today that the agency has implemented a standardized form for applicants to submit with certain applications to request a waiver of the filing fees charged for processing of forms to grant or deny immigration benefits. USCIS Form I-912 (Request for Fee Waiver), is available for use beginning today.  Additionally, the USCIS’ increase in filing [...]

The New York Times reported yesterday that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, would introduce a bill in the upcoming Congressional lame duck session to legalize certain undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children, otherwise known as the DREAM Act. The Senator tried to introduce the DREAM Act as part of a larger military appropriations bill prior to the midterm elections. However, the [...]

The U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) reported today that it has accepted 47,800  H-1B visa applications so far in Fiscal Year (FY) 2011.  When we last reported on the number of H-1B visa applications back on November 12, 2010, the USCIS counted 46,800 applications. Based on the most recent figures, the USCIS’ acceptance rate of H-1B visa applications has remained steady at about 1,000 per [...]

As a reminder, the US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin charging higher filing fees for most applications beginning November 23, 2010. The USCIS conducts filing fee reviews every 2 years to determine whether costs to administer the immigration laws, process applications, and provide the technology and personnel needed are being recovered. The USCIS, a fee based agency uses about [...]

The U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) reported recently that it has accepted 46,800  H-1B visa applications so far in Fiscal Year (FY) 2011.  When we last reported on the number of H-1B visa applications back on November 3, 2010, the USCIS counted 45,600 applications. Based on the most recent figures, the USCIS’s acceptance rate of H-1B visa applications has been climbing from an average [...]

Veterans Day is an annual American holiday honoring military veterans that is observed on November 11th. The original name of the holiday was Armistice Day proclaimed by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson in 1919. Seven years later, Congress passed a resolution requesting that the President issue a proclamation to observe the holiday with with appropriate ceremonies.   The act, (52 Stat. 351; 5 U.S. Code, Sec. 87a ) made [...]

The U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) reported today that in Fiscal Year (FY) 2010, the agency has naturalized over 11,000 U.S. military service members in military duty stations throughout the U.S. and abroad. That is the largest number of military naturalizations in any year since the Korean War. The number of military naturalizations is increasing due to the USCIS’ outreach to eligible military [...]

The U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services  (USCIS) reported recently that it has accepted 45,600  H-1B visa applications so far in Fiscal Year (FY) 2011.  When we last reported on the number of H-1B visa applications back on October 28, 2010, the USCIS counted 44,300 applications. With less than 20,000 visas available, the race for petitioners to submit their applications before the quota is reached is intensifying. Related [...]

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that Temporary Protected Status (TPS) have been extended for an additional 18 months for eligible Somali nationals from the current expiration date of March 17, 2011, through the new expiration date of Sept. 17, 2012. During the past year, both the Secretaries of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of State (DOS) have [...]