Pappas Law Group

Carlos Bajana, Jr. is an immigration law consultant with 14 years of experience in immigration law practice and procedure. Before joining the firm in 2004, Carlos worked for several internationally known immigration law firms in New York City. Carlos is fluent in English, Spanish, Italian and French.

The U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) reported today that as of yesterday’s count, 34,900 H-1B visa applications have been accepted for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011.  The USCIS will continue to accept applications until the annual quota of 65,000 authorized by Congress is reached.
The application period for FY 2011 H-1B visas began on April 1, 2010.  Based on the USCIS’ [...]

The U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) reported that on August 13, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Southwest Border Security Bill, also known as the Border Bill.
The law contains a provision to raise the filing fees effective immediately for certain H-1B  and L-1 visa applications.
The additional fees of $2,000 for H-1B visa and $2,250 for L-1 visa applications are applicable only to petitioning employers that employ 50 [...]

The Orlando Sentinel reported yesterday that President Obama and his Administration is considering easing the restrictions imposed on U.S. citizens on traveling to Cuba.
Loosening the travel restrictions would expand opportunities for American students, educators and researchers to visit Cuba.  However, the ongoing economic embargo that the U.S. imposed on Cuba 50 years ago will remain intact.
This is great news for the Cuban people [...]

Congress recently passed the Border Security Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2010. It was was passed by the House of Representatives on July 28, 2010 and then by the Senate on August 5, 2010.  The bill will be forwarded to the President and he is expected to sign it into law.
Out of the $ 540 million that was authorized by Congress, the U.S. Customs & [...]

The Orlando Sentinel reported today that Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, who is also running for Governor, introduced an Arizona-style immigration related legislation yesterday that would require Florida law enforcement to check the immigration status of anyone suspected of being an undocumented immigrant while enforcing other laws.
If the legislation becomes law, it would require immigrants to carry documents proving their valid [...]