The Wall Street Journal on October 30th reported that despite the current economic downtrend, H-1B visas continue to be available. Since 1990, when the H-1B program was implemented, companies of all sizes from Silicon Valley, Wall Street, and everyone else in between, have used this program to bring highly skilled foreign workers such as computer programmers from India or engineers from China to [...]

The U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) reported recently that H-1B visas for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 continue to be available. As of August 28, 2009, about 45,100 H-1B applications subject to this fiscal year’s annual numerical cap and about 20,000 applications subject to the advanced degree cap have been received.  The USCIS will continue to accept both types of applications until they determine that enough H-1B [...]

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a Press Release recently containing additional guidance to certain employers who received a denial of Form I-129 (Petition for Non-Immigrant Worker) requesting H-1B classification for a beneficiary to practice in a health care specialty occupation before May 20, 2009. If the H-1B visa petition was denied only on the basis that the beneficiary didn’t [...]

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently sent a memo to the Directors of the US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) four (4) Service Centers clarifying the requirements for H-1B visa petitions where the applicant is seeking employment in a health care specialty occupation. The clarification applies to H-1B visa applicants who have either an unrestricted or a restricted license [...]

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced yesterday an update on the number of filings for H-1B petitions for the fiscal year 2010 program. USCIS has received approximately 45,000 H-1B petitions counting toward the Congressionally mandated 65,000 cap. We reported back on April 28, 2009 that there were 20,000 visas available.  Surprisingly, the number of applications received by [...]

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has updated the number of filings for H-1B petitions for the fiscal year 2010 program. The total applications filed as of April 26, 2009 is 45,000, which is 20,000 short of the H-1B Cap. The USCIS has received 20,000 petitions for applicants with advanced degrees, known as the H-1B Masters Cap.  USCIS will, however, continue [...]

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced yesterday that it has received approximately 44,000 H-1B petitions towards the Congressionally mandated 65,000 cap. The USCIS will continue to accept petitions subject to the general cap. Historically, the general H-1B visa cap has been reached within the first one to two days of the application period.  However, last year, the USCIS kept [...]

The U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) says that during the initial filing window for H-1B’s it has has received less than half the number of petitions needed to reach the 65,000 H-1B cap. Charles H. Kuck, President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) commented on the decrease in applications:  This indicates that H-1B filings really [...]

The Seattle Times reports today that with increasing layoffs, the downturn of the economy, and a slow down in hiring, Microsoft Corp. has applied for fewer H-1B visas for specialty occupations. Microsoft’s General Counsel Brad Smith said “Microsoft still sees the H-1B program as an important part of its strategy to hire the best people, regardless of their citizenship.” “I don’t think it’s feasible or [...]