The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services  (USCIS) has announced that it will accept H-1B petitions filed without Labor Condition Applications (LCA’s) that have been certified by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) for a period of 120 days (4 months). The temporary change in policy is due to the USCIS having received requests from the public to accept H-1B petition filings that include [...]

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 Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC), a component of the U.S. Department of Labor, announced earlier this month the implementation of a new “one-stop visa portal system” called the iCERT System, to improve employer access to employment-based visa and green card services. Beginning April 15, 2009, employers or their authorized representatives will be able to register with [...]

Before an employer files a petition for an H-1B visa for a prospective employee it is important that certain rules are followed to minimize the chances of rejection by the USCIS. Below is a list of five do’s and don’ts that a petitioning employer should take into consideration when submitting an H-1B visa petition. Do’s Ensure that all questions on the application Form [...]