Category: H Visas

The combined omnibus spending bill that Congress passed on December 18, 2015, includes several immigration measures. Among other things, the supplemental fees for L-1 and H-1B petitions are increasing for companies that employ 50 or more employees in the United States and have more than 50 percent of their U.S. workforce in H-1B, L-1A, or… Read More

Responding to new requirements contained in the 2016 Department of Labor Appropriations Act, which was signed into law on December 18, 2015, as part of the omnibus spending bill mentioned in the prior article, the Labor Department’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) has provided emergency guidance (PDF) to employers seeking to employ nonimmigrant workers… Read More

Effective January 18, 2016, USCIS and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in consultation with the Department of State, are adding Andorra, Belgium, Brunei, Colombia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, San Marino, Singapore, Taiwan, and Timor-Leste to the list of countries whose nationals are eligible to participate in the H-2A and H-2B… Read More

The Department of Labor (DOL) has published a final rule establishing standards and procedures for employers seeking to hire foreign temporary agricultural workers for jobs in herding and production of livestock on the range. Among the issues addressed are the qualifying criteria, preparing job orders, program obligations of employers, filing H-2A applications requesting temporary labor… Read More

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has suspended premium processing for all H-1B extension of stay petitions until July 27, 2015. During this time frame, petitioners will not be able to file Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service, for a Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, requesting an extension of stay for an… Read More