Archive for the ‘H-1B’ Category
ALERT: H-1B CAP FILING PERIOD OPENS APRIL 1, 2012!
The filing period for the next H-1B cap season opens April 1, 2012 for an October 1, 2012 start date. Petitions are accepted up to 6 months in advance of October 1, 2012.
The H-1B visa is a temporary work visa for a degreed professional (or someone with equivalent experience) seeking employment in a position complex enough to need his/her specific degree.
Each year, there are 65,000 slots available to holder’s of U.S. or foreign Bachelor’s degrees or foreign Master’s or higher degrees (or equivalent experience). There are an additional 20,000 slots set aside for individuals with U.S. Master’s or higher degrees.
Please don’t hesitate to contact our San Francisco Immigration Law Office if you or your employer need assistance with an H-1B petition.
Tags: H-1B, h-1b cap, H-1B quota, H1b, USCIS, work visa
Posted in Alerts, H-1B, Nonimmigrant Visas, USCIS | Read More »
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE SENDING WAVES OF STAFF TO CHINA AND BRAZIL
The U.S. DOS is sending waves of temporary staff to China and Brazil to address growing visa demands and shorten visa wait times. The employees are helping process the high number of visa applications until permanent staff arrive.
The 2011 mission to Brazil resulted in processing 820,000 visa applications, which is a 42% increase from the previous year. The DOS plans to double the consular staffing in Brazil over 2012 by adding 50 new officer positions. Current visa wait times in Brazil are down to under 50 days.
China has seen even more growth than Brazil, specifically in 2011, during which DOS employees processed more than 1 million visa applications. This is a 34% increase over the previous year. Current visa wait times in China are down to under 10 days.
Tags: Brazil, China, Department of State, U.S. consulate, U.S. visas, visa wait times
Posted in H-1B, Immigrant Visas, Nonimmigrant Visas | Read More »
H-1B CAP Update: 18,800 H-1B Visas Left
The USCIS announced on October 21, 2011 that 20,000 U.S. Master’s cap numbers and 46,200 regular cap numbers have been taken. This means that there are 18,800 H-1B slots left for this year. Practitioners are anticipating that these remaining visas will run out by the end of the year.
The H-1B category is for degreed professionals seeking jobs that are complex enough to need a degree. Please contact our San Francisco law office as soon as possible if you’d like assistance with an H-1B petition.
If the cap closes, the next available filing window opens April 1, 2012 for an October 1, 2012 start date.
Tags: Bachelor's degree, h-1b cap, H-1B quota, U.S. Master's
Posted in Alerts, H-1B, Nonimmigrant Visas | Read More »
Update: H-1B Count 05/26/2011
As of May 26, 2011, the USCIS has received 13,100 H-1B regular cap petitions (of 65,000) and 9000 U.S. advanced degree petitions (of 20,000). An H-1B work visa is a temporary status for a professional holding a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree (or the equivalent in experience) in a specific specialty and working in a position that requires such degree (or experience). Please see prior posts for more details.
As you can see, there are plenty of H-1B numbers left. Please don’t hesitate to contact our San Francisco Immigration Law Office if you need assistance with an H-1B petition.
Tags: cap, H-1B, H-1B visa, quota, specialty occupation, USCIS
Posted in Alerts, H-1B, USCIS | Read More »
H-1B’s Crawling Forward
As of 04/29/2011, the USCIS has receipted 9,200 H-1B regular cap petitions and 6,600 U.S. Master’s cap petitions. Please see prior posts for information about the H-1B program and eligibility requirements. Otherwise, don’t hesitate to contact our San Francisco Immigration Law Office if you need assistance with an H-1B petition.
Posted in Alerts, H-1B, Nonimmigrant Visas, USCIS | Read More »
H-1B Count As Of 04/15/2011
The most recent H-1B count shows that only 7100 regular cap petitions (of 65,000) have been received at the USCIS and 5100 U.S. Master’s petitions (of 20,000).
H-1B status is a temporary work status for an individual with a Bachelor’s or higher degree (or equivalent experience) in a specific specialty who will be working in a professional position that requires that degree (or experience). Each year, there is a limited number of H-1B work visas available. As of 04/15/2011, there are many slots left.
Please contact our San Francisco Immigration Law Office if you need assistance with an H-1B petition.
Tags: cap, H-1B, quota, specialty occupation, U.S. Master's
Posted in Alerts, H-1B, Nonimmigrant Visas | Read More »
H-1B Cap Is Wide Open
As of April 7, 2011, the USCIS has received 5,900 petitions (of 65,000) under the regular cap and 4,500 petitions (of 20,000) under the U.S. Master’s cap. Thus, both caps remain wide open for filings.
The H-1B cap system refers to the allotted number of H-1B slots available each fiscal year. The cap opened April 1, 2011 and to date, there are over 70,000 total slots left.
As discussed in prior posts, the H-1B visa category is for professionals holding a Bachelor’s degree or higher in a specific specialty. The professional must be working in a position that requires their Bachelor’s degree or a related degree.
Please contact our San Francisco Immigration Law Office if you need assistance with an H-1B petition.
Tags: cap, H-1B, quota, USCIS
Posted in Alerts, H-1B, Nonimmigrant Visas | Read More »
USCIS Proposes H-1B Employer Registration Process
The USCIS has proposed a rule that would require employers seeking to file H-1B cap petitions to first register electronically with the USCIS during a designated registration period. H-1B cap petitions are those subject to the 85,000 annual quota (most commonly new petitions where an individual has never held H-1B status before). This proposed rule does not apply to employers filing for someone already holding H-1B status and changing employers or seeking an extension.
If the USCIS anticipates that 85,000 petitions will not be received by the first day of the filing period (i.e. April 1), the USCIS would then notify registered employers that they are eligible to file H-1B petitions on behalf of the beneficiaries named in the registration. USCIS would continue to accept and select registrations until the H-1B cap is reached.
If the USCIS anticipates that the cap would be reached within the first day, the USCIS would close registration before April 1 and randomly select a sufficient number of timely filed registrations to meet the cap. Employers who were not selected may be placed on a waitlist by the USCIS. If the employer is not chosen in the lottery or placed on a waitlist, it would receive notification that it cannot file cap petitions for that fiscal year.
Please stay tuned for updates on whether this rule is implemented.
Tags: h-1b cap, H-1B employer registration
Posted in H-1B, USCIS | Read More »
ALERT: FY2012 H-1B Cap Period Opens April 1, 2011!
The USCIS will begin accepting FY2012 H-1B cap petitions April 1, 2011. These petitions are for H-1B employment opportunities with a start date of October 1, 2011 (the start of FY2012 for the USCIS). The H-1B category is for holders of Bachelor’s or higher degrees (or equivalent experience) who are being sponsored for positions that are complex enough to require a degree in a specific specialty.
Each year, the government allots 65,000 H-1B slots for individuals holding a Bachelor’s degree (U.S. or foreign) or Master’s or higher degree from a foreign institution. There are an additional 20,000 slots for holders of U.S. Master’s degrees. In 2007 and 2008, the H-1B visas were gone in the first few days of April. In 2009 and 2010, they remained available for several months. It’s unlikely that the visas will be gone immediately this year. However, that being said, to maximize your chances of getting an H-1B number, it is advised to file on or near April 1, 2011 whenever possible.
Please contact our San Francisco Immigration Law Office if you need assistance with an H-1B petition or have questions about the above.
Tags: h-1b cap, H-1B quota, H-1B visa, H1b
Posted in Alerts, H-1B | Read More »
FY2011 H-1B CAP CLOSED!
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it has received a sufficient number of H-1B petitions to reach the statutory cap for fiscal year (FY) 2011. USCIS is notifying the public that yesterday, Jan. 26, 2011, is the final receipt date for new H-1B specialty occupation petitions requesting an employment start date in FY2011.
The next filing period opens April 1, 2011. Please contact our office if you’d like assistance with a FY2012 H-1B petition.
Tags: etc., h-1b cap, quota
Posted in Alerts, H-1B, Nonimmigrant Visas | Read More »
