Immigration Visa Attorney Blog

Time to apply? Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Syrians in the US! The USCIS has just announced that Syria will now be a designated country for temporary protected status. Due to the political instability in Syria, Syrians who are now in the United States will soon be able to apply for TPS which will allow them to be granted employment authorization and for extensions of the TPS designation is extended for Syria. The initial TPS designation will be for 18 months. USCIS has instructed applicants NOT to submit applications yet but applications may be prepared now in anticipation of more guidance next week. Remember that TPS is not automatic and applicants will have to show their eligibility, and background checks will still be conducted of all applicants. Those who will be found ineligible are those who have multiple convictions or other factors but certain noncriminal and non-security grounds can be waived. If you are interested in applying for TPS, call Law Offices of J Craig Fong for a consultation. ---ecf

This is just in from AILA. It has been reported that in the May 2012 visa bulletin, the USDOS will retrogress the priority dates for China and India EB-2 to August 15, 2007. The April 2012 priority dates are at May 1, 2010. It's still too early to know how long the regression will last, or when there will might be forward movement again this fiscal year. USDOS did report that demand for this preference category from China and India remains very high. Cases will still be "preadjudicated" and held by Dept. of State under their "pending files" in order to be ready when visa numbers can be used for cases filed after May 1, 2010. ---ecf

Bad news for those watching in the China and India EB-2 preference category priority dates. It is reported on March 16 that the US Department of State will likely retrogress the EB-2 priority dates to around August 2007 in the May or June 2012 visa bulletin. The April 2012 visa bulletin priority dates for China and India are at May 1, 2010. All other countries are current.

The reason given for the anticipated retrogression is that USDOS anticipates there will be no "spill down" from any unused EB-1 numbers, meaning all the allocated immigrant visa numbers for Fiscal Year 2012 will likely be used this year in the employment first preference category. This is also an important note for EB-1 applicants: if you are planning an employment first preference case, you might want to get that case in earlier than later. Call the business immigration attorneys at the Law Offices of J Craig Fong to plan your employment cases now. ---ecf

The days of PERM processing within a week or two are long gone, but the business immigration attorneys at the Law Offices of J Craig Fong, have seen a decrease in time for adjudications at US Dept of Labor.

Although processing times still vary, we have recently seen certifications within 2 months of filing. The icert portal reports that analyst reviews are hovering around the submission date of November 2011. That's about 4 months from submission to getting an initial response.

In the world of audits, Department of Labor reports that they are working on cases originally submitted around July 2011. As many had expected, supervised recruitment is still an issue. In a report summarizing PERM cases filed between October 1, 2011 to March 5, 2012, the Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) confirmed 26,100 active cases as of March 5 with only 4% of cases undergoing supervised recruitment. While it's still early in the fiscal year, we also know it takes time for a case to proceed from submission to audit, it was notable that a full 26% are in audit review. We may expect an increase in supervised recruitment requests.

Understanding how to protect your PERM case from audit or denial is tricky. There are no guarantees with this system and it is fraught with risk. One must see the forest for the trees. There are very specific timeframes and requirements that have to be observed with precision, but your attorney must help you keep sight of the big picture, too. Many people contact me after a labor certification is approved but with a denied I-140 in hand. While you can always start over if you've extra time left on your current nonimmigrant status, it's a given that processing times are still significant. This makes it as important as ever to know that your labor certification application is in the hands of someone with experience, someone who can get the job done the first time. Call The Law Offices of J Craig Fong for a consultation to discuss your PERM case to get a real view of what you might be dealing with in PERM. ---ecf

For you eager watchers of the USDOS Visa Bulletin, you know that the visa bulletin gets published about 2 weeks prior to the start of the new month. This month, we are seeing steady movement in the employment-based third preference. We are still working our way through the bulge of 2006. It has been excruciatingly slow, but those of you with 2006 priority dates are now seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and now is the time to call Law Offices of J Craig Fong to ensure that your documentation is updated and ready for adjustment or consular processing, at long last. If you have changed employers and are unsure of your status, or ported, perhaps travelled and entered on advanced parole or have been terminated from your job, we'll need to talk! ---ecf

The family-based chart:

The employment-based chart:

H-1B news. April 1, is just around the corner. The so-called "H-1B season" is upon us with preparations in high gear for early filings. While I won't give predictions or insight into how long this quota will last, the important thing is to prepare your case well and do it as early as possible.

This blog entry will focus on a 2010 H-1B USCIS memo that was updated on March 12, 2012 discussing "employer-employee" relationships. Simply put, this memo gives guidance on how to prove up cases involving independent contractors, self-employed beneficiaries, and beneficiaries placed at third-party worksites. Having represented a range of employers with H-1B workers who travel about for their jobs in technology, accounting and finance, and business consulting, the attorneys at the Law Offices of J Craig Fong know the challenges facing employers in initial H-1B petitions, updating LCA requirements, and keeping employees in status throughout their H-1B stay, wherever they may be performing services. Such employers must know that they have additional responsibilities in preparing itineraries and documenting prevailing wages in different geographic areas.

If you or your employer have a non-traditional employment arrangement, such as one involving different worksites, contact the attorneys at Law Offices of J Craig Fong for a free initial consultation. ---ecf

The March 2012 Visa Bulletin has been published and we are seeing some movement.

The family-based chart:

The employment-based chart:

For those of you who may be seeing the visa bulletins for the first time, or just need a refresher in how to actually read the charts, have a look at our June blog entry: Are we THERE yet? The Mysteries of the Visa Bulletin.

I'll continue to post future visa bulletins here. Give us a call if you see your priority date nearing! ---ecf