Immigration Visa Attorney Blog

The last update from USCIS announced that the US advanced degree cap for H-1Bs has been filled.

The regular H-1B quota has accepted 46,200 petitions leaving 18,800 slots available for new H-1B cases to be filed.

We can expect this last batch of H-1B slots to fill up quicker since those with advanced degrees will now be making applications towards the regular H1-B quota.

Remember that if you have an H-1B pending, even with an outstanding RFE pending, the USCIS has allocated an H-1B for you if your case is ultimately granted. If you would like a free consultation regarding an H-1B filing this season, give the business immigration attorneys at Fong & Chun a call now. ---ecf

September 30 marks the end of fiscal year for 2011. I wanted to review some statistics regarding labor certification information by the US Dept. of Labor which shows some interesting statistics about labor certification processing times and audits between October 1, 2010 and May 31, 2011.

Labor certification audits are still taking about a year for review and out of approximately 22,000 of the cases that were pending as of May 31, 2011, only 44% of those case were pending initial analyst reviews. The rest of the 56% were either in audit, appeal, or at the sponsorship verification stage. Since DOL reported a 63% increase in applications compared to 2010, we can probably expect that audit queue to increase.

As many of you may have noticed, prevailing wage requests are taking more than 3 months for a determination. Those who might need to file labor certifications before the end of the year in order to preserve the ability to extend an H-1B might begin thinking about leaving the US and recapturing H-1B time later if you are unable to file the initial labor certification 365 days before your anticipated H-1B expiration date. While admittedly, this isn't the ideal scenario, it stops the H-1B clock, even if momentarily... so that you can plan for a timely extension when you're eligible. Call the business immigration attorneys at Fong & Chun if you'd like an assessment of your labor certification or H-1B case, don't wait another second! --ecf

In the last month, usage of H-1B numbers have continued to crawl upwards:

The regular H-1B cap has seen an increase from 25,300 petitions received to 32,200 as of September 9, 2011

The advanced degree cap has moved toward the 20,000 cap from 14,700 petitions received to 16,700 received as of September 9, 2011

With California unemployment rates hitting 12.1%, it looks like the H1B program may remain open for the long-term, ultimately giving H-1B job seekers additional time to find offers of employment. If you are an F-1 student on OPT seeking an appropriate H-1B job offer, please remember that maintaining status is crucial unless you are able (and willing) to consular process. ---ecf

So far, the USCIS has announced that it received 5,900 H-1B applications for the normal quota and an additional 4,500 for the advanced degree quota. These numbers were released yesterday, April 7, 2011.

In years past, many remember that the H-1B quota was exhausted as early as the first day of applications. Last year, the H-1B cap was not reached until January the following year. I would anticipate that with the economy still rebounding, the H-1B quota will last a significant amount of time. This will also ensure that everyone who can find a job offer this year will have a chance to make an H-1B application. Please contact the business immigration attorneys at Fong & Chun, LLP for a free consultation if you are interested in applying for an H-1B this year! ---ecf

It's H-1B season and the business immigration attorneys at Fong & Chun are busy once again fielding phone calls and inquiries regarding employment-based visas, including those of L-1 and new company visas. In the past few years, the USCIS and US Department of Labor have suspected newer and small companies of fraud, especially within the immigration system. New procedures and increased scrutiny of employment-based cases have made H-1B petitions and H-1B visas especially more difficult to attain.

Today's Wall Street Journal ran a story about the very disturbing trend revealed by the Securities and Exchange Commission that small private companies are merging with public shell (dormant) companies instead of going through more rigorous methods of becoming public, avoiding initial public offerings. SEC Commissioner, Luis Aguilar announced that since January 2007, 600 of such "backdoor registrations" occurred and most notably, more than 150 of these occurred in and around China.

It's no secret that the USCIS, as part of the US Department of Homeland Security (USDHS) is engaged in "national security, fraud detection and prevention." The DHS now has an unit attached to it which investigates corporations suspected of defrauding the government specifically through the H-1B program and other visa categories. This has made adjudications of all H-1B applications much more difficult and I believe we will see strict review of all H-1B and work related applications. ---ecf

The USCIS this week provided information on the types of immigration applications for Japanese nationals who are affected by disasters caused the earthquakes and tsunamis last week. In limited circumstances, the USCIS can expedite the processing of the following types of requests/cases:

requests for extensions or change of non-immigrant status even if the request is made after the applicant's stay has expired

re-parole of individuals who have already been granted parole by USCIS

expedited processing of advanced paroles

expedited adjudication and approval for requests for off-campus employment in the case of F-1 students suffering economic hardship

expedited employment authorization

If you or someone you know is eligible for these services, please contact the attorneys at Fong & Chun, LLP for assistance in making these applications to the USCIS. ---ecf

Japan: an 8.9 earthquake has rocked Japan today, marking the most powerful earthquake in Japan's recorded history. This quake is the fifth most powerful in the world since 1900, says the U.S. Geologic Survey. Tokyo reports massive aftershocks. Narita Airport, Sendai Airport remain closed, although Haneda Airport has reopened already. The immigration attorneys at Fong & Chun, LLP who practice in business immigration, family-based immigration, removal defense and appellate work extend sympathy and concern to all our Japanese clients and those with family and friends abroad who are affected by this devastating disaster.

Over the years, the immigration attorneys at Fong & Chun, LLP have worked proudly in the Japanese immigrant community, having represented multinational executives and managers for some of Japan's largest corporations, professors providing invaluable research and teaching in top U.S. universities, professional employees working in companies based in Little Tokyo and in Japanese American non-profit organizations, and of course, countless individuals and families of Japanese descent.

With early reports of the death toll, the true damage the earthquake has caused remains unknown at this moment. We do know that this earthquake may cause tsunamis powerful enough to engulf or wash over small islands in the Pacific causing more damage and posing continued danger to those in the Pacific. For clients wishing to return to Japan in the weeks to come, please call the attorneys at Fong & Chun, LLP for guidance on how to check the US Department of State for travel warnings and other restrictions. ---ecf

Over the years, the business immigration attorneys at Fong & Chun, LLP have reported on PERM processing times, which have varied at just several days to several weeks to over a year for initial adjudication. Currently, the Office of Foreign Labor Certification "OFLC" is reporting that initial adjudications are being completed in less than a month, which is a welcome relief for those on H-1B, H-1B1, TN, E-3 or other status where they may be running out of time to complete the labor certification process.

In terms of an update, the OFLC released it's annual performance report on FY2010 just this week. As many of you might know, the PERM application (Form ETA9089) is set to expire in June 2011, and the new form will be much longer and detailed (possibly 20 pages long as opposed to the current 10 pages). The annual report also makes this statement: "OFLC will apply stricter scrutiny to applications." In addition, the Department of Labor also announced that they will propose that employers pay a user fee to fund the PERM, H-2A and H-2B programs. Many people seeking PERM have already dealt with issues of eligibility on those dreaded Request for Evidence (RFEs) for nonimmigrant statuses and now the hurdles to filing a successful PERM case have also increased. It is more important than ever to prepare your PERM case early with an experienced immigration attorney especially one who will take the time to explain what employers and applicants should expect throughout the pre-filing and adjudications period for PERM, because be it slow or fast, OFLC is implementing much stricter scrutiny on all applications. For a free initial consultation on a PERM case, call the attorneys at Fong & Chun, LLP. --ecf ,

Clients who file their permanent residency applications through Fong & Chun, LLP are always advised to use employment authorization and advance parole (often referred to as "travel permit") documents with caution. As of February 11, 2011, USCIS has begun issuing employment authorization and advance parole documents in ONE SINGLE CARD, and as a result, the attorneys at Fong & Chun, LLP are concerned that applicants for permanent residency do not utilize the card without a careful analysis of whether using the card might jeopardize their current status or prevent them from re-entering the US after traveling abroad!

For many applicants who are applying for greencards through employment, using an employment authorization card with a company other than the sponsoring employer can be a violation of the applicant's current non-immigrant visa status. In some cases, this can result in a denial of the entire adjustment of status application!

It is very common for some applicants to be granted the advance parole document by USCIS, although leaving the country, even with the advance parole in hand, could bar them from re-entering. This scenario is typical for those who face the 3 or 10 year bar because of unlawful presence. Please contact the attorneys at Fong & Chun, LLP if you or someone you know is applying for permanent residency. ---ecf

So the H-1B cap for FY 2011 was finally reached on January 26, 2011. Petitions delivered to a USCIS service center on the 26th, will undergo the H-1B lottery, and if you "win" a slot for the coveted last day to submit an H-1B for FY 2011, your case will go on towards adjudication. Petitions that do not get "chosen" through the lottery, will be returned, along with filing fee checks and all documentation.

For the rest of you reading who are still looking for a job, or perhaps using your time on OPT which may expire in the next few months, the obvious question is "what next?" Aside from getting your petition ready for an April 1, 2011 filing (allowing an October 1, 2011 start date), the options care woefully limited.

F-1 students with degrees in the so-called "STEM" majors (science, technology, engineering and medicine) can apply for an extended OPT period. Others may be out of luck if they can't find a job offer that is H-1B eligible. Other than extending F-1 status by pursuing another degree or perhaps some type of certificate program in your major, some people will opt for a J-1 internship which allows professional graduates to work for up to 18 months in an internship program that is certified by USCIS through a J-1 sponsoring organization. Other options might be an O-1 if you are of extraordinary ability or perhaps you might be eligible for an investors visa if you are the entrepreneurial type. For more information on what your options might be, visit our website at www.fongandchun.com and fill out an intake form so we can help you decide your next move. --ecf

I've been fielding a lot of calls for PERM lately. I'm not sure if it's related to the fact that indications for the private sector and employment numbers are on the rise or if it's the beginning of a new year and everyone wants to start their permanent residency applications, or just what.

Either way, I wanted to summarize just what it takes to start and submit a successful PERM application. PERM, which is the formal name for the Department of Labor's (DOL) foreign labor certification application, Form ETA 9089 - is a complicated process. Before an applicant even deals with the USCIS, an applicant's employer must conduct a formal recruitment campaign, setting out advertisements for the employment opportunity and only after weeks of advertising plus a 30-day quiet period, can a PERM application be submitted. A useful overview of the entire process can be found at our website: www.fongandchun.com

In the meanwhile, a lot of things must be achieved during this time: DOL's independent verification of the company's existence, a prevailing wage determination also by DOL, and of course, meticulous documentation of the advertisings and recruitment results. If all goes well, a PERM applicant may see their application lodged with the DOL some 2-4 months after starting the process. Current processing times once a labor certification has been submitted are surprisingly short right now. Our office recently received a labor certification approval within 2.5 weeks of submission. And while I can't ensure that this trend continues, it is a welcome surprise. I will explain the second and third stages to a PERM application in the next blog, so please check back in a couple of days. ---ecf

Yet another update to the H-1B quota, also known as the Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 H-1B cap.

Approximately 34,900 cases have been receipted by USCIS for the regular Bachelor's degree H-1B quota.

Approximately 13,000 cases have been receipted by USCIS for the advanced degree H-1B quota open to applicants who have earned Master's or higher degrees from US colleges and universities.

Good luck to all H-1B applicants! ---ecf

Thanks to USCIS, we have four H-1B quota updates to report in the month of July 2010:

July 2, 2010: approximately 24,200 cap cases received; approximately 10,400 advanced degree cases received

July 9, 2010: approximately 24,800 cap cases received; approximately 10,600 advanced degree cases received

July 16, 2010: approximately 25,300 cap cases received; approximately 11,000 advanced degree cases received

July 23, 2010: approximately 26,000 cap cases received; approximately 11,300 advanced degree cases received

The numbers are creeping slowly upwards, but it looks like H-1B season may last the entire fiscal year. ---ecf

Beginning January 4, 2010, applicants for visas or greencards will no longer be considered inadmissible for being HIV positive. Early last month, the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) removed HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) from the definition of a "communicable disease of public health significance."

This marks a major success by immigration advocates like Fong & Chun, LLP and HIV/AIDS health advocates. J Craig Fong was cited in a recent Los Angeles Times article as one of the few immigration attorneys in the nation who work with HIV positive immigrants and who has been extremely successful in HIV waiver applications with the USCIS to overcome this ban.

Fong & Chun, LLP applauds the Centers for Disease Control, the HHS, and USCIS in recognizing that the ban against nonimmigrant visa and permanent residency applications by HIV positive individuals was wrong. --ecf

The H-1B quota has now reached approximately 46,700 and although the USCIS has announced that they've received approximately 20,000 advanced degree applications, it still continues to accept advanced degree cases.

I have been fielding a lot of questions about whether a person is still "in H-1B status" even if they are no longer working for the employer who sponsored them. Simply put, the answer is "no." When H-1B workers are petitioned for by a specific employer, not only are they expected to work for that employer only (unless they have a concurrently approved H-1B for a separate employer), but they must always comply with the original terms of the H-1B petition. Any changes considered to be material to the employment must be reported to the US Department of Labor and possibly to the USCIS.

Further, H-1B employees are considered to be out of status if they lose their jobs or quit working for the H-1B sponsor. And as of late, the USCIS has been conducting random on-site visits to H-1B employers, interviewing the foreign worker(s), HR or the company owner, as well as verifying the terms and conditions of their work.

It shouldn't be a surprise to people that the Department of Homeland Security is utilizing their resources to crack down on employers and employees under the H-1B program.

Just 3 days ago, Senator Grassley of Iowa wrote a letter to USCIS Director, Alejandro Mayorkas, imploring him to "ensure accountability" in the H-1B program. This wasn't the first time Sen. Grassley has done so. Earlier this year, Sen. Grassley called out "Microsoft" for their usage of the H-1B program as well.

If your company is facing lay offs or you have lost your H-1B job, you need advice on how to maintain status (if possible) and/or guidance on what you may face in future applications for work authorization or work visas. ---ecf