The H-1B quota is still open but the H-1B advanced degree quota is nearly full. So for anyone looking to make an application, my advice is to watch the numbers carefully as the end of the year approaches. 41,000 H-1B petitions have been received out of the 65,000 petitions that…
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…
Today the world mourns Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs was the creator and visionary at Apple, Inc. but he is remembered as one of the world’s greatest business leaders, ranking up there with the likes of Ford and Rockefeller. Steve Jobs was credited for bringing technology and it’s benefits to the…
Last weekend, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced the launch of a new USCIS website for students looking to study in the US. The website’s name? Yup, “Study in the States.” The new website which will be of use to F-1 and M-1 hopefuls, is aimed at disseminating…
Just when you thought you were close to the front of the line, US Department of State announced yesterday that no further employment based preference cases (the so called EB cases) can be allotted toward the fiscal year 2011 quota. Translation: No more employment based approvals of I-485s for now.…
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…
It has been a while since I have posted H-1B quota numbers but here is the most recent update from USCIS as of August 12, 2011: Approximately 25,300 petitions received for the regular H-1B quota. Approximately 14,700 petitions received for the advanced degree H1B quota. H-1B processing times remain the…
And so the saga continues. I have received a lot of phone calls from H-1B hopefuls, many in the same situation: highly qualified individuals with marketable skills with either no job offer in hand or a tenuous job offer from an employer not willing and able to withstand the challenges…
H-1B cap numbers as of July 1, 2011: Steady usage of the Bachelor’s degree H1b quota with about 1,000 more petitions received since last count, resulting in 18,400 cases received as of July 1, 2011. The H1B advanced degree cap has advanced by about 600 cases resulting in 11,900 H-1B…
What is the H-1B cap gap?? F-1 students seeking first-time H-1B status are often in some period of OPT (optional practical training) when submitting an H-1B petition. “H1B Cap gap” is the term that USCIS refers to as an extension of either the F-1 student’s status and/or the student’s OPT…