Immigration
USCIS Reaches FY 2018 H-1B Cap
Halt to Premium Processing of H-1B Visa Petitions Hurts Workers, Business and USCIS
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced it will halt premium processing of H-1B visa petitions on April 3, for up to six months. Through the H-1B visa category, employers can petition for highly educated professionals to work in specialty occupations that require at least a bachelors degree or the equivalent. This decision will not only disrupt the plans of thousands of foreign nationals who are recent graduates of U.S. universities, workers and businesses, but also could have a significant impact on the fee-funded agencys revenue.
Lawsuit Against DHS and USCIS Seeks Transparency in H-1B Lottery Process
In order to pry open that box and let the American public and those most directly affected see how the lottery system works from start to finish, and to learn whether the system is operating fairly and all the available numbers are being used, the American Immigration Council and the American Immigration Lawyers Association have teamed up on a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and USCIS, seeking information about the government s administration of the H-1B lottery.
H-1B Visa Cap Reached in Five Days for Fourth Consecutive Year
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on April 7 that the H-1B cap for fiscal year 2017 was reached, meaning that in five business days, U.S. employers filed more petitions for an H-1B visa to hire a skilled foreign worker than the entire year s allocation of visas available under current law. This means that USCIS will conduct a lottery to determine which employers will get the visas they need.
U.S. Investigates Outsourcing at Utility for its H-1Bs Employees
The U.S. government is investigating two Indian outsourcing firms and a California power company over whether they violated labor and immigration laws by replacing American workers with foreigners on temporary work visas. The Labor Department said it is trying to ensure the Indian companies and Southern California Edison complied with the terms of the nation s skilled-worker-visa system. Controversy has exploded in recent months over whether these foreign workers, who typically have visas known as H-1Bs, displace or complement U.S. workers.
Obama to ease rules for foreign high-skilled workers
The Obama administration wants to let nearly 100,000 spouses of foreigners working in high-tech fields to work here as well in a move critics say is harmful to nearly 10 million jobless Americans. The administration also hopes to ease the process for foreign professors and researchers who are trying to extend their stays in America.
Silicon Valley steps up role in immigration debate – YEA!!
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg - one of the world's richest tech innovators - will break new ground next month by speaking publicly for the first time on a political issue when he delivers an address on immigration reform in San Francisco at the West Coast premiere of a film about undocumented immigrants.
Anti-immigrant advocates have it wrong on the labor market
The recent buzz that there really isn t a shortage of science, technology, engineering and math (known collectively as STEM) workers is belied by the experience of hundreds of tech companies that are willing to expend additional money in finding and relocating skilled workers from overseas. There, too, research suggests the anti-immigrant forces are peddling snake oil.
High-Tech Industry Big Winner in Senate Immigration Bill
High-tech companies looking to bring more skilled workers to the U.S. pushed Monday for more concessions in an immigration bill pending in the Senate.--Many high tech companies are concerned about the number of restrictions designed to ensure U.S. workers get a first shot at jobs and also the calculation for the H-1B Cap
Hangout Supporting the March for Innovation- Immigration Reform
Schumer and Hatch strike breakthrough deal on H-1B visas
The broad bill requires employers filing visa petitions to first offer a job to an "equally qualified" U.S. worker. Hatch s revised amendment number 12 would impose this requirement only on "H-1B-dependent" companies but clarifies the definition of such companies. The underlying bill also bars companies from displacing a U.S. worker within 90 days of filing a visa petition for an H-1B worker. Hatch s amendment number 13 would shield non-H-1B-dependent companies by allowing them to only stipulate that they do not have the intent to displace U.S. workers. The Schumer-Hatch deal accepts the original intent standard for non-H-1B companies but only for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) positions. For all other professions, there would remain a strict prohibition against displacing workers within 90 days of visa petitions.
Hatch was the Republican to win over on immigration
The bill would have nearly doubled the number of those visas available each year, to 110,000. The agreement with Hatch allows companies to more quickly reach the eventual cap of 180,000, so long as the unemployment rate in those professions does not top 4.5%. New requirements that companies seek American workers or not displace those on the job would also be eased--This was absolutely a victory for the High Tech industry.
Hatch negotiates to expand H-1B visas as part of Senate immigration bill –That’s a good move!
Tech Industry Pushes to Amend Immigration Bill
The industry achieved its main goals in the draft Senate bill: an easing of the green card process and an expansion of the number of skilled guest worker visas. That draft, though, includes language that it considers excessive regulatory oversight of when a company can hire a temporary foreign worker and lay off an existing American worker--The problem with pushing for more amendments is that it may endanger the entire bill, which would affect millions of people.
Possible H-1B Filing Mechanics Under The Gang of Eight’s New Immigration Reform Bill (S. 744)
H-2B Visa Cap Count Update as of April 26, 2013
As of March 31, 2013, USCIS has receipted filings on behalf of 44,263 beneficiaries toward the 33,000 H-2B cap amount for First Half of FY-2013. This count includes 44,089 approved and 174 pending petitions. As of April 26, 2013, tor the Second Half of the FY 2013 Fiscal Year, USCIS has receipted filings on behalf of 21,769 beneficiaries toward the 33,000 H-2B cap amount. This count includes 14,891 approved and 6,878 pending petitions.
Judiciary Committee Smacks Down Jeff Sessions Amendment To Limit Immigration
Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee abandoned Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) on Tuesday in his effort to limit the number of immigrants who could come to the United States, and helped Democrats to kill the amendment in a 1-17 vote--I hate to see what will happen with immigration reform in the GOP controlled House.
Senators protect fragile compromise on H-1B visas–Even the Gang of 8s version is not enough…
Raising the H-1B Cap is seems to be one of the more controversial aspects in these negotiations. Here is the crux of the issue: The discussions are part of an ongoing tug-of-war between technology firms that say the country cannot supply enough skilled workers, whose demands have been championed largely by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), and labor groups who say those firms are simply trying to avoid hiring more Americans.
Tech Firms Push for Immigration Reform
H-1B Cap Lottery: What are the odds of being selected?
If you are a normal H-1B Cap Applicant, you therefore have a 59.9% chance of being selected in this year s FY-2014 H-1B Lottery. If you and your employer are in the unlucky 40.1% who do not receive a Cap Number, absent immigration reform, you will have to wait until April 1, 2014 to reapply for the H-1B visa.
Latest USCIS News Release on Reaching the FY 2014 H-1B Cap
For the first time since 2008, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reached the statutory H-1B cap of 65,000 for fiscal year (FY) 2014 within the first week of the filing period. USCIS received approximately 124,000 H-1B petitions during the filing period, including petitions filed for the advanced degree exemption. On April 7, 2013, USCIS used a computer-generated random selection process (commonly known as a "lottery") to select a sufficient number of petitions needed to meet the caps of 65,000 for the general category and 20,000 under the advanced degree exemption limit. For cap-subject petitions not randomly selected, USCIS will reject and return the petition with filing fees, unless it is found to be a duplicate filing--this visa category needs serious reform!
USCIS Reaches FY 2014 H-1B Cap–This program needs immigration reform!
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) 2014. USCIS has also received more than 20,000 H-1B petitions filed on behalf of persons exempt from the cap under the advanced degree exemption. After today, USCIS will not accept H-1B petitions subject to the FY 2014 cap or the advanced degree exemption-- This program needs immigration reform!
H-1B Visas: A Program in Serious Need of Immigration Reform
Visas for high-skilled workers could double under bipartisan Senate plan
The expansion of the visas, known as H1Bs, is one element of talks among a bipartisan group of eight senators, whose legislation is expected to serve as the basis for a deal between Congress and the White House to retool the immigration system. The number of visas available would approximately double from the current limit of 65,000 per year.