June 19, 2021
World Refugee Day falls on Sunday, June 20th, and marks an opportunity to celebrate refugees while also continuing advocacy for them. Refugees flee from persecution based on race, religion, nationality, and membership to a social group or political party. They are one of the most vulnerable populations in the world as they cannot trust their […]
May 06, 2021
On May 3, 2021, USCIS announced, that it will suspend the biometrics requirements for certain I-539 applicants for two years beginning on May 17, 2021. The biometrics suspension will apply to the H-4, L-2, and E-1, E-2, and E-3 categories of Form I-539 applications if: –The application is pending as of May 17, 2021, and […]
May 01, 2021
The Department of State (DOS) recently announced U.S. embassies and consulates are using a tiered approach to reduce the backlog in the processing of immigrant visas. DOS identified four priority tiers listing the main categories of immigrant visas in each: –Tier One: Immediate relative intercountry adoption visas, age-out cases (cases where the applicant will soon […]
April 20, 2021
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is seeking comment from the public (you) on how U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) can reduce barriers that prevent both U.S. and foreign citizens from obtaining access to the full assortment of legally available immigration services and benefits. The deadline for public comment is May 19, 2021. Badmus […]
March 31, 2021
USCIS announced on 3/30/2021 that H-1B Initial Electronic Registration Selection Process Completed From the USCIS news release: USCIS has received enough electronic registrations during the initial registration period to reach the fiscal year (FY) 2022 H-1B numerical allocations (H-1B cap) including the advanced degree exemption (master’s cap). We randomly selected from among the registrations properly […]
March 30, 2021
Happy Doctor’s Day to all our physician clients! Thank you for all you do!
March 28, 2021
Announcing Understanding the Latest Biden Administration Immigration Actions Seminar President Joe Biden has issued many executive orders and even proposed a comprehensive immigration bill to Congress. Join Asian Chamber of Texas and Attorney Ann Massey Badmus for insights and updates on these immigration action, particularly for businesses, employers, and individuals, including: Update on travel and […]
March 01, 2021
In its unrelenting assault on H-1B visas for IT professionals, the Trump administration turned back a long standing policy and denied thousands of H-1B petitions for computer programmer positions. The USCIS claimed these positions were no longer specialty occupations as defined by H-1B rules. Many companies filed lawsuits to contest denials based on this policy […]
February 27, 2021
You are going about your usual duties at work when you get a call that a government agent wants to speak with you about your H-1B visa. As you descend in the elevator to the lobby, your imagination goes wild. As you meet the agent, he identifies himself as an FDNS inspector and wants to […]
February 22, 2021
H-1B visas authorize highly educated non-citizen professionals to work for U.S. employers in specialty occupations. Current law limits the number of new H-1B visas issued each fiscal year. The H-1B quota for this fiscal year is 65,000 for those who hold at least a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent. In addition, 20,000 H-1B visas are […]