In April this year, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced they had received sufficient electronic registrations for unique individuals for the fiscal year 2025 (“FY2025”) cap, including the advanced degree exemption (master’s cap). USCIS randomly selected properly submitted registrations and notified all employers.
Those with selected registrations were able to begin filing H-1B cap subject petitions for FY2025 as of April 1, 2024. The deadline for filing H-1B cap subject petitions online, based on a valid registration selection notice, was June 30, 2024, and paper-based H-1B cap subject petitions had to be received at a USCIS Lockbox Facility by July 1, 2024 (since June 30 was a Sunday).
Read moreUnited States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has announced that US lawful permanent residents (“LPRs”) who find themselves without a valid Green Card in their possession to demonstrate their current LPR status may now receive temporary evidence of their status by mail, rather than having to physically visit a field office to receive an Alien Documentation, Identification and Telecommunication (“ADIT”) stamp, which is also known as an I-551 stamp.
Read moreIt’s once again time for The Diversity Visa Lottery for fiscal year 2024 (“DV-2024”)! The online registration period for the DV-2024 began Wednesday, October 5, 2022, at 12:00 noon (EDT), and concludes on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, at 12:00 noon (EST). It is recommended that foreign nationals not wait until the end of the period to apply as heavy demand could cause delays on the website. Entries are only accepted electronically , they will not be accepted through the U.S. Postal Service. Keep in mind that submitting multiple applications will result in disqualification, not better chances, and yes, “the Department of State uses sophisticated technology to detect multiple entries.”
Read moreIn an effort to relieve longer than usual processing times for those seeking to replace or renew their Permanent Residency cards (or Green Cards), United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced that as of September 26, 2022, it will automatically extend the validity of Permanent Residency cards, or Green Cards, to twenty four months for those lawful permanent residents (“LPRs”) who file Form I-90 (Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card) to renew an expiring or expired Green Card.
Read moreThere are a variety of ways to become a lawful permanent resident through employment in the United States. The five main employment-based Green Card categories are: EB-1 (for foreign nationals with extraordinary ability, outstanding professors/researchers, or multinational executives/managers); EB-2 (for foreign nationals holding an advanced degree or its equivalent, or foreign nationals with exceptional ability); EB-3 (for skilled workers, professionals, or other workers—as defined within the immigration regulations); EB-4 (for special immigrants—as defined within the immigration regulations); and EB-5 (for immigrant investors). Under each category, there are several ways to pursue a Green Card.
Read moreMany people come up to me and say, “Joseph, how did you get your start in immigration law? I know that now you edit the law firm blog and work in human resources, but what was it like to be an immigration paralegal? And how does your hair get such great volume and bounce?”
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