Articles Posted in Immigration News

Both the US House and Senate have passed the bill S.3245, which provides a 3-year extension to the following programs:

1. EB-5 Regional Center program – The Immigrant Investor Pilot Program (“Pilot Program”) was created by Section 610 of Public Law 102-395 (Oct. 6, 1992), and has been extended through Sept. 30, 2012. EB-5 requirements for an investor under the Pilot Program are essentially the same as in the standard EB-5 investor program, except the Pilot Program provides for investments that are affiliated with an economic unit known as a “Regional Center.” Investments made through regional centers can take advantage of a more expansive concept of job creation including both “indirect” and “direct” jobs.

2. E-Verify – an internet-based program used by an employer to verify an employee’s identity and to establish that the worker is eligible to accept employment in the United States.

Processing Time reports for all of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) Service Centers were released on September 13, 2012 with processing dates as of July 31, 2012.

If you filed a petition with one of the Service Centers, please review the links below to determine the applicable processing time associated with your particular case.

California Service Center

MVP Law Group, P.A. makes available the information and materials in this forum for informational purposes only. The information is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice or any contractual obligations. Further, the use of this site, and the sending or receipt of this information, does not create an attorney-client relationship between us. Therefore, your communication with us through this forum will not be considered as privileged or confidential.

Question #1 – Employment Based Immigration – Green Card: Biometrics

The fingerprints that I gave the USCIS a while ago are set to expire soon. Should I make an Info Pass appointment at my local USCIS office to give them a new set of fingerprints?

On September 5, 2012, the United States Embassy in India announced it will begin using a new visa processing system. The new system will standardize procedures and simplify fee payments. Appointment scheduling will be completed by phone or through the website, www.ustraveldocs.com/in. The new visa processing system for India will be available beginning September 26, 2012. This system streamlines the visa process to help meet the increased demand for U.S. visas by offering more online services. One difference to note is that first-time applicants will need to schedule two appointments; one for fingerprinting and one for the consular interview.

For further details read the original press release (http://newdelhi.usembassy.gov/pr090512.html).

We wanted to find a new way to engage our reader base. Every other Friday, we will post the ten (10) best/most frequently asked questions received during the week from our h1bvisalawyerblog, Facebook, and Twitter readers. We will answer those questions and provide the Q&A on our H-1B Visa Lawyer Blog.

If you have a burning question, are seeking assistance with a difficult immigration related case, wish to discuss your views on Comprehensive Immigration Reform, DREAMers, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, priority dates, the monthly visa bulletin, adjustment applications, etc., please contact us by submitting your question/comment/viewpoint in our comment box provided on our H-1B Visa Lawyer Blog.

Our next “Q & A Forum” will take place this Friday, September 14, 2012. Act now and submit your questions!

In the past two weeks the Republican and Democratic Parties have released their official 2012 Party Platforms. Here we’ve compiled the major points of each Party’s platform that relate to immigration.

The Republican Party Platform on Immigration (Summary)

• Supports the rule of law and opposes any form of amnesty.

The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Service Center Operations (SCOPS) liaison committee expressed concern to USCIS that the significant delays in adjudicating cap-subject H-1B petitions at the two service centers will cause disruptions for employers who rely on the arrival of new H-1B workers and disruptions for the continued employment of F-1 practical trainees as H-1B workers, on October 1, 2012, initiate, continue, or expand projects. SCOPS replied that USCIS understands AILA’s concerns about the processing times for cap-subject H-1B petitions, including cap-gap and consular notification cases.

Service Center Operations has made adjudication of these cases by October 1st a top priority by adding additional resources as available. USCIS states that service centers are doing their best to adjudicate these cases as soon as possible. AILA thanked SCOPS for that information and alerted them that petitioners are concerned that they will be forced to upgrade to premium processing.

Source of Information: “AILA InfoNet Doc. No. 12090443 (posted Sep. 4, 2012)”

MVP Law Group, P.A. makes available the information and materials in this forum for informational purposes only. The information is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice or any contractual obligations. Further, the use of this site, and the sending or receipt of this information, does not create an attorney-client relationship between us. Therefore, your communication with us through this forum will not be considered as privileged or confidential.

Question #1 – Employment Based Immigration – Green Card

I appealed my denied my labor application to BALCA. My employer just got notice that my appeal has been docketed. When can I expect a decision?

In EB permanent residence, commonly referred to as “green card,” cases there are and have always been many unknown factors that impact processing times. The timeframes can range by years from one case to the next. Procedures can change in mid-stream, disrupting plans and strategies.

Labor Certification – PERM

All labor certifications are filed under the PERM process. Under PERM, all cases must be pre-advertised. There is a 30-day “quiet period” following the completion of recruitment efforts. The case can only be filed after the 30 days. Thus, the time required for preparation of a PERM case is a combination of this quiet period, a 30-day State Workforce Agency (SWA) job order requirement, a number of recruitment requirements, a job posting, and the need to obtain a prevailing wage determination. Of course, all of the time necessary for the preparation and review of a case, and communication between the lawyer and the employer and/or employee, must also be considered. Additional time is required for the employer to screen resumes submitted in response to recruitment efforts and to interview potentially qualified applicants. Depending upon how quickly the prevailing wage determination is issued, whether the employer has engaged in any recruitment efforts prior to the start of the PERM case, how quickly the employer or employee provides information and documentation, and the number and qualifications of job applicants, it could take as long as four to six months for the PERM case to be ready for filing.

We wanted to find a new way to engage our reader base. Every other Friday, we will post the ten (10) best/most frequently asked questions received during the week from our h1bvisalawyerblog, Facebook, and Twitter readers. We will answer those questions and provide the Q&A on our H-1B Visa Lawyer Blog.

If you have a burning question, are seeking assistance with a difficult immigration related case, wish to discuss your views on Comprehensive Immigration Reform, DREAMers, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, priority dates, the monthly visa bulletin, adjustment applications, etc., please contact us by submitting your question/comment/viewpoint in our comment box provided on our H-1B Visa Lawyer Blog.

Our next “Q & A Forum” will take place this Friday, August 31, 2012. Act now and submit your questions!

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