H1B Visa Lawyer Blog

March 4, 2016

MVP LAW GROUP – Immigration Q&A Forum, Friday, Mar. 4, 2016

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 – Marriage Based Green Card Sponsorship

Can I apply for a spousal visa, if I am getting married to a green card holder & am currently in H-1B visa status?

March 3, 2016

Impact of New Americans (2015) – Virginia, Washington & West Virginia

by Kellie N. Lego

Immigration Policy Center Releases Updated State-by-State Fact Sheets (2015)

The Immigration Policy Center (IPC) has released all fifty states, the District of Columbia and the United States (Overall), for a total of fifty-two updated fact sheets with accompanying info graphics and other details. These fact sheets highlight the demographic and economic impact of Immigrants, Asians and Latinos in each state. The Immigration Policy Center (IPC) is the research and policy division of the American Immigration Council (AIC).

As Washington D.C. continues the discussion of Comprehensive Immigration Reform, we thought that it would be a good time to provide some statistics on the Immigrant population in the United States as provided by this IPC research. Once a week we will be posting a blog with information on three states at a time. This week we will highlight; Virginia, Washington & West Virginia.

March 2, 2016

Important Reminder – H1B Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Cap Season opens April 1st

by Kellie N. Lego

USCIS will begin accepting H1B petitions that are subject to the FY 2017 cap on April 1, 2016.

Don’t forget, MVP Law Group has been accepting cap-subject H1B cases since the beginning of February 2016. Although FY 2017 cap-subject cases cannot be filed before April 1st, there is work to be done preparing a good case for filing. All of this work must be done in advance, so that the H1B petition package can be filed as early as permitted under the law. By beginning early, it is possible to avoid some of the rush and panic that inevitably sets in right before April 1st and lasts until the cap is reached. With the U.S. economy improved and the history of the H1B cap, this could prove to be a short filing season. Contact MVP Law Group and let’s get started!

Note: The H-1B cap for FY2016 was reached by April 7, 2015!

March 1, 2016

H-2B Cap Count UPDATE – 2/22/16

by Kellie N. Lego

The H-2B non-agricultural temporary worker program allows U.S. employers to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary non-agricultural jobs. There is a cap limit of 33,000 for the first half of the fiscal year and 33,000 for the second half for a total of 66,000 per year. If the cap is not reached during the first half of the fiscal year, the extra numbers are then made available for the second half.

The H-2B cap limit for first half of FY 2016 (October 1 – March 31) is 33,000. As of the last count (2/22/16); 26,384 beneficiaries have been approved and 10,304 are pending for a total of 36,688.

The H-2B cap limit for second half of FY 2016 (April 1 – September 30) is 33,000*. As of the last count (2/22/16); 0 beneficiaries have been approved and 334 are pending for a total of 334.

February 29, 2016

MVP “Immigration Q & A Forum” – This Friday, Mar. 4, 2016

by Kellie N. Lego

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, March 4, 2016. Act now and submit your questions!

February 26, 2016

DACA Statistics – DACA Quarterly Report FY2015-Q4

by Kellie N. Lego

The USCIS statistics on DACA Initial cases for the fourth quarter of FY2015, from 7/1/15 to 9/30/15 show a total of 18,140 DACA requests accepted for processing, (N/A) biometric services appointments scheduled, 19,074 requests approved, and 3,249 requests have been denied.

The USCIS statistics on DACA Renewal cases for the fourth quarter of FY2015, from 7/1/15 to 9/30/15 show a total of 43,995 DACA requests accepted for processing, (N/A) biometric services appointments scheduled, 66,175 requests approved, and 1,052 requests have been denied.

This DACA Report includes data for FY2012, FY2013, FY2014 and FY2015. The USCIS statistics on DACA cases from 8/12/12 to 9/30/15 show a cumulative total of 1,267,761 DACA requests accepted for processing, 1,304,237 biometric services appointments scheduled, 1,142,935 requests approved, and 53,789 requests have been denied.

February 25, 2016

H-2B Cap Count UPDATE – 2/15/16

by Kellie N. Lego

The H-2B non-agricultural temporary worker program allows U.S. employers to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary non-agricultural jobs. There is a cap limit of 33,000 for the first half of the fiscal year and 33,000 for the second half for a total of 66,000 per year. If the cap is not reached during the first half of the fiscal year, the extra numbers are then made available for the second half.

The H-2B cap limit for first half of FY 2016 (October 1 – March 31) is 33,000. As of the last count (2/15/16); 23,171 beneficiaries have been approved and 11,824 are pending for a total of 34,995.

The H-2B cap limit for second half of FY 2016 (April 1 – September 30) is 33,000*. As of the last count (2/15/16); 0 beneficiaries have been approved and 129 are pending for a total of 129.

February 24, 2016

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) updated FY2016 Statistics (First Quarter)

by Kellie N. Lego

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) has provided FY2016 statistics (first quarter) in the form of program factsheets for each of the major immigration programs. These updated FY2016 statistics (first quarter) cover October 2015 through December 2015.

The link to each program factsheet is listed below:

• Permanent Labor Certification Program – Select Statistics, FY 2016 (first quarter)

February 23, 2016

Impact of New Americans (2015) – Texas, Utah & Vermont

by Kellie N. Lego

Immigration Policy Center Releases Updated State-by-State Fact Sheets (2015)

The Immigration Policy Center (IPC) has released all fifty states, the District of Columbia and the United States (Overall), for a total of fifty-two updated fact sheets with accompanying info graphics and other details. These fact sheets highlight the demographic and economic impact of Immigrants, Asians and Latinos in each state. The Immigration Policy Center (IPC) is the research and policy division of the American Immigration Council (AIC).

As Washington D.C. continues the discussion of Comprehensive Immigration Reform, we thought that it would be a good time to provide some statistics on the Immigrant population in the United States as provided by this IPC research. Once a week we will be posting a blog with information on three states at a time. This week we will highlight; Texas, Utah & Vermont.

February 22, 2016

Updated Service Center Processing Times (12/31/15)

by Kellie N. Lego

Processing Time reports for all of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) Service Centers were released on 2/11/16 with processing dates as of 12/31/15.

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 (CSC)