H1B Visa Lawyer Blog

January 13, 2011

Global Entry Program Reaches 100,000 Members

The Global Entry Trusted Traveler Pilot Program launched by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced on December 27, 2010 that membership has surpassed 100,000 individuals.

The Global Entry program was launched by CBP in hopes of streamlining the process at airports for pre-approved travelers through the use of self-service kiosks. Currently the kiosks are located at 20 major airports around the United States and help to reduce waiting times by approximately 70 percent. In order to qualify for the Global Entry program and become a pre-approved traveler, an individual must either be a US citizen or lawful permanent residents able to pass an intensive background check. The Netherlands has an agreement set up that links the US’s Global entry program with Amsterdam’s Privium program allowing citizens of the Netherlands to apply as well. Applications must be submitted online at www.globalentry.gov in addition to a fee of 100 dollars to cover a five-year membership. To finish the process, the individual must go to any of the 20 airport sites in order to complete an in person interview and fingerprint data collection.

Once a member of the Global Entry Program, upon arriving at an airport an individual only has to insert their passport or lawful permanent resident card into a kiosk, provide fingerprints to compare with the fingerprints on file, and answer customs declaration questions. More information on the Global Entry program including detailed requirements and available locations can be found at www.cbp.gov/travel.

January 12, 2011

February 2011 Visa Bulletin

by Kellie N. Lego

The Department of State has released its latest Visa Bulletin.

Click here to view the February 2011 Visa Bulletin.

The February 2011 Visa Bulletin still shows employment based third preference (EB-3) visas as oversubscribed while the employment based second preference (EB-2) is current for all areas of chargeability except for China and India.

January 12, 2011

E-VERIFY Connection

by Kellie N. Lego

On December 21, 2010 the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) released its first ever E-Verify news publication called “E-Verify Connection.”

Highlighted in the newsletter was the new photo matching capability to help confirm the authenticity of documents, the new E-Verify seals and the invalid status of birth certificates of US citizens born in Puerto Rico issued prior to July 1, 2010. In addition, on the E-Verify website individuals can now download E-Verify guidance manuals, see a timeline of the program’s milestones and review its statistical reports for Fiscal Year 2009. Additionally, free webinars are offered on the website both for existing members and interested individuals looking for more information.

The MVP Law Group, P.A. provides assistance to employers interested in establishing an effective employment compliance program which includes training administrative personnel and other employees. If you are interested, please contact our office.

January 11, 2011

LATEST UPDATE: H-1B FY2011 CAP COUNT

by Kellie N. Lego

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has updated the count of H-1B petitions received and counted towards the 65,000 cap.

As of January 7th, 2011 58,700 H-1B Regular CAP subject non-immigrant visa petitions have been filed with the USCIS towards the 65,000 cap.

*USCIS will continue to accept REGULAR cap-subject petitions until a sufficient number of H-1B petitions have been received to reach the statutory limits, taking into account the fact that some of these petitions may be denied, revoked, or withdrawn.

January 11, 2011

NAT Applicants – Changes to Naturalization Civics Test

by Kellie N. Lego

For those individuals taking naturalization tests AFTER January 5, 2011 please note that there are some changes to the civics test answers due to the recent federal elections. Questions 20, 23, and 47 will have different responses.

For question 20 which asks: “Who is one of your State’s US Senators now?” please choose a senator for your state that will serve in the 112th Congress. A list of current members of the US Senate can be found at www.senate.gov.

For question 23 which states: “Name your US Representative” also make sure to write the name of your representative that will be serving in the 112th Congress. A list of the members of the US House of Representatives can found at www.house.gov.

January 10, 2011

Judge Dolly Gee: Immigrants have Right to Representation

by Kellie N. Lego

On December 22, 2010, U.S. District Court Judge Dolly Gee ruled that two men with severe disabilities must be provided with representation in their deportation cases.

The ACLU of Southern California is optimistic after the ruling as they hope someday all mentally disabled detainees will receive representation. Immigration courts are not required to provide attorney representation for individuals. A current lawsuit filed by the ACLU alleges, “Federal officials have deprived the detainees of their Constitutional right to due process.” They argue mentally disabled detainees are unable to get a fair hearing without representation. As a result of the Judges’ ruling, the Federal Government will have to find pro-bono representation or pay for representation for the two men.

MVP Law Group supports Judge Gee’s ruling to provide representation for the two mentally disabled men and is supportive of the ACLU’s suit to require representation for all mentally disabled detainees.

January 7, 2011

MVP LAW GROUP – Immigration Q&A Forum, Friday, January 7th, 2011

by Kellie N. Lego

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. And, therefore, your communication with us through this forum will not be considered as privileged or confidential.

Question #1 – Temporary Work Visa – H-1B Nonimmigrant Visa

Is the H1B CAP still available?

January 6, 2011

Administrative Appeals Office Processing Times

by Kellie N. Lego

The Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) Processing Times were released with processing dates as of January 1, 2011.

If you filed an appeal, please review the links below to determine the applicable processing time associated with your particular case.

Administrative Appeals Office

January 4, 2011

LATEST UPDATE: H-1B FY2011 CAP COUNT

by Kellie N. Lego

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has updated the count of H-1B petitions received and counted towards the 65,000 cap.

As of December 31st, 2010, 57,300 H-1B Regular CAP subject non-immigrant visa petitions have been filed with the USCIS towards the 65,000 cap.

As of December 31st, 2010, 20,000 H-1B Masters Degree CAP subject non-immigrant visa petitions have been filed with the USCIS towards the 20,000 cap. THE H-1B MASTERS CAP HAS BEEN REACHED!

January 3, 2011

REMINDER – Submit Your Questions

by Kellie N. Lego

MVP “Q & A Forum” – This Friday, January 7th, 2011

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, AZ SB1070, priority dates, or the debate focused on Ending Birthright Citizenship, please contact us by submitting your question/comment/viewpoint in our comment box provided on our H-1B Visa Lawyer Blog.