The House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship questioned United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officials about backlogs and changes in adjudication of petitions within the department at a July 16 House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing. The hearing marks the most pointed criticism from the Judiciary Committee in recent memory, and coupled with… [Read More]
H-1B Season – After the Lottery
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced Friday that it has completed the selection process for 2020 H-1B cap petitions for the U.S. advanced degree and general lottery. At this point, USCIS is continuing to issue receipt notices for H-1B petitions and will begin returning unselected petitions. Notifications should continue through the end of… [Read More]
6 Strategies to Avoid USCIS H-1B Denials
Data assessment from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Data Hub shows denial rates for new H-1B petition and H-1B extensions at unprecedented levels in the two fiscal years since President Trump took office. The USCIS launched the H-1B Employer Data Hub in early April. The Hub is part of an ongoing initiative… [Read More]
Three Strategies for Hiring Foreign Nurses
Challenges facing healthcare systems in 2019 have created shortages of critical healthcare providers throughout the United States – a shortage that could exceed 100,000 physicians and 500,000 nurses by 2030. While programs exist specifically to hire foreign doctors in medically underserved areas, there are no such solutions to address profound shortages in nursing. Luckily, there… [Read More]
Trump Administration Removing the H-4 Limited Exception Work Authorization
Proposed regulation would rescind EAD for spouses of H-1B visa holders According to several reports, by March 18, 2019, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is expected to publish a proposed regulation rescinding employment authorization documentation (EAD) for the H-4 spouse of H-1B visa holders. Currently, only those H-4 spouses with H-1B primary applicants having… [Read More]
FordMurray releases 2019 H-1B Guides
FordMurray is pleased to release two new H-1B Guides for 2019: the H-1B Employers Guide and H-1B Guide for Individuals. While both guides are filled with up-to-date information on the upcoming H-1B Cap Lottery process, they are designed to answer the specific questions we receive from employers and individuals about the H-1B petition process. H-1B… [Read More]
7 Tips for the 2020 H-1B Cap Season
While immigration – or more specifically, President Trump’s “wall” – dominates the first full week for the newly elected Congress, the next few months should see immigration in the forefront of national discourse. Immediately, we can expect debate to continue as the majority Democrat House of Representatives spar with President Trump over funding for his… [Read More]
2018 Year in Review – the Top 5 Changes to Business Immigration this Year
2018 saw many changes in the immigration landscape and the implementation of President Donald Trump’s “Buy American, Hire American” initiative, which has and will continue to reshape the way the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) enforces federal immigration law. While news headlines were dominated by anti-immigrant policy and rhetoric, talk of building a… [Read More]
The Impacts of Premium Processing for H-1B Extensions and Portability
On August 28, 2018, the USCIS announced that an April suspension of premium processing for Cap-subject H-1B petitions would continue and would be expanded as of September 11, 2018, to other H-1B petitions, most notably, H-1B extensions and H-1B “change of employer”. The suspension of H-1B premium processing for these types of H-1B petitions is expected to last until… [Read More]
Top 5 Tips for Year-End Immigration Planning
With the change from summer to fall, we approach the end of 2018 – when many companies are planning their recruitment and retention strategies for foreign employees. In today’s immigration landscape, it’s important to know how to proactively plan for your business goals, so we have compiled our Top 5 Tips for Year-End Immigration Planning:… [Read More]
