What to do if your Business Receives a “No-Match” Notification

A recent New York Times article reported that tens of thousands of employers are expected to receive “no-match” notifications from the Social Security Administration, a move that could cause massive disruptions in hospitality, construction and agriculture workforces. The notifications are the first to be sent since 2012. The practice received increased scrutiny in 2007, when… [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]

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]

EB Visa Availability Update

Retrogression of visa category priority dates impact EB petition applications According to recent information that the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) gained from the U.S. Department of State, the EB-1 Worldwide category is likely to remain retrogressed through December 2018. When visa categories are retrogressed, applicants can still file I-140 petitions; however once the I-140… [Read More]