The Department of State announced that, beginning on January 29, 2024, and ending on April 1, 2024, certain H-1B applicants will be eligible to renew their H-1B visa stamp without having to travel internationally to a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Eligible applicants will apply through an online portal found at: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visa/employment/domestic-renewal.html To be eligible for… [Read More]
Client Advisory: H-1B cap for fiscal year 2023 has been reached
USCIS announced Tuesday that they have received enough petitions to satisfy the congressionally mandated H-1B visa regular cap of 65,000 and the master’s cap of 20,000 for fiscal year 2023. There will be no further opportunities for cap-subject institutions to apply for new H-1B visas in FY 2023 but those that were not selected may… [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]
Physician Groups Worry H-1B Scrutiny to Impact Patient Care
National physician groups are worried that increased scrutiny on H-1B visa applications will impact patient care at teaching hospitals throughout the United States, according to a letter sent to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Francis Cissna. Prevailing Wage RFEs Due to Lack of Data The letter expresses concern that non-U.S. international medical graduates (IMGs)… [Read More]
Top Three Options for Individual Not Selected in H-1B Cap Lottery
The USCIS announced this morning that it has received sufficient H-1B Petitions for both the “regular” and “Master’s Degree” Caps and that it is no longer accepting Cap-Subject Petitions. The lottery is expected to begin next week with notifications beginning in mid-to late-May. H-1B Alternatives For those employees that are not selected in the H-1B… [Read More]
