Fine Judaica Blog / Immigration Updates

USCIS’s new electronic registration process for employers seeking H-1B workers begins March 1, 2020. The post explains the annual visa cap, lottery selection process, and April petition filing period.

Indian nationals rushed to secure EB5 Regional Center investments at the $500,000 minimum before it increased to $900,000 on November 21, 2019, amid lengthy backlogs in other employment- and family-based visa categories.

Today, immigrants make up around 13 percent of the U.S. population, yet they play a great role in entrepreneurship and business formation relative to their overall numbers. According to a report from the Kauffman Foundation, immigrants continue to be almost twice as likely as the native-born to become entrepreneurs.

The Department of Homeland Security announced that certain young people brought to the United States as children could receive renewable two-year deferred action and apply for work authorization.

USCIS issued guidance on establishing the employee-employer relationship in H-1B petitions, addressing the possibility that company owners may qualify for H-1B status.

H-1 B and L-1 fee increases already in effect. A recent change in the Law increased fees for certain H-1B and L-1 petitions. Effective August 2010 the fee for certain H-1b employers [hyperlink to H-1 b page] increase by $2000 and for certain L-1 employers [insert hyperlink to l-1 page] increased by $2250. With these new fees, employers filing an H-1b petition could pay as high as $5320 to USCIS for the Government fees alone. An intra- company transferee petition for an L-1 visa [insert hyperlink] could cost as much as $4070 in USCIS fees.

Immigration fees continue to increase. Effective November 23, 2010 filing fees for many petitions or applications filed with USCIS will increase. The fee increases will make cost of obtaining immigration benefits even more expensive at a time when the economy has impacted many persons who would be seeking to obtain temporary visas or permanent visas to immigrate to the United States.