“Given the improved economy…it would not be surprising to see the quota filled very early this year,” said Stuart Anderson, executive director of the National Foundation for American Policy, a group that studies the H-1B program.

There are a total of 85,000 new H-1B visas made available each government fiscal year. This consists of 65,000 new H-1B visas available for graduate level overseas workers in professional or specialty occupation positions, and an additional 20,000 visas available for those with an advanced degree from a US academic institution.

Last week, USCIS received 17,400 H-1B applications in the general category and 8,200 in the advanced degree category. This is compared to last year’s first week of H-1B applications wherein the government received 5,900 H-1B petitions counting toward the 65,000 cap, and about 4,500 petitions for the 20,000 advanced degrees cap.

Demand for the skilled-worker visas has fluctuated in past years and many say the increase in H-1B visa applications in such a short period of time this year may be a sign of a recovering US economy.
Study Migrate offers a variety of programs in United States of America. Please visit our USA page for more information: http://www.globalvisasupport.com/usa.html

Since its establishment in 2009, the US Citizenship and Integration Grant Program has issued a total of $18.3 million in grants to immigrant-serving organizations that have provided citizenship preparation services to more than 29,000 US permanent residents.

Eligible organisations have until 7 May 2012 to apply for grant funding. Organizations must offer both citizenship instruction and naturalization services to permanent residents to be eligible for the grant. USCIS expects to announce an estimated 31 award recipients in September 2012.

You may qualify for Naturalization if:

• You have been a permanent resident for at least 5 years and meet all other eligibility requirements.
• You have been a permanent resident for 3 years or more and meet all eligibility requirements to file as a spouse of a US citizen.
• You have qualifying service in the US armed forces and meet all other eligibility requirements.
• Your child may qualify for naturalization if you are a US citizen, the child was born outside the US, the child is currently residing outside the US, and all other eligibility requirements are met.

Global Visa Support offers a variety of programs in United States. Please visit our USA page for more information: http://www.globalvisasupport.com/usa.html

Current immigration law allows for a total of 85,000 new H-1B visas to be made available each government fiscal year. This number includes 65,000 new H-1B visas issued for overseas workers in professional or specialty occupation positions, and an additional 20,000 visas available for those with an advanced degree from a US academic institution.

Employers should begin identifying current and future employees who will need H-1B visas to be legally employed in the US. You should probably apply in the next six months to ensure that you can get an H-1B visa.

For fiscal year 2012, the 65,000 H1-B cap was officially met on 22 November 2011, two months before the cap was reached for fiscal year 2011. The 20,000 H-1B visa cap for advanced degree holders was met on 19 October 2011.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa used to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialized fields such as in architecture, engineering, mathematics, science, and medicine. Under the visa a US company can employ a foreign worker for up to six years.

Study Migrate offers a variety of programmes in United States. Please visit our USA page for more information: http://www.globalvisasupport.com/usa.html

US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced this week that Self Check, a free online service which is part of the E-Verify system and allows workers to check their own employment eligibility status, is now available in all 50 states. Along with all 50 states, it is also available in Washington, D.C., and the US territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.

The Self Check program was initially launched in March 2011 by Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas. Over the past year, it has expanded to become available in the entire US. The government completed their national expansion of the program one month earlier than planned; They originally estimated it would be available in all 50 states only by March 2012.

“We are pleased to complete, ahead of schedule, our expansion of this important tool for employees,” said Mayorkas. “Since our initial launch in March, approximately 67,000 people have used Self Check and we anticipate that participation will dramatically increase with service now available to individuals across the country.”

Self Check was created so immigrants could check their own employment eligibility status. Additionally, the program gives guidance on how to correct your DHS and Social Security records. The program, which is available in English and Spanish, requires the following information to verify your status:

• Your name, date of birth, and address.
• You will need to answer demographic and/or financial related questions. These questions could include information about past addresses, banks that you may have had dealings with, etc. This information is needed before you can continue with the Self Check process. The government will not keep records of which questions were asked or how these questions were answered.
• Information that will prove your eligibility to work in the United States. This will include your Social Security number and, based on your citizenship status and documentation, information such as your Alien Registration Number, document number, or I-94 Number.

Global Visa Support offers a variety of USA programs. Please visit our USA page for more information: http://globalvisasupport.com/usa.html

The H-2A and H-2B programs allow US employers to bring foreign workers to the US in order to fill temporary agricultural jobs and temporary non-agricultural jobs. USCIS generally may only approve H-2A and H-2B petitions for nationals of countries that are designated as eligible to participate in the programs. USCIS may also approve H-2A and H-2B petitions for nationals of countries not on the list if it is determined to be in the interest of the US; this is taken on a case by case basis.

In addition to the 53 countries currently on the list, the following five countries were added for 2012: Haiti, Iceland, Montenegro, Spain and Switzerland.

Effective 18 January 2012, nationals of the following 58 countries are eligible to participate in the H-2A and H-2B programs: Argentina, Australia, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Kiribati, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Nauru, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Samoa, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Tonga, Turkey, Tuvalu, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay and Vanuatu.

Global Visa Support offers a variety of programs in United States of America. Please visit our USA page for more information: http://globalvisasupport.com/usa.html

There will be no change in filing locations when submitting Form I-130 along with Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. Individuals filing these forms together will continue to mail them to the Chicago Lockbox facility. Petitioners filing from overseas addresses in countries without USCIS offices will also continue to file at the Chicago Lockbox facility. Petitioners residing in a country with a USCIS office may send their I-130 forms to the Chicago Lockbox, or they may file their Forms I-130 at the international USCIS office having jurisdiction over the area where they live.”

Source: USCIS Website

Please note: Filing addresses and procedures change constantly.  You should always check the current instructions in the form or USCIS.gov website.

For U.S. Postal Service:
USCIS
P.O. Box 804625
Chicago, IL 60680-4107

For express mail and courier deliveries:
USCIS
Attn: I-130
131 South Dearborn – 3rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60603-5517

The new initiatives were announced by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) director Alejandro Mayorkas and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano.

“The United States has a long, rich history of welcoming innovative entrepreneurs and skilled workers into our country,” Mayorkas said on his blog.

“These men and women fuel our nation’s economy by creating jobs, and promoting new technologies and ideas,” he added.

“Today, I joined Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and outlined a series of new policy, operational, and outreach efforts that will help fuel the nation’s economy and stimulate investment by making it easier for high-skill immigrants to start and grow companies and create jobs here in the United States.”

USCIS announced that it will:

• Clarify that immigrant entrepreneurs may obtain an employment-based EB-2 immigrant visa if they satisfy existing requirements, and that they may also qualify for a National Interested Waiver (no job offer required) under the EB-2 immigrant visa category if they can demonstrate that their business will be of interest to the United States.
• Expand the Premium Processing Service to immigrant petitions for multinational executives and managers
• Clarify that a sole owner of a business who wishes to employ himself/herself in some circumstances can establish a valid employer-employee relationship to qualify for an H-1B non-immigrant visa
• Implement enhancements to streamline the EB-5 immigrant investor process
• Launch new “engagement opportunities” to seek input and feedback from entrepreneurs and companies. USCIS will take this into account when developing new policies and procedures. It is hoped that this will result in changes that will help entrepreneurs, new businesses, and startup companies

“The United States must continue to attract the best and brightest from around the world to invest their talents, skills, and ideas to grow our economy and create American jobs,” said Napolitano in a statement.

“Today’s announcements will help our nation fully realize the potential of existing immigration laws,” she added.

The EB-5 investor visa program sets aside10,000 visas annually to immigrant investors who invest in commercial enterprises that create at least 10 U.S. jobs. An investor must invest at least US$1,000,000 (or US$500,000 for areas with high unemployment or rural areas).  Investments can be made directly under the investor’s program or through a designed regional center.  A regional Center is a specific investment entity, public or private, which is involved with the promotion of economic growth and creation of jobs.  A regional center must first submit a proposal to the USCIS and get designated as an approved EB-5 regional center first, before they can participate in the EB-5 program. There are three main enhancements proposed to streamline Regional Center sponsored applications.

First, USCIS proposes to accelerate its processing of investor’s applications for job-creating projects that are fully developed and ready to be implemented. Further, the government will also give these EB-5 applicants and petitioners the option to request Premium Processing Service, which guarantees a decision within 15 calendar days for an additional fee (current fee is $1225).

Secondly, USCIS proposes the creation of new specialized intake teams with expertise in economic analysis and the Investor Visa Program requirements.  The significance is that EB-5 Regional Center applicants will be able to communicate directly with members of these specialized intake teams via e-mail to facilitate the resolution of issues and questions regarding their applications.

Thirdly, USCIS proposes to create an expert Decision Board to render decisions regarding EB-5 Regional Center applications. Members of the Decision Board will include an economist, adjudicators, and legal counsel.  Again, the purpose is clearly to employ personnel with expertise in economic matters to decide EB-5 cases.

This proposal will be posted online until June 17, 2011, for public comment.  The proposed changes will not take effect until they are formally adopted and implemented by the USCIS.

The H-1B visa scheme is subject to an annual cap set by the United States Congress each year. For FY 2012, the cap is again set at 65,000 visas. There are 20,000 additional visas for those with US Masters degrees or higher.

“The first 20,000 H-1B petitions filed on behalf of individuals with U.S. master’s degrees or higher are exempt,” USCIS said in a statement.

There are certain other H-1B petitions that are exempt from the cap as well. These include job posts at:

• Institutions of higher education or related or affiliatednonprofit entities
• Nonprofit research organizations
• Governmental research organizations

H-1B visa extensions filed for workers who are currently in the US under an H-1B visa also do not count towards the cap.

In April 2007 the cap was reached in one day. The US has still not fully recovered from the economic downturn of 2008; Over the last few years there has been less demand for H-1B visas. The increased availability of H-1B visas means that it is now easier for US companies to import skilled labor from abroad under the H-1B program.