Articles Posted in nonimmigrant visas

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The filing period for H-1B petitions subject to the fiscal year (FY) 2014 numerical cap begins on April 1, 2013. USCIS anticipates that it may receive more than 65,000 cap-subject H-1B petitions and more than 20,000 petitions filed on behalf of individuals with a U.S. master’s degree or higher between April 1, 2013, and April 5, 2013. This could be the first time since April 2008 that the H-1B cap will require a lottery.

USCIS provides premium processing service for certain employment-based petitions and guarantees a 15-calendar-day processing time. Due to the historic premium processing receipt levels, combined with the possibility that the H-1B cap will be met in the first 5 business days of the filing season, USCIS has temporarily adjusted its current premium processing practice. To facilitate the prioritized data entry of cap-subject petitions requesting premium processing, and in accordance with 8 CFR 103.7(e)(3)(ii), USCIS is announcing that premium processing for cap-subject H-1B petitions, including H-1B petitions seeking an exemption from the fiscal year cap for individuals who have earned a U.S. master’s degree or higher, will begin on April 15, 2013.

USCIS will continue to accept Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service, with fee, concurrently with the Form I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker, during the time period that premium processing is unavailable – from April 1 to April 14, 2013. Petitioners may also upgrade a pending H-1B cap petition to premium processing once a receipt notice is issued. All requests for premium processing received between April 1, 2013, and April 14, 2013, will be adjudicated when premium processing begins on April 15, 2013.

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About 300 farmers gathered on Wednesday (2/27/13) in Raleigh, NC at the North Carolina State Legislative Building. They were there for a press conference and the release of the North Carolina Farm Bureau’s (NCFB) “North Carolina Agriculture Workforce Report – February 2013”. The NCFB conducted a farm labor survey of approximately 50,000 farms in North Carolina.

One major problem they found was that 61% of the farmers were having trouble finding workers to pick their crops and work their fields. The NCFB advocates an enhanced Guest Worker Program as part of overall U.S. Immigration Reform. The farmers are worried that the NC Legislature will make E-Verify mandatory for temporary farm workers without a reliable guest worker program in place. As of July 1, 2013 NC employers with 25 or more employees will be required to use E-Verify to check work authorization for all new hires. Seasonal temporary workers are exempt but NC farmers are worried this will soon change.

Doug Patterson, owner of Patterson Farm, Inc. which employees about 300 people stated, “We feel that if nothing is done in the next few years, we will reduce acreage or get out of the fruit and vegetable farming business altogether. North Carolina will have to decide to import our workers or import our food.” Patterson added, “If the state passes and implements a mandatory E-Verify system without a viable, affordable federal guest worker program in place, then many farmers will be forced to quit.”

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Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) Processing Times were released with processing dates as of March 1, 2013.

If you filed an appeal, please review the link below to determine the applicable processing time associated with your particular case.

Administrative Appeals Office

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Processing Time reports for all of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) Service Centers were released on February 5, 2013 with processing dates as of December 31, 2012.

If you filed a petition with one of the Service Centers, please review the links below to determine the applicable processing time associated with your particular case.

California Service Center

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Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) Processing Times were released with processing dates as of February 1, 2013.

If you filed an appeal, please review the link below to determine the applicable processing time associated with your particular case.

Administrative Appeals Office

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The H-2B non-agricultural temporary worker program allows U.S. employers to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary non-agricultural jobs.

The H-2B cap limit for first half of FY 2013 (October 1 – March 31) is 33,000. As of the last count (1/18/2013); 26,831 beneficiaries have been approved and 3,914 are still pending for a total of 30,745.

The H-2B cap limit for the second half of FY 2013 (April 1 – September 30) is 33,000. As of the last count (1/18/2013); 924 beneficiaries have been approved and 2,401 are pending for a total of 3,325.

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Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) Processing Times were released with processing dates as of January 1, 2013.

If you filed an appeal, please review the link below to determine the applicable processing time associated with your particular case.

Administrative Appeals Office

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Processing Time reports for all of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) Service Centers were released on January 4, 2013 with processing dates as of November 30, 2012.

If you filed a petition with one of the Service Centers, please review the links below to determine the applicable processing time associated with your particular case.

California Service Center

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The H-2B non-agricultural temporary worker program allows U.S. employers to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary non-agricultural jobs.

The H-2B cap limit for first half of FY 2013 (October 1 – March 31) is 33,000. As of the last count (12/14/2012); 13,774 beneficiaries have been approved and 2,959 are still pending for a total of 16,733.

The H-2B cap limit for the second half of FY 2013 (April 1 – September 30) is 33,000. As of the last count (12/14/2012); 0 beneficiaries have been approved and 313 are pending for a total of 313.

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Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) Processing Times were released with processing dates as of December 1, 2012.

If you filed an appeal, please review the link below to determine the applicable processing time associated with your particular case.

Administrative Appeals Office

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