H1B Visa Lawyer Blog

December 19, 2024

DHS Strengthens H-1B Program, Allowing U.S. Employers to More Quickly Fill Critical Jobs

On Tuesday, December 17, 2024, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced new rules for H-1B foreign workers to help employers fill job vacancies more quickly and more securely! The updates are intended to strengthen the H-1B visa program! Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas stated, “American businesses rely on the H-1B visa program for the recruitment of highly-skilled talent, benefitting communities across the country,”.

For further details please review the DHS Press Release, “DHS Strengthens H-1B Program, Allowing U.S. Employers to More Quickly Fill Critical Jobs“!

Source of Information:

December 18, 2024

All USCIS Application and Petition Form Types (FY2024, Qtr. #3) – Statistical Table

by Kellie N. Lego

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released their third quarter, Fiscal Year 2024 (FY2024) performance data for all Application and Petition Form Types as a statistical table. They have divided the forms by category: Family Based, Employment Based, Humanitarian, Lawful Permanent Residence (LPR) , Citizenship and Naturalization, Other, and Supplement Processing as the rows. The columns are divided by case status: Received, Approved, Denied, Total Completions, Pending, and Process Time. The updated FY2024 statistics (third quarter) cover April 2024 through June 2024. Here is the link to the Q3 table, “All USCIS Application and Petition Form Types (Fiscal Year 2024, Quarter 3)“.

Source of Information:

USCIS (USCIS.gov), Immigration and Citizenship Data Webpage:

December 17, 2024

Update – Visa Bulletin – January 2025

by Kellie N. Lego

The Department of State has released its latest Visa Bulletin.

Click the link to view the January 2025 Visa Bulletin

UPDATE: When to File Your Adjustment of Status Application for Family-Sponsored or Employment-Based Preference Visas: January 2025

December 16, 2024

MVP “Immigration Q & A Forum” – This Friday, December 20, 2024

by Kellie N. Lego

We wanted to find a new way to engage our reader base. Every other Friday, we will post the ten (10) best/most frequently asked questions received during the week from our h1bvisalawyerblog, Facebook, and Twitter readers. We will answer those questions and provide the Q&A on our H-1B Visa Lawyer Blog.

If you have a burning question, are seeking assistance with a difficult immigration related case, wish to discuss your views on Comprehensive Immigration Reform, DREAMers, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, priority dates, the monthly visa bulletin, adjustment applications, etc., please contact us by submitting your question/comment/viewpoint in our comment box provided on our H-1B Visa Lawyer Blog.

Our next “Q & A Forum” will take place this Friday, December 20, 2024. Act now and submit your questions!

December 13, 2024

USCIS’ Social Media Directory!

by Kellie N. Lego

USCIS has a Social Media Directory on its website, they state that they are making information more accessible, their actual words are “more widely available”! This directory contains USCIS accounts for X (twitter), Facebook, Instagram and many others including regional. Please use the link below to view the directory.

USCIS Link to Social Media Directory

Source of Information:

December 12, 2024

2024 USCIS Forms Updates – 12/10/24

by Kellie N. Lego

The USCIS Forms Updates web page lists their most recently updated forms. The list includes forms as they publish them and includes a brief explanation for the update.

The updated form listed below is their most recent addition to the list, dated December 10, 2024!

______

December 11, 2024

Visa Bulletin – January 2025

by Kellie N. Lego

The Department of State has released its latest Visa Bulletin.

Click the link to view the January 2025 Visa Bulletin

The monthly Visa Bulletin has changed. The bulletin now summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during the reported month for: “Application Final Action Dates” (consistent with prior Visa Bulletins) and “Dates for Filing Applications,” indicating when immigrant visa applicants should be notified to assemble and submit required documentation to the National Visa Center using Consular Processing (outside of the US) or file on their own with USCIS Form I-485 (within the US).

December 10, 2024

Update – USCIS Reaches Fiscal Year 2025 H-1B Cap

by Kellie N. Lego

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that they have received enough petitions to reach the congressionally mandated for the fiscal year (FY) 2025 H-1B cap, including the master’s cap, (65,000 H-1B visa regular cap and the 20,000 H-1B visa U.S. advanced degree exemption). They also completed sending non-selection notifications to online accounts for registrants. If not selected, status will show: Not Selected: Not selected – not eligible to file an H-1B cap petition based on this registration.

For more information, please read the USCIS news alert, “USCIS Reaches Fiscal Year 2025 H-1B Cap”!

Source of Information:

December 9, 2024

2024 USCIS Forms Updates – 11/25/24 & 12/2/24

by Kellie N. Lego

The USCIS Forms Updates web page lists their most recently updated forms. The list includes forms as they publish them and includes a brief explanation for the update.

The updated form listed below is their most recent addition to the list, dated November 25 and December 2, 2024!

______

December 6, 2024

MVP “Immigration Q & A Forum” – 12/6/24

by Kellie N. Lego

MVP Law Group, P.A. makes available the information and materials in this forum for informational purposes only. The information is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice or any contractual obligations. Further, the use of this site, and the sending or receipt of this information, does not create an attorney-client relationship between us. Therefore, your communication with us through this forum will not be considered as privileged or confidential.

How old do I need to be to apply for Naturalization? You must be at least 18 years old to qualify for Naturalization AND you must meet ALL other eligibility requirements. The USCIS has published a helpful brochure, 10 Steps to Naturalization – Understanding the Process of Becoming a U.S. Citizen found here: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/brochures/M-1051.pdf
I was offered a specialty occupation with a non-profit organization, and I appear to be eligible for an H-1B; however, the Lawyer I spoke with told me that the organization does not appear to be eligible to file an H-1B CAP exempt petition with the USCIS. The lawyer did not explain any further. What is the issue? Only certain organizations are eligible to file a CAP EXEMPT H-1B petition with the USCIS. Not every non-profit organization will be eligible to file an H-1B CAP EXEMPT petition. CAP EXEMPT organizations include: Institutions of Higher Education; Nonprofit Organizations Affiliated with Institutions of Higher Education; Government Research Organizations, and Nonprofit Research Organizations focused on applied or basic research.