H-1B Temporary Workers

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From the Public Engagement Division of USCIS:  U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced on 12/6/19 the requirement for employers seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions, including those eligible for the advanced degree exemption, to first electronically register and pay the associated $10 H-1B registration fee before filing a petition for the fiscal year 2021 H-1B…

To update my September 5, 2019 post, USCIS has announced a final rule that requires a $10 non-refundable registration fee for each cap-subject H-1B submitted by petitioning employers.  USCIS announced that this registration fee will modernize operations and allow the agency to more efficiently process H-1B applications.  The rule goes into effect on December 9,…

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has published a notice in the Federal Register of a proposed rule to amend its regulations to allow for USCIS to require a $10 registration fee for each petitioner seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions.   Written comments are due by October 4, 2019.     As a reminder, April 1, 2020…

USCIS’ previous practice of adjudicating the I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, filed with a qualifying I-129 petition under Premium Processing has ended.  USCIS now requires every I-539 applicant pay a biometrics fee and an Application Support Center appointment take place to capture the applicant’s biometrics.  This has led to I-539 applications taking substantially longer …

Yesterday, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the agency has completed data entry for all fiscal year 2020 H-1B cap-subject petitions selected in the lottery. USCIS is still issuing receipt notices as a result of the computer-generated selection process.  We received a notice yesterday, so please note that others may be forthcoming. …

Yesterday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced start dates for premium processing of fiscal year (FY) 2020 cap-subject H-1B petitions.  USCIS will review premium processing requests in two phases.  The first phase will process cap-subject petitions that request a change of status and the second phase will include all other FY 2020 cap-subject petitions.…

Yesterday, USCIS announced it will resume Premium Processing effective Tuesday, March 12, 2019 for all H-1B petitions.  Petitions processed with Premium Processing result in USCIS review within 15-calendar days.  If USCIS fails to act within this time period, the government will refund the petitioner’s premium processing fee.

The reopening of Premium Processing is not specific…

Beginning today, Tuesday, February 19, 2019, USCIS is resuming premium processing for H-1B petitions that were filed on or before Dec. 21, 2018.

In its February 15, 2019 announcement, USCIS explained that H-1B Petitioners in this grouping who wish to upgrade a pending H-1B petition with a premium processing request should:

  • Include a copy of

…

On January 25, 2019, USCIS announced that it would resume premium processing for all fiscal year (FY) 2019 H-1B cap petitions on Monday, January 28, 2019.  There is some confusion among employees and employers thinking that this applies to the upcoming H-1B season.   Please note that the next H-1B cap season is fiscal year 2020,…

Cap-subject US employers and their prospective employees alike have been waiting on edge to find out whether the FY2020 H-1B Cap Season would proceed as before or whether US Citizenship and Immigration Service’s (USCIS’s) recently proposed significant changes would be implemented to take effect before April 2019.  The result:  the Registration requirement will not take …