Student Optional Practical Training (OPT) and Expanded STEM Degrees

F-1 Student Optional Practical Training (OPT) and Expanded STEM Degrees In an effort by the Obama administration to improve United States of America (USA)’s economic, scientific and technological...

USCIS Office Closures Due to Severe Snow & Ice Storms Will Not Affect Cases and Responses Timely Filed, and Needing to Meet Deadline

On February 4, 2011, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that many of its offices are closed due to severe snow and ice storms. The USCIS service centers such as the Texas and Nebraska Service Centers are closed during the week of January 31, 2011. Many USCIS field offices are also closed. For the latest update on USCIS office closing, the public may contact the USCIS National Customer Service Center...

Apply for H-1B Cap Work Visas Before Visa Numbers Run Out!

H-1B petitions are extremely useful for many skilled foreign nationals to live and work in the U.S. for a temporary period of time. H-1B petitions are temporary work visas. Normally, H-1B petitions/work visas are approved for a maximum of 6 years (3 years each time). Many H-1B foreign nationals have successfully progressed toward applying for and obtaining green card status. As of April 27, 2010, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration...

H-1B Work Visas Still Available for Oct 1, 2010 Start-Date!

H-1B petitions are extremely useful for many skilled foreign nationals to live and work in the U.S. for a temporary period of time. H-1B petitions are company-sponsored temporary work visas. Normally, these petitions are available for an eligible H-1B beneficiary for a maximum of 6 years (3 years each time). As of April 15, 2010, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has received 13,600 H-1B petitions that are...

Stranded in the U.S. due to the Icelandic Volcano Eruption? If so, please remember to apply for extension of your stay in the U.S.

The United States has granted special temporary relief to foreign nationals whose status in the U.S. are about to expire and who are stranded here because of the European airport closures due to the Icelandic Volcano Eruption. Applicable foreign nationals who entered the U.S. under the visa waiver program (VWP) should contact either the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol office at the airport, or the local U.S. Citizenship and Immigration...

Live and Work in U.S.: We Can File H-1B Cap Cases, Starting April 1, 2010!

Qualified foreign nationals who wish to live and work in the U.S. may start applying for first-time H-1B Petitions starting April 1, 2010. These H-1B Cap Petitions will have a start date of October 1, 2010 or later, and will be counted towards the annual H-1B visa quotas for the 2011 fiscal year (FY 2011). The fiscal year cap (numerical limitation on H-1B petitions) for FY 2011 is 65,000; 65,000 is the annual visa cap, unless...

Temporary Suspension of Removal of Foreign Nationals to Haiti, U.S. Immigration Response to Haiti's Earthquake Tragedy

On January 13, 2010, in response to the devastation caused by the recent earthquake in Haiti, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Secretary John Morton halted all removals to Haiti for the time bei...

Advantages of U.S. Citizenship, Becoming a U.S. Citizen and New Naturalization Test

A. New Naturalization Test Beginning October 1, 2009, all U.S. citizenship applicants must take the new naturalization test, regardless of when they filed for their Form N-400 Applications for Naturalization. Since October 1, 2008, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has a new naturalization test for applicants of the N-400 Applications for Naturalization to become U.S. citizens. However, up until October 1,...

USCIS Launches a Redesigned Website on September 22, 2009

On September 22, 2009, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Alejandro Mayorkas and Federal Chief Performance Officer Jeff Zients launched a redesigned website (http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis), available in English and Spanish. This effort is to actualize President Barrack Obama's commitment on helping customers navigate the very...