H Visa News

OFLC appreciates the challenges the regulated community has experienced as a result of the lapse in appropriations, which resulted in the cessation of the operation of OFLC's electronic systems, and further resulted in a backlog of documents submitted to OFLC during that period by mail, hand-delivery, or email. As a result of the government shutdown, OFLC is implementing the following temporary changes to its standard procedures related to document timeliness:

According to "Times of India" :

The US government plans to punish Indian outsourcing giant Infosys with the largest immigration fine ever for seeking visas fraudulently for workers at big clients in America, the Wall Street Journal reported. 

Infosys is accused of putting workers on visitor visas rather than work visas. The former are much easier and cheaper to obtain than the latter. The fine is expected to be about $35 million, the paper said, quoting people close to the matter. 

On August 30, 2013, the Department of Labor (Department) will publish in the Federal Register a final rule to delay indefinitely the effective date of the Wage Methodology for the Temporary Non-Agricultural Employment H-2B Program final rule (2011 Wage Rule), which was published on January 19, 2011, 76 FR 3452.

FY 2013 Third Quarter for PERM,H-1B, H-2B and H-2A as of 06/15/1013

FY 2013 Q3 PERM Fact Sheet

FY 2013 Q3 H-1B Fact Sheet

FY 2013 Q3 H-2B Fact Sheet

FY 2013 Q3 H-2A Fact Sheet

WASHINGTON—For the first time since 2008, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reached the statutory H-1B cap of 65,000 for fiscal year (FY) 2014 within the first week of the filing period. USCIS has also received more than 20,000 H-1B petitions filed on behalf of persons exempt from the cap under the advanced degree exemption.   

As announced by USCIS on April 2, 2013, USCIS has temporarily suspended adjudication of certain Form I-129 H-2B petitions for temporary non-agricultural workers.

For more complete information, click here

Introduction

USCIS, in consultation with DOL, prepared the following frequently asked questions and answers.

Questions & Answers

Temporary Labor Certifications

Q1. When does the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) expect me to sign an electronically filed H-2A and H-2B temporary labor certification (TLC) application?

The Department has published in the Federal Register a notice establishing the 2013 allowable meal charges and maximum travel subsistence reimbursement amounts. The 2013 allowable charge for providing three meals a day is set at $11.42 per day, although employers may petition the Chicago National Processing Center for a higher charge if justified by documentation of actual costs. Similarly, the 2013 minimum subsistence charge for meals during travel is set at $11.42 a day.

IMMIGRATION INNOVATION (I2) ACT OF 2013

ORRIN HATCH (R-UTAH), AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MINN.), MARCO RUBIO (R-FLA.), CHRIS COONS (D-DEL.)

Employment-Based Nonimmigrant H-1B Visas

1. Increase H-1B cap from 65,000 to 115,000

2. Establish a market-based H-1B escalator, so that the cap can adjust – up or down – to the demands of the economy (includes a 300,000 ceiling on the ability of the escalator to move)

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 13 (Friday, January 18, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4154-4155]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-00908]

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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

[DHS-2011-0108]
RIN 1601-ZA11

Identification of Foreign Countries Whose Nationals Are Eligible To Participate in the H-2A and H-2B Nonimmigrant Worker Programs

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DHS.