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On April 1, 2015, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin accepting H-1B petitions subject to the fiscal year (FY) 2016 cap. U.S. businesses use the H-1B program to employ foreign workers in occupations that require highly specialized knowledge in fields such as science, engineering and computer programming.

The congressionally mandated cap on H-1B visas for FY 2016 is 65,000. The first 20,000 H-1B petitions filed for individuals with a U.S. master’s degree or higher are exempt from the 65,000 cap.

This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during April. Consular officers are required to report to the Department of State documentarily qualified applicants for numerically limited visas; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Department of Homeland Security reports applicants for adjustment of status.

To view Visa Bulletin for April  2015 Click Here.

If you are a Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiary who is eligible to re-register for TPS but did not file your application before the deadline for your re-registration period, USCIS reminds you to follow the guidance on our TPS web page under “Filing Late.”

As of March 5, 2015, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is temporarily suspending adjudication of Form I-129 H-2B petitions for temporary non-agricultural workers while the government considers the appropriate response to the court order entered March 4, 2015, in Perez v. Perez, No. 3:14-cv-682 (N.D. Florida, Mar. 4, 2015).

USCIS has published a revised Form G-28, Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative. The revised form G-28 is part of a final rule that became effective on Jan. 27, 2015.

About Form G-28

This policy memorandum (PM) provides guidance on the adjudication of H-1B petitions for nursing positions. Specifically, this PM assists U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officers in determining whether or not a nursing position meets the definition of a specialty occupation. This PM supersedes any prior guidance on the subject.

Monday, March 9, 2015, is the deadline for current El Salvador Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries to re-register for the 18-month extension of TPS that runs from March 10, 2015, through Sept. 9, 2016. The law requires USCIS to withdraw TPS for failure to re-register without good cause. Therefore, if you fail to re-register by this deadline, you may lose your TPS and your work authorization.

 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director León Rodríguez announced today that, effective May 26, 2015, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is extending eligibility for employment authorization to certain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants who are seeking employment-based lawful permanent resident (LPR) status. DHS amended the regulations to allow these H-4 dependent spouses to accept employment in the United States.

Justice Dept. released a flyer, “How Employers Can Avoid Discrimination in the Form I-9 and E-Verify Processes,” which provides guidance in completing Form I-9 and E-Verify processes.    

Please check attached document for information.