Here is a question from one of our corporate clients:

Let's say hypothetically an employer hires someone for 20 hours a week for clerical office work who is in the U.S. on a student visa.

H.R. 6080 has been passed and is expected to be signed by the President today, 13 August 2010. This Bill raises The H-1B and L-1 application filing fees (fraud prevention and detection) by $2,000 for companies with 50 or more employees in USA if more than 50% of the employees are on H/L status. The fees are to be effective upon enactment (when the President signs and USCIS can implement) and will end on September 30, 2014.

The Bill states:

This week, we have received an Oustanding Researcher approval in one day. I hope and wish we could see more of this lacrity in USCIS adjudications. Details of the case are here:
http://www.immigration.com/sample-ca...proved-one-day

7. What documentation and/or notice is needed when an employer undergoing Supervised Recruitment changes its attorney/agent?

In a recent meeting, Nebraska Service Center has clarified why, some times, in cases of pending I-485 applications, USCIS approves AOS interchanging the applications of the derivative and principal applicant:

USCIS is launching a pilot program in July 2010 that will use Dun & Bradstreet databases to verify business information of employers who submit immigration related petitions. "Verification Instrument for Business Enterprises" (VIBE) is a tool intended to help combat immigration fraud, and to minimize RFE's regarding petitioners' business data and eventually to make submission of routine documentation unnecessary.

USDOL has posted the following FAQ

1. Under what authority can the Department of Labor's Office of Foreign Labor Certification select an employer's application for supervised recruitment?

As of May 21, 2010, USCIS has received approximately 19,600 H-1B cap-subject petitions. Also, an additional 8,200 H-1B petitions for advanced degrees professionals have been received.

USCIS reports that as of April 27, 2010, approximately 16,500 H-1B cap-subject petitions had been filed. They have received 6,900 H-1B petitions for advanced degree professionals.