I-140 RFEs Requesting Petitioner to Demonstrate Ability to Pay All I-140 Beneficiaries, H-1s, L-1s, etc.

In recent months Service has issued I-140 RFEs requesting Petitioner to demonstrate ability to pay all immigrant and non-immigrant petitions in specified windows of time. For one client, this entailed analysis of approximately 150 petitions including H-1s (new, transfers, and extensions), L-1s, and I-140s. With detailed explanations of each petition, our firm was able to obtain I-140 approval within one week.

Green Card

I-140 Denial Based Upon Three Year Degree Issue

A beneficiary had two three-year bachelor degrees from India and consequently his I-140 petition was denied on the grounds that the beneficiary did not have a four-year bachelor's degree. We were retained after the denial. Our firm was successful in appealing and winning in less than one month. Of course, this case had unique facts. We cannot assume that all three-year degree cases will go trough this smoothly.

Green Card

I-140 RFE Based Upon Three Year Degree Issue

We were hired to respond to an RFE. Client filed an EB2 I-140, where the PERM Petition required a Bachelor's and 5 years of experience. The client received an RFE in which USCIS argued the Beneficiary's degree, a Bachelor's in Commerce from India, equates to a 3-year degree and cannot be considered for an EB2 case. The Beneficiary possessed a four year Bachelor's Degree, however, this was not clearly established on his Degree. The client obtained his BS in Commerce before India switched to a standard 3-year program for his particular degree.

Green Card

Form I-140

We were called upon to correct a situation. USCIS sent an RFE stating that the degree and field of study did not match with the labor certification requirements. The I-140 beneficiary had a degree in agricultural science. The employer's requirement in the labor certification was a BS degree in Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics.

Status
We were able to show the USCIS that the beneficiary's agricultural degree was a Bachelors degree that had components relating to the degree requirements of the labor certification. We obtained the I-140 approval.

Green Card

PERM Denial Based on Typographical Error by DOL Rectified

We filed an ETA 9089 (PERM) Petition by mail in July 2008, as the advertisements were expiring and DOL had a delay in registering the company's PERM account. A denial was issued on the grounds that the advertisements and prevailing wage were expired when the case was received for processing. Further inspection noted a typographical error by DOL in the year the case was received.

H-1B2 - Specialty Occupations Related to DoD (Dept. of Defense) Cooperative Research and Development Projects or Coproduction projects

We have provided consultation and completed some DoD H-1B cases. In one of these, the beneficiary was about to reach the six-year limit of his H-1B status, and changed to a H-1B2 in order to be eligible for an additional four years of stay.  It appears USCIS itself is unfamiliar with H-1B2 visas. We often end up educating CIS on even the most basic legal issues in this area.

Status
Changed to a H-1B2 status in order to be eligible for an additional four years stay.

Nonimmigrant Visas

R Visa

We have obtained several R-1 visas.  One case that presented an interesting challenge was where the applicant performed secular, administrative duties.  CIS believed that an R visa was not appropriate.  We were able to show facts and law that convinced the USCIS to issue the visa.

Nonimmigrant Visas

M.B.B.S., O1

We won an O1 Visa for the applicant who is known world wide for his expertise is in the area of solid organ transplant pathology. He was working as a surgeon at a prestigious institute. We offered evidence to show that he is part of the small percentage in his field that have achieved the highest level of success and thus is known throughout the world as one of the best surgeons in his specialty. We submitted opinion letters from various world-renowned experts describing the innovative and pioneering results of this applicant's work.

Nonimmigrant Visas