PERM Processing Times (as of 6/11/2012)
According to DOL updates as of 6/11/2012, they are working on PERM application filed in the following months:
Analyst Reviews: April 2012
Audits: December 2011
Reconsideration Requests to the CO: June 2011
According to DOL updates as of 6/11/2012, they are working on PERM application filed in the following months:
Analyst Reviews: April 2012
Audits: December 2011
Reconsideration Requests to the CO: June 2011
US Department of State, which is responsible for monitoring and controlling the priority date movement, has made the following comments regarding the Fiscal Year 2012-2013 (October 1, 2012 through September 30, 2013):
EB-2 China and India
Legislation to Eliminate Annual Per-Country H-1B Limits Passes One Hurdle
The U.S. State Department is launching a pilot program to pre-screen E-1/E-2 visa applicants at consular posts in Canada. Kentucky Consular Center officials will contact the E-1/E-2 applicant's U.S. employer to verify information about the application, including the legitimacy of the company and the investment. This prescreening aims to assist consular officers to focus on the individual applicant's qualifications. The State Department hopes to implement the pilot around the world at consular posts that process E visa applications.
The U.S. Department of Labor has released PERM statistics for the first eight months of the fiscal year that began last October. Of the 43,100 applications it processed, 27,600 (64%) were certified, 83% were for H-1B and H-1B1 visas, 44% were for IT-related fields, and 55% were for applicants from India. The minimum education requirement was an advanced degree for 51% of those certified, and a bachelor degree for 39%. The Department certified more applications in the last two months than in either of the prior three-month periods.
Israeli investors will soon be able to apply for the E-2 visa, which allows holders to live and work in the U.S. for an extended period of time while overseeing a major investment in the United States. Legislation to allow Israelis to apply for these visas was approved in Congress in May 31 and signed by the President this month. The legislation requires that similarly situated United States nationals must be eligible for similar nonimmigrant status in Israel. Therefore, visa applications will be accepted once Israel confirms that it will issue similar visas to U.S. citizens.
My spouse is currently working on F-1 OPT or H-1 status. How can he/she change to H-4 status and obtain H-4 EAD without a gap in the ability to work?
We have received several requests about how to ensure there are no gaps in a spouse’s ability to work when converting from another work status (such as H-1) to H-4 EAD.
The short answer, as of now (November 2016) is that here is no way to guarantee that there will not be any gap in a spouse’s ability to work. The problems arise from the fact that there can be a gap between change of status to H-4 and receipt of EAD. The law requires that EAD must be approved and the EAD card must be in hand for the H4 holder to work.