I had my Naturalization Interview today at the Los Angeles office. I applied on October 10th, did FPs on October 23rd and was scheduled for interview for today.
Topics Discussed, Thursday, 17 December 2015:
FAQ: Can TN work on 1099 as independent contractor; Difference between I-140 withdrawn and revoked;
Other: H-1 quota exemption; H-1B denial; H-1B how to file Form DS-160; I-140 revoked, refiling; H-1 L-1 221(g); I-130 processing; I-485 approval while COS pending; I-90 to renew green card; Misrepresentation in visa/ESTA; Contract for B-1/B-2 visa for domestic help from foreign country; Getting H-1 extension I-140 revoked, refiled; DV lottery (NOT my area of expertise); H-1 change of location; Does H-4 extension also extend H-4 visa stamp automatically? I-140 recapture or port priority date; Travelling while STEM extension pending.
This is the latest release from USCIS. I think they are misreading the fees requirement. The law seemed to require higher fees only for L-1 employee counts (see my highlighted comments below under 19 December 2015 entry). The current USCIS release counts both L-1 and H-1 employees even for H-1 filing fees. We will wait and see if this clarified
Effective Monday December 21, 2015, per the Fiscal Year 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act, the U.S. Consulate in Chennai will begin collecting an additional (U.S. dollar) $4,500 per application for all new Blanket L-1 applications.
I am Canadian citizen and got job offer in USA and going to work on TN visa. They are going to employ me as an independent contractor and are going pay using 1099. Can TN workers work as an independent contractor? Is this something valid and can I accept this one?
See clip from Attorney Rajiv S. Khanna's conference call video that addresses this question.
https://youtu.be/Gl2WiBEALtk?t=68
FAQ Transcript:
An L-1A visa can be obtained for an international manager or executive who manages other professionals or who manages an important function of the organization (“functional manager”). Historically, it has been difficult to obtain L-1A for functional managers. USCIS is more esily convinced where professional employees are being managed.
USCIS published an update to Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence. The new edition is dated 11/23/15.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has approved the statutory maximum of 10,000 petitions for U-1 nonimmigrant status (U visas) for fiscal year 2016. This marks the seventh straight year that USCIS has reached the statutory maximum since it began issuing U visas in 2009.
USCIS recently began transferring certain casework from the Vermont Service Center (VSC) to the California Service Center (CSC) and Nebraska Service Center (NSC) to balance workloads. The CSC will now process Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status.
FORM NUMBER |
CASE TYPE |
TIME |
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As stated by "Indian Express" :
A proposal that will hit Indian IT companies the most, US software giant Microsoft Corporation has suggested a whopping fee of USD 10,000 (over Rs 5 lakh) for a new category of H-1B visas and USD 15,000 (more than Rs 7.5 lakh) for permanent residency or Green card.
This could raise a huge USD5 billion over a decade, it said.
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano has extended Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Next week, the Department of Homeland Security will publish a notice in the Federal Register announcing this decision.
The Federal Register notice will provide additional guidance on:
The Department, in anticipation of the enactment of H.J.Res 117, which prohibits the Department from expending funds to implement the 2011 H-2B Wage Rule for the duration of that Continuing Resolution, will publish in the Federal Register a Final Rule extending the effective date of the 2011 Wage Rule to March 27, 2013.The Final Rule is posted on the Federal Register's web site September 28, 2012 and it is accessible here.
The Office of Foreign Labor Certification has posted updated program factsheets containing the FY 2012 selected statistics for the:
Myself and my husband had our interview yesterday in Atlanta USCIS office (2nd floor). Appointment for both of us was at 9:45 am. We were there about 30 mins early and submitted our interview letters at the counter and waited. The waiting area was crowded.
Our offices will be closed for Christmas break from December 24, 2019 through January 1, 2020. The offices will reopen on Thursday, January 2, 2020. If you are a client, in case of an urgent matter, please leave a message at (202 )909-1110, ext. 1001. Our team members will also regularly check their own emails and messages. If you need to speak with someone urgently please leave a message and you will hear back from them.
Happy Holidays to all of you from our team!
Hi Rajiv, I just wanted to take this opportunity to complement you and your highly skilled team of lawyers on doing such a fantastic job of helping so many people out there who don't have enough understanding of US laws. You guys are not only knowledgeable but also EXTREMELY courteous and willing to help to all of us. I would specifically like to mention Leila M. and Hanna Baker, as the two individuals, I had an opportunity to talk to, and both of them were really helping and understanding. I can't thank them enough for providing the MOST accurate advice which helped me a lot and that too without expecting anything in return which makes it even more noble. Please keep up the good work.
Thanks.
Thanks to Chary Bhagat and Rena Wadell for a job well done. Extremely helpful, diligent and patient!!!
Hope to do many more cases through immigration.com
It took me full 6 years to get through the green card process and had to face a lot of obstacles along way. So what, Rajiv was there at every stage of the process. Thank you for your expertise and support. Thanks to everyone on your staff, especially Suman Bhasin, Leila Leyman, and of course Diane Lomabrdo. Great team!
I hired the services of Mr. Rajiv Khanna's law firm after a so-called big shot immigration attorney here in Dallas proved to me that his incompetence & sheer lack of knowledge came at an exorbitant price. Being a perfectionist by nature, I decided not to go in to the H1 process with that conman and chose to go with Mr Khanna's law firm instead after thorough research. Can easily say that it was one of those decisions for which u pat yourself on the back. The sheer promptness, professionalism and clockwork precision exhibited by Anna Baker, Rena Waddell & Charu Bhagat was exemplary. At the same time, they were very patient with my constant complex queries. I never felt a lack of warmth in my interaction with them, which is pretty uncommon otherwise, especially when it comes to law firms. The processing & paperwork was super-quick and the ball was always rolling. It was hardly any time after my case was filed that I got a call one morning informing me of my approval. And to think that I have never even seen or met any of these wonderful people. One word to describe these guys. Brilliant.