Non-Immigrant issues

Beginning 30 April 2013, CBP will roll out electronic version of Form I-94, Arrival Departure Record. We recommended that all visitors print out and keep a paper copy of the Form for their records at all times. There are still important legal issues that remain unsettled, including, the proper training and education of DHS/CBP of its own officers. Note that CBP is an agency within Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Form I-94 is a very important document in that it determines ...

We have just received our first H-1 quota receipt notice. That indicates the H-1 lottery is concluded.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it has received a sufficient number of H-1B petitions to reach the statutory cap for fiscal year (FY) 2014. USCIS has also received more than 20,000 H-1B petitions filed on behalf of persons exempt from the cap under the advanced degree exemption. After today, USCIS will not accept H-1B petitions subject to the FY 2014 cap or the advanced degree exemption.

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Some folks are predicting that H-1 quota may last a lot longer than just April.

Remember also, if there is a lottery, ALL cases received by and including 5 April will be included in the lottery. As the regulation 8 CFR §214.2(h)(8)(ii)(B) states:

If the final receipt date is any of the first five business days on which petitions subject to the applicable numerical limit may be received (i.e., if the numerical limit is reached on any one of the first five business

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Premium Processing for Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions to Begin April 15, 2013

Released: March 15, 2013

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it will begin accepting H-1B petitions subject to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 cap on Monday, April 1, 2013. Cases will be considered accepted on the date that USCIS receives a properly filed petition for which the correct fee has been submitted; not the date that the petition is postmarked. ...