H1B Lottery Done

-

USCIS completed its lottery.
Well, they done did it.  USCIS completed a lottery to select which H1B visa petitions will be considered this year.  This year there was no prior indication that a lottery would be conducted, as there had in previous years.  We simply received the announcement this afternoon that it was done. Hopefully our office’s petitions will be selected.  Here's the announcement if you'd like to read it.  USCIS Completes H1B Cap Random Selection Process for FY19.

More later, but in honor of the lottery announcement, here's a song:


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Choosing An Immigration Lawyer

-
Image
This is going to be an ongoing series of postings about choosing an immigration lawyer. Today I chatted with someone who needed a lawyer because his mother died but left property in India and has a dispute with his sister. It was mainly a counseling session on how to focus the issues, sift out emotions, and pick the right lawyer. To recap: One. Absolutely be aware of any impending deadlines and tell a prospective lawyer immediately. I advised this individual to send a letter overnight express to request additional time to respond to a motion so he could find another lawyer. He can even ask his previous lawyer as a courtesy to e-file it. Two. Dial back the emotional fervor. Seek grief counseling. If there is no relevant death in the circumstances, think about one’s emotions in general. This helps a potential lawyer analyze your situation and decipher facts from emotions. Three. When looking for attorneys, focus on the factual issues. Identify your specific role in the matter to a po...
Read more

How Much Is An H1B VISA?

-
Image
"How much for an H1B?" It’s been a while since my last blog post and for that I apologize. First off, happy new year! And what better way to kick off 2020 than a new H1B visa filing season! I’ve discussed a lot of H1B issues in the past, and first usually refer newcomers to my blog post providing the big picture H1B process, and what it means to employers and foreign nationals. Please do read my  H1B Primer . “HOW MUCH FOR AN H1B?” Because I’m a solo practitioner, this is often the first question I get about the entire process.  It always feels strange to me, as if the time and expertise needed for immigration application is less if one uses a solo attorney.  More important, does the employee become less valuable depending on the price of the attorney?  So when I’m posed with a question about fees right off the bat, I try to answer with another question: “On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is the H1B’s approval?”  For foreign nationa...
Read more

New Employer Handbook

-
Image
This week USCIS released a new Handbook for Employers: Guidance for Completing Form I-9.  Many people don’t realize the I-9 form, filled out by new employees—citizens and noncitizens alike—is actually an immigration form.  All businesses with employees should carefully review the changes in this handbook. The new I-9 form itself began Jan. 31, 2020. https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/handbook-employers-m-274
Read more