The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that starting on April 1, 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) filing fees for temporary visa petitions, family and employment-based visa petitions for lawful permanent residence (“Green Cards”), and applications for adjustment of status, naturalization, and waivers will increase. The key employment-based petitions and applications that will see fee increases are as follows: Petitions filed on behalf of non-immigrant workers (Form I-129) will increase as follows: H-1B: increase from $460 to $780 L-1: increase fr ..read more

U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it received a sufficient number of online H-1B registrations from U.S. employers last week for the 85,000 available H-1B visas. As such, USCIS conducted a computer-generated lottery to determine which registrations will be invited to submit H-1B petitions. Employers who have their registrations selected in the lottery will receive a receipt notice from USCIS inviting them to submit their full H-1B petitions within the next 90 days. If USCIS does not receive enough H-1B petitions during this 90-day period to meet the 85,000 ..read more

U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that registrations for the online H-1B visa registration system will open on March 1, 2023 for the annual H-1B visa lottery selection process. Accordingly, employers must submit an electronic registration containing information about the company and each H-1B beneficiary between March 1, 2023 and March 17, 2023.  USCIS will then conduct a lottery from the pool of registrations and select registrations to meet the H-1B visa cap no later than March 31st.  Employers will then have 90 days to submit a full H-1B visa p ..read more

U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it received a sufficient number of H-1B registrations from U.S. employers last week for the 85,000 available H-1B visas. As such, USCIS conducted a computer-generated lottery to determine which registrations will be invited to submit H-1B petitions. Employers who have their registrations selected in the lottery will receive a receipt notice from USCIS inviting them to submit their full H-1B petitions within the next 90 days. If USCIS does not receive enough H-1B petitions during this 90-day period to meet the 85,000 H-1B an ..read more

U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that its online H-1B visa registration system will begin accepting registrations on March 1, 2022 for its H-1B visa lottery selection process. Accordingly, employers must submit an electronic registration containing information about the company and each H-1B beneficiary between March 1, 2022 and March 18, 2022.  USCIS will then conduct a lottery from the pool of registrations and select registrations to meet the H-1B visa cap no later than March 31st.  Employers will then have 90 days to submit a full H-1B visa p ..read more

I was recently speaking at a conference of colleagues about how I have successfully grown my immigration practice representing families (spouses, parents, children) in obtaining U.S. lawful permanent residence (‘Green Cards’). While there are obviously many factors, to me, its about being the best immigration attorney you can be, which really boils down to three factors: (1) communication, (2) managing expectations, and (3) understanding clients. Communication - I always ask my clients “do you fully understand everything as I’m explaining it to you?” I want my clients to be able to e ..read more

I’m often asked by clients why I became an Immigration Attorney.  While I come from a family of immigrants, who taught me not only to value the freedoms that this country affords me and to share with and serve others who long for those freedoms, I find I'm also consistently inspired by my clients and the values they impart on me. Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege to meet and work with hundreds of foreign nationals from all over this planet.  Each and every single person has their own remarkable story, and they have imparted on me wisdom that I utilize every day ..read more

U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it received an all-time record of H-1B registrations from U.S. employers last week for the 85,000 available H-1B visas. As such, USCIS conducted a computer-generated lottery to determine which registrations will be invited to submit H-1B petitions. Employers who have their registrations selected in the lottery will receive a receipt notice from USCIS inviting them to submit their full H-1B petitions within the next 90 days. Those registrations that are not selected in the lottery will have ..read more

With a new U.S. President in office, former President Trump’s final attempts to pass regulations that would have severely restricted the H-1B visa program, have been rescinded. Essentially this means the Trump administration will have made very little change to the H-1B visa program in his four years in office. Therefore, similar to last year, USCIS will once again utilize an online H-1B visa registration process to conduct how H-1B petitions will be chosen in its lottery selection system. Under this process, employers must submit an electronic registration containing information about th ..read more

Since 2016, my clients and I have faced unprecedented and ever-increasing challenges to their ability to lawfully come to the United States.  2020, however, was different.  In addition to the chaos of the previous several years, out of nowhere, the world gets hit with a pandemic and just like that, immigration to the U.S. becomes even more unpredictable. There is no way any of us could have anticipated what life would be like in 2020, but in my nearly 15 years of practicing immigration law I never expected to take on the challenges I did last year.  I don’t need t ..read more