Updates on work visas, the H-1B program, employment-based green cards, and the monthly Visa Bulletin.
USCIS has opened the annual electronic registration period for the H-1B cap. Employers must submit registrations through their online accounts before the deadline; selections are made by lottery. Employers should confirm beneficiary details carefully, since errors can invalidate a registration. If you are selected, the petition filing window is limited, so preparation should begin now.
This month’s Visa Bulletin shows modest advancement in the employment-based second and third preference categories for most countries of chargeability. Applicants with pending I-485s should verify whether their priority date is current under the Final Action chart, and employers should review adjustment filing strategy with counsel before the next bulletin.
The H-1B modernization final rule is now in effect. Notable changes include a revised definition of specialty occupation, codified deference to prior approvals in extension cases, and clearer standards for beneficiary-owned businesses. Employers filing cap or extension petitions this year should review job descriptions and degree requirements against the updated standard.
Headlines rarely tell you what a change means for your family, your job, or your pending application. Wilsons’s Law Firm advises prospective and current clients on asylum, family and employment immigration, naturalization, and humanitarian relief. Write to us with a short description of your situation and we will follow up to schedule a consultation.