On Friday, April 5th, 2013, USCIS announced that it had received more than 85,000 H-1B petitions between April 1, 2013 and April 5, 2013 for FY2014. Each year, 65,000 visas are available for specialty occupation H-1B workers, and 20,000 visas are available for H-1B workers with U.S. Master's degrees or higher.
USCIS Releases New Form I-9
USCIS has released a new version of the Form I-9. Form I-9 is used for verifying the identity and employment eligibility of individuals hired for employment in the United States. Employers should begin using the new version of the form immediately. USCIS has also released a revised Form I-9 Handbook to accompany the new version of the form.
USCIS Announcement on H-1B Premium Processing
As we approach the final days before USCIS begins accepting cap subject H-1B petitions for fiscal year 2014, fear of a potential lottery has begun to spread. To address these concerns, USCIS released the following announcement regarding premium processing:
SEC Attacks EB-5 Regional Center
After months of speculation regarding the activities of The Intercontinental Regional Center Trust of Chicago, an EB-5 Regional Center based out of Chicago, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed charges and froze the assets of an individual living in Illinois and two companies behind an investment scheme. The SEC press release stated the following:
ICE Audits Pack a Punch in San Diego
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced this week that ten employers in San Diego and Imperial counties were fined by ICE during fiscal year 2012 for various employment-related violations. The ICE press release stated the following regarding the fines:
Immigration Reform - The Framework
On Monday, a group of eight key leading Democratic and Republican Senators, including Chuck Schumer, John McCain, Dick Durbin, Lindsey Graham, Robert Menendez, Marco Rubio, Michael Bennet, and Jeff Flake, released their Framework for comprehensive immigration reform.
Bipartisan Group to Introduce High-Skilled Immigration Bill
With immigration reform back on the table, a bipartisan group of senators led by Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) is set to introduce a high-skilled immigration bill next week that would significantly increase the number of H-1B visas. Congressional news site The Hill reports the following:
USCIS Releases E-Verify Employer Search Tool
Ever wondered which businesses are enrolled in E-Verify? In December, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released an online E-Verify Employer Search Tool that allows users to search the registry of E-Verify users.
USCIS Provides DACA Update
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released updated statistics on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program as well as a revised DACA FAQ.
Rick Gump Selected as a "Go-To Lawyer" by Texas Lawyer
Founding partner Richard A. Gump, Jr. has been selected by the prestigious legal publication Texas Lawyer as one of the "Go-To Lawyers" for immigration law.
