Comprehensive Immigration Solutions
What Steps Can Employers Take to Prepare for the H-1B Registration Period?
This year the H-1B application process has changed. The H-1B registration process begins on March 1 and runs through March 20. Employers can take several steps to ensure they are fully prepared to register and ultimately file an H-1B petition if selected in the H-1B lottery. Companies should consider completing the following to simplify this…
Read MoreH-1B Visa Application Process Updates
It’s not new that the H-1B season has been riddled with anxiety for employers, employees, and immigration attorneys alike. We wondered if we could organize ourselves enough to file our H-1B petitions by the first week of April. Do we have all our ducks in a row? Have we signed the correct pages on the…
Read MoreWhat Changes Have Been Made to the EB-5 Investor Program?
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently published a final rule in the Federal Register making significant changes to the E-5 Immigrant Investor Program. The EB-5 Investor Program allows individuals and their families to apply for permanent residence in the U.S. by making an investment in a commercial enterprise that creates (or preserves) 10 full-time…
Read MoreSuccessful Fundraiser for Just Neighbors
On Saturday, November 10, 2018, Pratibha Agarwal, Principal Shareholder, hosted a successful fundraiser at her home for Just Neighbors, a nonprofit organization providing free immigration legal services to low-income residents throughout northern Virginia. Attendees included attorneys from various law firms throughout the DC metro area, members of the World Bank Group, the Federal Government, PwC…
Read MoreHow the USCIS is Changing Their Fees
USCIS will increase premium processing fees from $1,225 to $1,410 effective October 1, 2018. Premium processing is an optional service that is currently authorized for certain employment-based petitioners filing Forms I-129 (nonimmigrant visas) or I-140 (permanent residence). The system allows petitioners to request 15-day processing if they pay an extra fee. The optional premium processing…
Read MorePratibha Agarwal Elected to Board of Directors, Just Neighbors
We are pleased to announce that Pratibha Agarwal, Principal Shareholder, was elected to the board of directors of Just Neighbors, a nonprofit organization in Northern Virginia dedicated to serving the region’s immigrant community. Just Neighbors opened its doors in 1996 after a group of pastors and attorneys came together in an effort to resolve…
Read MoreWorkplace Enforcement and Raids
7-Eleven stores in over 15 states have found themselves to be the focus of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as the agency increases its efforts in eliminating the hiring and employment of an illegal workforce in U.S. businesses. ICE has issued Notice of Inspections, commonly known as “Silent Raids,” to several 7-Eleven stores where the…
Read MorePossible Changes to EB-5 Regulations
The EB-5 program is an investment-based option for permanent residence for individuals who are able to invest $500,000 to $1 million in a U.S. commercial enterprise which results in the creation of at least 10 full-time jobs. Should investors be able to meet these requirements, both the applicant and their qualifying family members will receive…
Read MoreTPS Terminated for El Salvador
On January 8, 2018, the Trump Administration terminated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for citizens of El Salvador to be effective on September 9, 2019. TPS provides lawful status and work authorization to people already in the United States from countries affected by armed conflict or natural disasters. The TPS program for Salvadorans was implemented…
Read MoreTravel Ban Impact
The Supreme Court decided to address the constitutionality of the Trump Administration’s travel ban when it reconvenes for the fall session in October 2017. The Court’s opinion sets up a historic legal clash between the president’s power to set national security priorities against constitutional protections for religious freedom. The Court partially reinstated President Trump’s…
Read More
