More than 163,000 H-1B petitions were filed by April 7. Out of that total, 31,200 were filed under the advanced-degree cap. After 20,000 are chosen out of the 31,200, the remaining 11,200 will join the random selection process for the cap-subject 65,000 limit. So the percentage cap-subject petitions filed that will be selected right now is about 45%. Read more
As always, Maryland Immigration Lawyers are here to help. Email us or
give us a call at
(410) 825-1790!
USCIS Issues Helpful Q & A re: OPT Extension - April 4, 2008
This USCIS communication has good information about the OPT process, the 17 month extension, procedures for
Foreign nationals on OPT and employers, and more. Read more
As always, Maryland Immigration Lawyers are here to help. Email us or
give us a call at
(410) 825-1790!
GREAT NEWS!!! USCIS extends OPT from 12 to 29 months for most F-1 non-immigrant students
and expands cap-gap relief for students with pending H-1B petitions. - April 8, 2008
The prayers of thousands of foreign national graduates working on OPT and their employers have been answered. On April 8, 2008, the Department of Homeland Security provided relief for these graduates who have completed a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) degree. As long as their employers enroll with USCIS E-Verify employment verification program, these F-1 graduates can extend their Optional Practical Training from 12 to 29 months!! Prior to today, these students and their employers worried that their employee might be lost due to bad luck in the H-1B lottery, or would have to endure the cost and expense of having to leave the USA after expiration of OPT before their H-1B would take effect on October 1. But no more!! The voices of employers who desperately need these skilled graduates have been heard. Read more
As always, Maryland Immigration Lawyers are here to help. Email us or
give us a call at
(410) 825-1790!
BREAKING NEWS: Changes to the H-1B regs regarding multiple filings, cap counting, etc. -
March 24, 2008
New regulation just published in the Federal Register will have a big impact on the next batch of H-1B visa petitions to be filed on April 1, 2008.
As always, Maryland Immigration Lawyers are here to help. Email us or
give us a call at
(410) 825-1790!
USCIS has published a comprehensive summary of the various types of employment-based green cards. Please click on the link below to learn more. As always, we are here to help!! -
January 24, 2008
Maryland Immigration Lawyers are here to help. Email us or
give us a call at
(410) 825-1790!
THE LAW OFFICES OF RICHARD W. MOORE ADDS A NEW EMPLOYEE - December 17, 2007
Please join us in welcoming Varun Luthra, a native of India, to our firm. Varun graduated in the top 10% of his law school in India. He recently obtained his LL.M. from PSU's Dickinson School of Law, graduating in the top 5% of his class... read more
USCIS UPDATE - July 22, 2007
New Application and Petition Fees Go Into Effect on July 30, 2007
As always, Maryland Immigration Law Attorneys are here to help. Email us or give us a call at
(410) 825-1790!
EXPERIENCING DELAYS IN YOUR CITIZENSHIP APPLICATION? -
EAJA Fee Award for Naturalization Mandamus
"The USCIS claims that it was unable to act on plaintiff's application sooner
because the FBI did not complete plaintiff's background check until September
2006. As to this argument, I refer to Judge Zobel's apt words: "It does not
matter whether blame for the delay is properly ascribed to the FBI or USCIS;
rather the delay renders the government's pre-litigation position not
'substantially justified.'" ... DEFENDANTS ARE ORDERED TO PAY plaintiff's
attorneys' fees and costs in the amount of Four Thousand, Two Hundred-Seventy
And 94/100 ($ 4,270.94) Dollars." Aronov v. Chertoff, Jan. 30, 2007.
The USCIS is REQUIRED to adjudicate N-400 applications within 120 of an applicant's
interview. If you have been waiting for a decision on your N-400, call us. We
can help you obtain the respect and fair treatment you deserve. As you can see
above, the Federal Judge ruled that the USCIS had to pay the attorney's fees. So the filing of a
mandamus action may not cost you a thing!
As always, Maryland Immigration Law Attorneys are here to help. Email us or give us a call at
(410) 825-1790!
IMPORTANT NEWS FOR EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYMENT-BASED VISA APPLICANTS The Department of Labor has published sweeping changes to the labor
certification and PERM process. These new regulations become effective July 16,
2007. These changes include the prohibition of substituting beneficiaries, a new
requirement to file an I-140 within 180 days of the certification of a PERM
application, and others. It is critical for employers to be aware of these new
regulations to avoid delays or denials in the PERM applcaitions or I-140
petitions. We are here to help. Please email or give us a call!!
CHANGE OF ADDRESS CAN NOW BE DONE ONLINE
You can now change your address with USCIS online. Before using this online tool, you should have: (1)USCIS receipt number (if you have a case pending with USCIS); (2) New and old addresses; (3) Names and biographical information for any family members for whom you've filed; and (4) Date and location (port of entry) of your last entry into the United States.
Please note that all non-U.S. citizens are REQUIRED to report any change of address within 5 days of moving. Failure to do so can have grave consequences.
Click this link to change your address online. https://egov.uscis.gov/crisgwi/go?action=coa. Once you do, we recommend that you print the screen to prove that you reported the change.
As always if you have any questions, Maryland Immigration Lawyers are here to help. Email us or give us a call at (410) 825-1790!
