Latest News & Updates
U.S. Department of State Provides Guidance L-1B Specialized Knowledge
The Department of State (DOS) issued a memorandum to U.S. consular posts in an effort to define L-1B specialized knowledge. The memorandum lays out criteria that L-1B visa applicants can expect to encounter. Of course, policy memoranda have a tendency to take some time for full implementation, but the guidance may permeate through U.S. consular posts fairly quickly.
H-1B Cap Update: Less Than 7,000 H-1Bs Left for FY2011
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that as of December 31, 2010, it has accepted 57,300 cap-eligible H-1B petitions, leaving approximately 7,250 available.* This benchmark came a week ago, so it is likely that there are now fewer than 7,000 H-1Bs left for FY2011.
USCIS Updates Case Processing Times
The four U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) regional offices have issued updated processing times. Generally, processing times have remained consistent this month from last month, with some improvement in H-1B processing times at the California Service Center. The processing of H-1B extensions at the Vermont Service Center continues to be extremly slow, with processing times at about five and a half months. This estimated five and a half month processing time can have a significant impact on foreign national employees. This is why it is imperative that employers file H-1B extensions as close to the six-months-from-current-expiration-date mark as possible. Otherwise, employees could encounter travel restrictions and have problems renewing driving privileges. The California Service Center processing of H-1B extensions is still around 2 months.
Links & Resources
USCIS Online Case Status
Check your case status directly with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration services through their online tool.
USCIS Processing Time Information
Get information about available services such as information on average wait times and current case status.
U.S. Consulate and Embassies
All the information you need to know regarding the U.S. Consulate and Embassies around the world, including current travel information and country specific information.
Visa Bulletin
All things pertinent to visas through the website of the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs, including the tools to apply for a visa.