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CIS Issues New I-9 Handbook for Employers
May 8th, 2009
U.S. CIS has released a new version of the I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, form. Effective April 3, 2009, all employers must use the new version of the Form I-9,dated February 2, 2009, and accept only those documents now listed on the revis…
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Categories: Immigration Blog
ICE Advises Employers on Optional Practical Training "Cap-Gap" Extension Issues
May 8th, 2009
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has recently confirmed that if you employ an F-1 nonimmigrant student on post-completion optional practical training (OPT) and that student is the beneficiary of a pending or approved, cap-subject H-1B p…
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Categories: Immigration Blog
US CIS Updates H-1B Petition Count for FY2010 - as of April 27, 2009
May 8th, 2009
The current economic situation appears to be driving down demand for H-1B visas this year as the H-1B cap was not hit during the preliminary filing window. USCIS reports that as of April 27th it had received approximately 45,000 H-1B petitions that c…
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Categories: Immigration Blog
EB-5 Immigrant Investor Pilot Program Extended
March 27th, 2009
On March 12, 2009, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) announced that the Immigrant Investor Pilot Program (the EB-5 Investor Program) had been extended through September 30, 2009. The extension was part of the “Fiscal 2009 Omnibus Ap…
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Categories: Immigration Blog
CIS Issues Updated I-9 Handbook for Employers
March 26th, 2009
An updated Handbook for Employers has been released by Citizenship and Immigration Services. The Handbook provides instructions to employers on the completion of the new Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification Form. The revised Handbook should…
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Categories: Immigration Blog
EB-3 Worldwide and Philippines Categories Retrogress for April 2009
March 26th, 2009
The Employment-Based Third Preference (EB-3) category for the Philippines and all areas other than mainland China, India and Mexico have retrogressed for April 2009. The current priority date for these categories is now March 1, 2003 –over two…
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Categories: Immigration Blog
CIS Eliminates FBI Name Check Backlogs
March 12th, 2009
On March 4, 2009, CIS proudly announced that it had eliminated the backlog for FBI name checks pending more than six months. CIS worked in close collaboration with the FBI to reduce this backlog. FBI name checks are part of the security clearance pro…
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Categories: Immigration Blog
US CIS Confirms Filing Window for H-1B Lottery
March 12th, 2009
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) has confirmed in a recent communication with the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) that, if an H-1B petition “lottery” needs to occur for FY10 H-1B petitions, US CIS will again e…
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Categories: Immigration Blog
2009 Poverty Guidelines Effective March 1st
March 12th, 2009
The State Department has announced that the 2009 Poverty Guidelines used for I-864, Affidavits of Support, went into effect on March 1, 2009. The I-864 is used for immigrant visa petitioners and joint sponsors. The guidelines are available here All c…
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Categories: Immigration Blog
Expedited Processing of I-140 Petitions Now Available for Some H-1B Workers
February 25th, 2009
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) announced on February 24, 2009 that some H-1B workers nearing the end of their sixth year of stay in the U.S. are eligible to expedite the processing of their I-140 petitions. Starting on March 2, 2009,…
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Categories: Immigration Blog