Yearly Archives: 2015

New Bill Increases L-1 and H-1B Visa Application Fees for Certain Companies

Last week, the President signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016 which provides full-year appropriations through September 2016 for all government agencies. Included in this bill are fee increases for certain L-1 and H-1B petitions for companies with more than

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Posted in In The News, Nonimmigrant Visas

Proposed Changes to Visa Waiver Program, Enhanced Security Measures Will Impact Airlines

The following post was written by Rachel Welford, an associate in the Cozen O’Connor Aviation Regulatory Practice Group. The White House is proposing changes to the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) as well as enhanced security measures that would tighten the

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Posted in In The News

K Visa Process

The press has been reporting that the woman who carried out the San Bernardino massacre with her husband came to the U.S. last year on a K visa, raising questions about whether the K visa process can adequately vet people

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Posted in In The News

Legislation Proposed to Reform H-1B and L-1 Visa Programs

In November, Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Chairman of Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Assistant Democratic Leader, introduced a new bipartisan legislation seeking to reform and reduce fraud and abuse in certain programs for foreign workers working temporarily

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Posted in In The News

New Speaker Paul Ryan Postponing Talks About Immigration Reform Until 2017

Newly elected speaker, Paul Ryan (R-Wis), is already busy settling into his role and deciding what major policies he wants to tackle first. Excluded from his policy list is immigration reform. Ryan has decided to hold off on advancing any

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Posted in In The News

BALCA Affirms CO’s Denial Where Beneficiary Has an Ownership Interest in Closely Held Company

The Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals (BALCA) upheld a Certifying Officer’s denial of an  Employer’s Application for Permanent Certification due to the fact that the beneficiary and her husband each had a 50% ownership interest in the sponsoring entity.

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Posted in In The News

USCIS’ Draft of Policy Manual Guidance on Extreme Hardship Available for Comment

USCIS has released a draft of the USCIS policy manual guidance on extreme hardship. This manual includes guidance on several different topics including: General considerations, interpretations, and adjudication steps Establishing a qualifying relative Extreme hardship factors Extreme hardship determinations Discretion

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Posted in In The News, USCIS New Policies/Procedures

Public Law 111-230 H-1B, L-1 Additional Fees Expire

H-1B and L-1 petitions filed on or after Oct. 1, 2015, should not include the additional fee that was previously required by Section 402 of Public Law 111-230, as amended by Public Law 111-347, for certain H-1B and L-1 petitions.

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Posted in H-1B Visa Petitions, In The News

District Court Denies TRO Against State Department in October Visa Bulletin Suit

On September 28, 2015, several beneficiaries of approved employment-based visa petitions for highly skilled workers filed a class action complaint seeking declaratory and injunctive relief. Plaintiffs asked the court to strike down the revised 9/25/15 version of the October Visa

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Posted in In The News

All Embassies and Consulates Will Be Closed 10/9/15 Due to Systems Upgrade

The Department of State has announced that all embassies and consulates will be closed to the public on Friday, October 9, 2015 due to a consular systems upgrade. People who have an appointment scheduled for that day will be contacted

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Posted in Consular Issues, In The News
About ABCs of Immigration Law
The global economy has become increasingly transactional and transcontinental. Since 9/11, there have been many amendments to immigration laws in the United States that have largely affected both individuals and businesses. Cozen O'Connor's immigration law blog, ABC's of Immigration Law, focuses on the interests and the challenges faced by those individuals and business impacted by immigration laws.
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