I’ve been fielding a lot of calls for PERM lately. I’m not sure if it’s related to the fact that indications for the private sector and employment numbers are on the rise or if it’s the beginning of a new year and everyone wants to start their permanent residency applications,…
The US Department of Labor recently published a report on the Foreign Labor Certification program, commonly called “PERM.” According to the report, PERM approvals and applications as a whole have been declining since 2007. In fiscal year 2008, there was a 42 percent decrease from fiscal year 2007 in cases…
Yet another update to the H-1B quota, also known as the Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 H-1B cap. Approximately 34,900 cases have been receipted by USCIS for the regular Bachelor’s degree H-1B quota. Approximately 13,000 cases have been receipted by USCIS for the advanced degree H-1B quota open to applicants who…
Beginning January 4, 2010, applicants for visas or greencards will no longer be considered inadmissible for being HIV positive. Early last month, the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) removed HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) from the definition of a “communicable disease of public health significance.” This marks a major success…
PERM cases are backlogged now to December 2008. So if you have a PERM case pending that was submitted more than a year ago, DOL may entertain an email inquiry from you. But if your case was submitted in October 2008 or after, you still have a long wait ahead…
Romben Law, APC in Los Angeles has received several calls about artists who have been involved in the preparations for the series of Michael Jackson concerts which were scheduled to take place in London beginning this summer. The performer’s recent death has thrown arrangements for those concerts into chaos. Although…
Those who are patiently awaiting their EB-3 and EB-2 petitions to become current probably check the Department of State’s website every month for the newest visa bulletin. Many of you have probably been in the processing queue for several years, are on AC-21 extensions of your H-1B, or are relying…
Romben Law, APC has been informed that the US Consulate-General at Ciudad Juárez is modifying the way it processes waivers. Immigrant visa applicants who seek a waiver of a ground of inadmissibility at Ciudad Juárez, México should expect to wait at least two months for the waiver interview. Our Los Angeles clientele…
Everyone has noticed how painfully slow labor certification (PERM) cases have become. What was normally about a 45- 60 day adjudication period has now stretched out to 7- 9 months, on average. Last week, the Dept. of Labor (DOL) announced that as of mid-March, they were working on cases that…
The May Visa Bulletin shows that all employment-based third preference (EB-3) category visas are listed as “U,” or “unavailable.” This means that the USCIS cannot issue any immigrant visas (greencards) to people who are being sponsored under the EB-3 category until next October, when the new fiscal year begins and when immigrant…