A new H-1B quota update was released today from USCIS. The H-1B cap numbers as of May 4, 2012 are as follows:
Usage is steady, but there is still time to have an H-1B petition prepared and filed. Consult with the business immigration attorneys at Romben Law, APC today. —ecf
H-1B quota numbers released today show that as of April 20, 2012 cap eligible petitions amounted to:
The H-1B quota count came out again yesterday. USCIS released the following quota numbers:
USDOS issued a reminder that visa fees changed last Friday, April 13. For those of you who have paid an immigrant visa fee before April 13, the fee is likely to have decreased. But you won’t get a refund for it!
IF you have paid a visa fee prior to April 13 and the visa fee has now increased, you won’t have to pay the difference as long as the visa interview takes place BEFORE June 12, 2012.
Retrogression has hit the EB-2 preference categories for India and China. USDOS released the May 2012 visa bulletin showing EB-2 priority dates of August 15, 2007 for both countries. The EB-3 priority dates have moved forward about one month, with the exception of India which forward about a week to September 8, 2002. Families with dependents who will age out at age 21 should call the attorneys at Romben Law, APC to talk about options now. —ecf 
The family-based visa bulletin shows slow movement as well:
Last week, I reported that the H-1B cap count was pretty high considering the quota had only been open for 3 days of filing. Today, the CIS released a more accurate count which separates the Bachelor’s and Master’s cap, the latter of which is nearly half used.
There’s no doubt now that the H-1B quota will close much earlier this year. If you need to submit an H-1B application this year, call the attorneys at Romben Law, APC for a consultation. —ecf
The first H-1B quota count for the first three days of the filing period tell us that H-1B usage is up. It’s still too early to know how long it will last, but we should all keep in mind that it does take time to prepare a thorough H-1b petition and that just rushing to file petition can backfire on you if the case is not well prepared and you are not prepared for a Request for Evidence (RFE). In 2011, many people were surprised to see an increase in RFEs and denials. Call the attorneys at Romben Law, APC for a consultation on your H-1B. —ecf
USCIS reported yesterday that 22,323 cap-subject petitions were received already. About one-quarter of those will be counted against the advanced degree cap. Thus far, usage is about the double the amount of last year’s usage. If you are considering an H-1B petition this year, call the attorneys at Romben Law, APC for your consultation now or contact us at here.—ecf
F-1 cap gap issues cause a lot of confusion, but here is a quick guide to help you all you need are clear answers. I posted a similar blog entry last year. The full guidance from USCIS can be found here:
This is just in from AILA. It has been reported that in the May 2012 visa bulletin, the USDOS will retrogress the priority dates for China and India EB-2 to August 15, 2007. The April 2012 priority dates are at May 1, 2010. It’s still too early to know how long the regression will last, or when there will might be forward movement again this fiscal year. USDOS did report that demand for this preference category from China and India remains very high. Cases will still be “preadjudicated” and held by Dept. of State under their “pending files” in order to be ready when visa numbers can be used for cases filed after May 1, 2010. —ecf
Immigration Visa Attorney Blog