Thursday, June 19th, 2014
Social Security Administration no longer requires waiting period for Employment-based Visa SSNs Until now, the Social Security Administration (“SSA”) required nonimmigrants (e.g., H, L and E visa holders) to wait 10 days after entering the United States before applying for a Social Security Number. The waiting period was intended to provide Customs and Border Protection
Thursday, June 19th, 2014
USCIS to Begin Unannounced L-1A site visits During a 24 April 2014 stakeholders teleconference, USCIS stated that L1 site inspections are to begin in the near future. Initially, inspections of L visa sites will only be triggered when an employer files for an extension of status for an L-1A employee. USCIS will randomly select employer
Monday, June 9th, 2014
CBP Website Now Allows Nonimmigrants to Access 5 years of Arrival/Departure Records The new CBP website allows nonimmigrant travelers to access arrival/departure records going back five years from the request date. This means that travelers may no longer need to file FOIA requests to have their arrival/departure history, speeding up the processing of other FOIA
Thursday, May 1st, 2014
Allowable Business Activities under VWP versus Special Business Concession Visa Author: Orlando Ortega-Medina, Esq. (Originally published on 11 October 2010; Revised 30 April 2014) One of the questions that our law firm receives most often from our business clients is, “What constitutes a proper business activity under the visa waiver program?” This question is most
Monday, March 10th, 2014
DOS Policy Change re Transmission of Immigration Benefits to Children Born Abroad through Artificial Reproductive Technology (ART) New DOS guidance confirms that USC “gestational mothers,” i.e., mothers who give birth to a child outside the USA as the result of ART, and who are recognized as the legal parent in the country of birth, but
Monday, March 10th, 2014
Statistics on L-1B RFEs and Denials for 2012 and 2013 Statistics on L-1B RFEs and Denials for 2012 and 2013. 2012: RFE rate, 46%; RFEs resulting in denials, 70%. 2013: RFE rate, 47%; RFEs resulting in denials, 75%. The VSC had a higher rate of approvals than the CSC in both years
Monday, March 10th, 2014
USA/Israel E2 agreement ratified by the Israeli government USA/Israel E2 agreement has now been ratified by the Israeli government, as reported by AILA. Due to the current strikes at the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmation of the decision will be published upon conclusion of the strike. Following this, AILA expects that the Israeli procedural
