Immigration news & commentary
Updates and analysis from the Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna, PC.
USCIS to Accept H-1B Petitions for Fiscal Year 2015 Beginning April 1, 2014
Release Date: March 25, 2014 Premium Processing for Cap-Subject Petitions to Begin by April 28, 2014 WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin accepting H-1B petitions subject to the fiscal year (FY) 2015 cap on April 1, 2014. Cases will be considered accepted on the da...
By Rajiv S. KhannaOptional Checklist for Form I-129 H-1B Filings
This checklist is optional to assist FY 2015 H-1B petioners submit an I-129 H-1B petiton. Please click on the attachment to view the checklist.
By Rajiv S. KhannaUSCIS Will Temporarily Suspend Use of Pre-Paid Mailers for Certain H-1B Cap Subject Petitions
For two weeks after premium processing resumes for H-1B cap-subject petitions, USCIS will not use pre-paid mailers to send out final notices for premium processing H-1B cap-subject petitions. Instead, USCIS will use regular mail. USCIS will be doing this due to resource limitations as work to proces...
By Rajiv S. KhannaNew 2015 H-2A Adverse Effect Wage Rates (AEWRs)
The Department has published a notice in the Federal Register announcing new Adverse Effect Wage Rates (AEWRs) for each state, based on the Farm Labor Survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The AEWRs are the minimum hourly wage rates the Department has determined must be offered and...
By Rajiv S. KhannaH-2B Prevailing Wage Determinations
Effective December 8, 2014, the Department is no longer issuing prevailing wage determinations in the H-2B program based on employer provided wage surveys. This action is in response to the Court order entered December 5, 2014 in Comite de Apoyo a los Trabajadores Agricolas et al v. Solis, No. 14-35...
By Rajiv S. KhannaNPWC Processing Times Updated
NPWC Processing Times (as of 10/13/2015)
By Rajiv S. KhannaEmployer Filing Tips for Preparing and Submitting H-2B Prevailing Wage Requests and H-2A/H-2B Labor Certification Applications
As part of the Office of Foreign Labor Certification's (OFLC) on-going efforts to increase public engagement, the OFLC will host a webinar on Tuesday, September 13, 2016, designed to educate stakeholders, program users, and other interested members of the public on recent program workload trends, co...
By Rajiv S. KhannaPERM Processing Times Updated
The Analyst Review and Audit dates posted on iCERT above reflect the month and year in which cases were filed that are now being adjudicated at the Atlanta National Processing Center. *The Reconsideration Request to the CO dates posted on iCERT above reflect the month and year in which cases that ar...
By Rajiv S. KhannaUSCIS Modifies H-1B Selection Process to Prioritize Wages
Release Date 01/07/2021 Rule Expected to Protect the Economic Interests of American Workers
By Rajiv S. KhannaUSCIS Temporarily Waiving 60-Day Rule for Civil Surgeon Signatures
Release Date 12/09/2021 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is temporarily waiving the requirement that the civil surgeon sign Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, no more than 60 days before an applicant files an application for the underlying immigration benefit...
By Rajiv S. KhannaUSCIS Announces New Guidance on Form I-693 Validity Period
Release Date: 04/04/2024 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced (PDF, 317.28 KB) that any Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, that was properly completed and signed by a civil surgeon on or after Nov. 1, 2023, does not expire and can be us...
By Rajiv S. KhannaEmployment-based Adjustment of Status Applicants: Send in Your Medical Forms ASAP for More Efficient Processing
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) plays a significant role in the processing of employment-based visas, and USCIS wants to ensure the center uses as many available visas as possible in fiscal year (FY) 2022, which ends on Sept. 30, 2022.
By Rajiv S. Khanna