http://www.visatrax.com/publications/all en http://www.visatrax.com/publications/2012-02-02/immigration-eauthority <div class="field field-type-date field-field-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <div class="field-label-inline-first"> Published Date:&nbsp;</div> <span class="date-display-single">February 2, 2012</span> </div> </div> </div> <p><br /><em><strong>Articles in this issue include:</strong></em></p> <p><a href="/publications/2012-02-02/dhs-outlines-plans-attract-and-retain-highly-skilled-immigrants-and-entrepre" title="DHS Outlines Plans to Attract and Retain Highly-Skilled Immigrants and Entrepreneurs">DHS Outlines Plans to Attract and Retain Highly-Skilled Immigrants and Entrepreneurs</a></p><div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-upload"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <div class="field-label-inline-first"> Download:&nbsp;</div> <div class="filefield-file"><img class="filefield-icon field-icon-application-pdf" alt="application/pdf icon" src="http://www.visatrax.com/sites/all/modules/filefield/icons/application-pdf.png" /><a href="http://www.visatrax.com/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/2012-02__immigration-eauthority.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=47982" title="2012-02__immigration-eauthority.pdf">Immigration eAuthority (February 2 2012)</a></div> </div> </div> </div> National eAuthority Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Ogletree Deakins 11532 at http://www.visatrax.com http://www.visatrax.com/publications/2012-02-02/dhs-outlines-plans-attract-and-retain-highly-skilled-immigrants-and-entrepre <div class="field field-type-date field-field-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <div class="field-label-inline-first"> Published Date:&nbsp;</div> <span class="date-display-single">February 2, 2012</span> </div> </div> </div> <p>In a January 31, 2012 <a href="http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/fact-sheets/20120131-dhs-retain-highly-skilled-immigrants.shtm">press release</a>, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced plans to reform some administrative practices to ease the visa process and reduce immigration burdens in an effort to retain highly-skilled foreign nationals and attract new business investment to the United States.<p><a href="http://www.visatrax.com/publications/2012-02-02/dhs-outlines-plans-attract-and-retain-highly-skilled-immigrants-and-entrepre" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Articles National Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Ogletree Deakins 11533 at http://www.visatrax.com http://www.visatrax.com/publications/2012-01-25/compliance-corner-state-immigration-law-update-south-carolina <div class="field field-type-date field-field-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <div class="field-label-inline-first"> Published Date:&nbsp;</div> <span class="date-display-single">January 25, 2012</span> </div> </div> </div> <p>While comprehensive immigration reform remains stalled at the federal level, individual states continue to implement measures relating to immigration. <br /><br />Most recently, on December 22, 2011, a federal district court enjoined three provisions of South Carolina Act 69 and found a fourth provision likely to be overturned in future proceedings. The ruling makes South Carolina the sixth state – after Arizona, Indiana, Georgia, Utah, and Alabama – to see major parts of a punitive immigration law blocked in federal court. <br /><p><a href="http://www.visatrax.com/publications/2012-01-25/compliance-corner-state-immigration-law-update-south-carolina" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Articles South Carolina Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Ogletree Deakins 11505 at http://www.visatrax.com http://www.visatrax.com/publications/2012-01-25/february-2012-visa-bulletin-eb-2-india-and-china-priority-dates-leap-forward <div class="field field-type-date field-field-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <div class="field-label-inline-first"> Published Date:&nbsp;</div> <span class="date-display-single">January 25, 2012</span> </div> </div> </div> <p>Reports from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) indicate that the rate of new filings for adjustment of status in recent months has been extremely low. This has prompted the continued rapid advancement of the cut-off dates for the India and China EB-2 (Employment-Based, second preference) category in an attempt to generate demand and maximize number use under the annual limit. Cut-off dates will jump forward a full year, from January 1, 2009 to January 1, 2010, according to the U.S.<p><a href="http://www.visatrax.com/publications/2012-01-25/february-2012-visa-bulletin-eb-2-india-and-china-priority-dates-leap-forward" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Articles National Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Ogletree Deakins 11502 at http://www.visatrax.com http://www.visatrax.com/publications/2012-01-25/h-1b-fiscal-year-2013-filing-season-%E2%80%93-get-ready-april-2 <div class="field field-type-date field-field-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <div class="field-label-inline-first"> Published Date:&nbsp;</div> <span class="date-display-single">January 25, 2012</span> </div> </div> </div> <p>The filing period for “new” H-1B petitions to be counted against the annual H-1B quota (the “H-1B cap”) for FY 2013 begins on Friday, March 30, 2012. USCIS will accept cap-subject H-1B petitions for FY 2013 on Monday, April 2, 2012 for employment with a start date of October 1, 2012 or later.<br /><p><a href="http://www.visatrax.com/publications/2012-01-25/h-1b-fiscal-year-2013-filing-season-%E2%80%93-get-ready-april-2" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Articles National Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Ogletree Deakins 11503 at http://www.visatrax.com http://www.visatrax.com/publications/2012-01-25/perm-profile-%E2%80%93-updates-and-trends-labor-certification-process <div class="field field-type-date field-field-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <div class="field-label-inline-first"> Published Date:&nbsp;</div> <span class="date-display-single">January 25, 2012</span> </div> </div> </div> <p><strong>The Numbers</strong><br /><p><a href="http://www.visatrax.com/publications/2012-01-25/perm-profile-%E2%80%93-updates-and-trends-labor-certification-process" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Articles National Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Ogletree Deakins 11504 at http://www.visatrax.com http://www.visatrax.com/publications/2012-01-25/immigration-eauthority <div class="field field-type-date field-field-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <div class="field-label-inline-first"> Published Date:&nbsp;</div> <span class="date-display-single">January 25, 2012</span> </div> </div> </div> <p><br /><em><strong>Articles in this issue:</strong></em></p> <p><a href="/publications/2012-01-25/february-2012-visa-bulletin-eb-2-india-and-china-priority-dates-leap-forward" title="February 2012 Visa Bulletin: EB-2 India and China Priority Dates Leap Forward One Year">February 2012 Visa Bulletin: EB-2 India and China Priority Dates Leap Forward One Year</a></p><div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-upload"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <div class="field-label-inline-first"> Download:&nbsp;</div> <div class="filefield-file"><img class="filefield-icon field-icon-application-pdf" alt="application/pdf icon" src="http://www.visatrax.com/sites/all/modules/filefield/icons/application-pdf.png" /><a href="http://www.visatrax.com/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/2012-01__immigration-eauthority_0.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=42723" title="2012-01__immigration-eauthority.pdf">Immigration eAuthority (January 2012)</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <p><a href="http://www.visatrax.com/publications/2012-01-25/immigration-eauthority" target="_blank">read more</a></p> National eAuthority South Carolina Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Ogletree Deakins 11494 at http://www.visatrax.com http://www.visatrax.com/publications/2012-01-11/cap-subject-h-1b-petitions-fy-2013-may-be-filed-march-30-2012 <div class="field field-type-date field-field-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <div class="field-label-inline-first"> Published Date:&nbsp;</div> <span class="date-display-single">January 11, 2012</span> </div> </div> </div> <p>The filing period for “new” H-1B petitions to be counted against the annual H-1B quota (the “H-1B cap”) for FY 2013 begins on Friday, March 30, 2012. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will accept cap-subject H-1B petitions for FY 2013 on Monday, April 2, 2012 for employment with a start date of October 1, 2012 or later.<br /><p><a href="http://www.visatrax.com/publications/2012-01-11/cap-subject-h-1b-petitions-fy-2013-may-be-filed-march-30-2012" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Articles National Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Ogletree Deakins 11458 at http://www.visatrax.com http://www.visatrax.com/publications/2012-01-11/immigration-eauthority <div class="field field-type-date field-field-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <div class="field-label-inline-first"> Published Date:&nbsp;</div> <span class="date-display-single">January 11, 2012</span> </div> </div> </div> <p><br /><em><strong>Articles in this issue:</strong></em></p> <p><a href="/publications/2012-01-11/cap-subject-h-1b-petitions-fy-2013-may-be-filed-march-30-2012" title="Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions for FY 2013 May Be Filed on March 30, 2012">Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions for FY 2013 May Be Filed on March 30, 2012</a></p><div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-upload"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <div class="field-label-inline-first"> Download:&nbsp;</div> <div class="filefield-file"><img class="filefield-icon field-icon-application-pdf" alt="application/pdf icon" src="http://www.visatrax.com/sites/all/modules/filefield/icons/application-pdf.png" /><a href="http://www.visatrax.com/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/2012-01__immigration-eauthority.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=31340" title="2012-01__immigration-eauthority.pdf">Immigration eAuthority (1-11-12)</a></div> </div> </div> </div> National eAuthority Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Ogletree Deakins 11459 at http://www.visatrax.com http://www.visatrax.com/publications/2011-12-19/social-security-no-match-letters-halted <div class="field field-type-date field-field-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <div class="field-label-inline-first"> Published Date:&nbsp;</div> <span class="date-display-single">December 19, 2011</span> </div> </div> </div> <p>After a long hiatus, effective April 2011, the Social Security Administration (SSA) resumed its practice of sending out employer decentralized correspondence (DECOR) letters, otherwise known as “no-match” letters for tax year 2010. However, on October 27, 2011, SSA advised that, beginning August 29, 2011, owing to budgetary constraints, it had suspended sending these infamous no-match letters, the purpose of which is to advise employers that their workers are using a social security number that does not coincide with SSA’s records.<p><a href="http://www.visatrax.com/publications/2011-12-19/social-security-no-match-letters-halted" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Articles National Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500 Ogletree Deakins 11318 at http://www.visatrax.com http://www.visatrax.com/publications/2011-12-19/fiscal-year-2012-h-1b-cap-exhausted <div class="field field-type-date field-field-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <div class="field-label-inline-first"> Published Date:&nbsp;</div> <span class="date-display-single">December 19, 2011</span> </div> </div> </div> <p>USCIS announced on November 22, 2011 that it had received enough H-1B cap-subject petitions to reach the annual 65,000 “regular cap” limit and that it would reject petitions filed thereafter. USCIS exhausted the 20,000 H-1Bs reserved for foreign nationals with U.S.-earned advanced degrees on October 19, 2011. The H-1B1 category is still available for nationals of Chile and Singapore, and the numerical limit on the E-3 specialty occupation category for citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia has not yet been depleted.<br /><p><a href="http://www.visatrax.com/publications/2011-12-19/fiscal-year-2012-h-1b-cap-exhausted" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Articles National Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500 Ogletree Deakins 11315 at http://www.visatrax.com http://www.visatrax.com/publications/2011-12-19/house-representatives-passes-fairness-high-skilled-immigrants-act-hr-3012 <div class="field field-type-date field-field-date"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <div class="field-label-inline-first"> Published Date:&nbsp;</div> <span class="date-display-single">December 19, 2011</span> </div> </div> </div> <p>On November 29, 2011, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act (H.R. 3012). The bill eliminates the per-country numerical limitation on employment-based green card numbers by FY 2015. The bill also increases family-based visa limits from 7% per country to 15% per country.&nbsp; <br /><p><a href="http://www.visatrax.com/publications/2011-12-19/house-representatives-passes-fairness-high-skilled-immigrants-act-hr-3012" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Articles National Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500 Ogletree Deakins 11316 at http://www.visatrax.com