U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released the official minutes from its teleconference on “H-1B Filing Tips and Requests for Evidence (RFEs),” held March 7, 2019. Among other things, USCIS discussed five common reasons for RFEs on H-1B petitions: Evidence demonstrating that the offered position qualifies as a specialty occupation; Whether the labor condition application properly corresponds to the proffered position in the petition; Evidence of the employer-employee relationship and qualifying work; and Evidence of the beneficiary’s qualifications. See minutes here.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has announced a new “Travel and Border Crossing Records” system. The new system will collect information about applicants, beneficiaries, and recipients under Titles II, XVI, and XVIII who have had absences from the United States. The SSA noted that currently, the agency relies on individuals to self-report their foreign travel. Often, the SSA said, it does not receive these reports or receives them untimely, which results in improper payments. For example, the SSA noted, in general, it suspends Title II benefits to aliens who remain outside of the United States for more than six consecutive calendar months. It generally suspends Title II benefits to
Starting in 2021, American visitors will no longer be able to travel to Europe for a quick visit without completing preauthorization paperwork. But they still won’t need a visa. The EU’s new requirements that were first announced last year will require American visitors and other visa-free travelers to the EU to first obtain a European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) registration. It’s not a full visa application, but a short online application that should cost 7 euros (about $8). It does require a valid passport, email account, and a credit or debit card, the EU says. The authorization will last for three years and allows Americans to enter the Schengen Area as many tim
During the week of April 1, 2018, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) accepted H-1B cap subject petitions for the fiscal year (FY) 2020. While it is yet unknown how many petitions were received during last week, USCIS announced that it has reached the congressionally-mandated cap of 65,000 petitions; and received more than the limit of 20,000 H-1B petitions filed under the U.S. advanced degree exemption, also known as the “master’s cap.” We expect that USCIS will conduct its random lottery selection within the next couple of weeks and start sending receipt notices for those selected. The agency will reject and return filing fees for all unselected cap-subject petitions tha
