Business Immigration Monthly :: May 2007 Issue

	Volume 3, Issue 5, May 2007
	The Business Immigration Monthly is Hammond Law Group’s latest web-based newsletter, directed at international workers and employers seeking the most up-to-date news on U.S. immigration issues, specifically those that impact workers on H, L, E, and O visas and workers seeking permanent residency. June Visa Bulletin Released The Department of State has released the June Visa Bulletin. There has been significant movement in the EB2 and EB3 categories for all the countries. See below for comparison: May 2007 June 2007 All Chargeability All Chargeability EB3: Aug 1, 2003 EB3: June 1, 2005 China China EB2: April 22, 2005 EB2: January 1, 2006 EB3: August 1, 2002 EB3: June 1, 2003 India India EB2: January 8, 2003 EB2: April 1, 2004 EB3: May 8, 2001 EB3: June 1, 2003 Mexico Mexico EB3: May 15, 2001 EB3: June 1, 2003 Philippines Philippines EB3: August 1, 2003 EB3: June 1, 2005 For full chart see: http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/bulletin/bulletin_3236.html H-1b Master's Cap Reached On May 4^th, the USCIS announced that it had received a sufficient number of petitions to meet the 20,000 H-1B master’s cap exemption for those individuals holding a master’s degree or higher from a US institution. The final receipt date for these cases is April 30, 2007. Any cases received after that date are being returned unless otherwise eligible for a separate cap exemption. http://www.uscis.gov/files/pressrelease/H1Bfy08CapUpdate050407.pdf Receipt Notice Delay - Expected Delivery In a press release dated May 11, 2007, the USCIS acknowledged that due to the large volume of petitions received, there would be significant delay in the dispatching of receipt notices. The USCIS issued a number of projections for expected receipting and data entry processing for H-1B cap cases. Below are the expected receipting dates for the service centers: - California Service Center: June 15, 2007 - Nebraska Service Center: May 10, 2007 - Texas Service Center: May 10, 2007 - Vermont Service Center: June 2, 2007 The USCIS is encouraging inquiries to be made only after 30 days of the above dates for receipt notices not received. http://www.uscis.gov/files/pressrelease/H1BReceipts051107.pdf End of Substitution? As of Friday, April 27th, 2007, the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) cleared its review of the Department of Labor’s (DOL) proposed regulation that would eliminate substitution of aliens in labor certification proceedings, bar the payment by the alien of the employer’s attorney’s fees and other labor certification costs, institute a 45 day validity on labor certifications and enhance penalties for violations of labor certification regulations. The regulation, will now go through the DOL for final review. Whether all points in the proposed regulation will be included in the final rule remains to be seen. The publication of the final rule and effective date has not yet occurred but are imminent. In anticipation of this final rule, clients are encouraged to contact their HLG attorney to discuss options on their pending Green Card cases. http://www.hammondlawfirm.com/alerts/h-1_masters_cap_reached.htm Media Voices Concerns Over H-1b Quota Following the announcement that the H-1B cap had been filled on the first day, the media has used their resources to highlight the impact of the quota being met on the nation’s economy and resources. In two recent articles entitled “Skilled Masses” (Washington Post) and “Foreign-born grads stymied by work visas quota” (The Boston Globe), the authors highlight how the lack of H-1B visas has robbed the US of valuable, talented individuals. They also mention the possibility of relief via a Congressional bill, writing “Congress is considering several bills that address the need to reform the H-1B program, including two that would raise the cap to 115,000. If they [Congress] want America’s high-tech industries to stay innovative, members of Congress should address the labor problem vis-à-vis visas--and preferably before the class of 2007 heads home.” For full articles see: http://www.hammondlawfirm.com/alerts/h-1_masters_cap_reached.htm http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2007/04/27/foreign_born_grads_stymied_by_work_visas_quota/ HLG Welcomes Katie P. Orton Katie joined the firm as an associate in April 2007. Katie previously worked for a large firm in Indianapolis as an immigration attorney specializing in employment and family based cases. Throughout law school, Katie worked as a law clerk at a legal aid clinic and practiced exclusively in family based immigration, refugee, and asylum law. Katie speaks French and is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), American Bar Association, and the Indianapolis Bar Association Read Katie's full bio: http://www.hammondlawfirm.com/bios/katie_p_orton_bio.htm Industry Spotlight: IT Consulting Immigration Update for IT Firms & Professionals Monday, May 21 / Chicago Area Doubletree Hotel Chicago-Schaumburg This free seminar will focus on the unique immigration challenges faced by the IT community. Our attorneys will discuss specific best practices and strategies that will benefit information technology firms and their professionals. This event will be interactive and feature a Q&A session. Register at: http://www.hammondlawfirm.com/chicago_seminar_2007.htm View HLG Event Calendar at: http://www.hammondlawfirm.com
	Visit www.HammondLawFirm.com Keep up with the latest Immigration News by signing up for all of Hammond Law Group LLC's free publications: Immigration Alerts, Business Immigration Monthly, Medical Monthly Monitor and the Business Immigration Journal. http://www.hammondlawfirm.com/mailing_list.htm