EB-5 Regional Centers Program to Expire Sept. 30

Posted September 10, 2015

A key provision of EB-5 Immigrant Investor legislation, the Regional Center provision, is set to expire on September 30.  The Regional Center provision softens the job creation requirement by allowing a tally of indirect jobs created by businesses related to, but not owned by, an investment project to count towards the ten workers requirement.

A Regional Center is defined as an “economic entity. . . involved with the promotion of economic growth, improved regional productivity, job creation, and increased domestic capital investment.”  Under the program, EB-5 investors pool capital to finance projects intended to improve the local economy where the project is located.  The Regional Center program has been popular among foreign investors, with nearly 240 approved by USCIS nationwide.

Stay tuned for further developments.

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Nepal Designated for Temporary Protected Status

Posted June 24, 2015

The Department of Homeland Security has announced that eligible citizens and nationals of Nepal may apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) with USCIS for a 180-day period between June 24, 2015 and December 21, 2015.  This temporary TPS designation is due to the devastating effects within the country of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck on April 25, and subsequent aftershocks.

TPS status allows eligible Nepalese (and those without Nepalese nationality but who last habitually resided in Nepal) to stay in the United States for 18 months without fear of removal for immigration violations, and provides employment authorization.  Further information about TPS status can be found here.

Contact us today if you are a citizen or national of Nepal and wish to apply for, or better understand, Temporary Protected Status in the United States.

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In Remembrance

Posted May 23, 2015

“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.”  ~ Robert Frost

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Fiscal Year 2016 H-1B Cap Update

Posted April 22, 2015

USCIS received a whopping 233,000 cap-subject H-1B petitions for the filing period beginning April 1, 2015 before quickly shutting off petition submissions.  As in recent years, USCIS conducted a random draw (a self-styled ‘lottery’ of which, regrettably, we have no video) to select petitions for adjudication while rejecting all others.  Receipt notices have begun issuing for selected petitions, a process that is expected to take three to four weeks due to the volume of submissions.  The 15-day adjudication period for Premium Processing petitions will begin April 27, 2015.  USCIS will continue to accept cap-exempt H-1B petitions throughout the year, including portability petitions for foreign H-1B workers who change employers.

For an informed analysis of this year’s unprecedented H-1B lottery, read this article from the Society of Human Resource Management.

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