A GUIDE FOR NEW IMMIGRANTS IN AMERICA

Immigration Issues

 

H-1B VISAS FOR PROFESSIONALS

By David Fullmer, Attorney

First time H-1B applicants must file on 4/1/08 in order to be considered in the H-1B visa lottery.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE

The H-1B nonimmigrant visa may be issued to individuals for employment by companies who seek temporary entry for employees at professional workers in a specialty occupation.  Some examples of “specialty occupations” include:  accountant, computer analyst, engineer, financial analyst, scientist, architect and lawyer.

In order for a position to qualify as a specialty occupation, the position must generally require a bachelor’s degree in a specific discipline related to the position.  The beneficiary must also hold the appropriate degree or its equivalent.  There are two ways in which a beneficiary might have the equivalent of the appropriate degree... Read More About H-1B VISAS

H-1B Applications Must be filed by 4/1/2008!

By Victoria Suh ESQ

It's that time of year again.  The USCIS will begin accepting H-1B petitions starting on April 1, 2008.  The USCIS may issue a maximum of 65,000 visas each year.  Last year the cap was reached on the first day.  The H-1B is a nonimmigrant temporary working visa for professional workers in "specialty occupations"...  Read More


 

OTHER IMMIGRATION RESOURCES

Fast Track Green Cards Through Investment By  Mark Ivener, Attorney
For foreign investors looking for freedom and flexibility to live and work in the United States in a way accommodating to their lifestyles, the little-known EB-5 investor category can provide an excellent opportunity to accomplish this goal through the obtaining of Green Cards. Read More

Immigration Orbituary? By Victoria Suh ESQ
In June 28, 2007, the US Senate effectively killed President Bush's plan to legalize millions of unlawful nonimmigrants. The Senate blocked passage of the immigration reform bill when, in a vote of 46 to 53, it failed to pass the closure vote necessary to end debate and bring the bill to a final vote. A total of 60 votes were needed to wrap up the debate within 30 hours. The result is that the bill that was endorsed by President Bush now has no real chance of moving forward since Majority Leader, Harry ... Read More about Immigration Orbituary

The 2008 DV Lottery By Victoria Suh ESQ
The annual Diversity Immigrant Visa program also known as the greencard lottery is here. The greencard lottery is an annual program that gives greencard to winners who are selected through a computer generated random lottery drawing. Each year a maximum of55,000 greencards may be granted under this program. The registration period runs from October 4, 2006 through December 3, 2006 (noon, eastern standard time). All applications must be submitted online electronically at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov/ ...Read More about The 2008 DV Lottery

What do you know about Asylum? By Victoria Suh ESQ
Did you know that the immigration law requires that you file for asylum within one year of arrival in the United States? There are exceptions to the one-year rule. Some exceptions include: Changes in the applicant's home country; changes in the applicant's situation that have a material effect on their eligibility for asylum; If the applicant was a derivative on someone else's asylum application, the loss of the derivative relationship; Serious illness; ineffective assistance of counsel, in limited cases death or serious illness of the ... Read More about Immigration Asylum

Types of Visas By Victoria Suh ESQ
Summer is a time for travel for most immigrants in and out of the USA. Here is some information to help understand the different categories of visas.There are over a hundred types of visa categories for visitors to the United States. Often it can be a confusing and even frustrating process trying to understand what kind of visa will work for your purposes. Or if the current visa you’re visiting or working under is still appropriate after a change in situation or lengthy stay. As of the year 2000, 9.5 percent of the United States population was ‘foreign born.’ And in the last ten years, just the number of Asian Indians here has doubled. As you can tell, the INS is ...Read More about Types of Visas

The Law at Your Door
In case of an accident, you will spend a lot of money from your private funds. If you drive a car without insurance and get into an accident, the law mandates that you post a cash bond of $5,000 to $35,000. Failure to possess liability insurance or to post the bond will result in the suspension of your license for 3 years. Your license will only be reinstated if you obtain insurance for the statutory limit. Furthermore, if you have no insurance.
...Read More about Driving without Auto Insurance