Posts Tagged ‘H1B quot’

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What is an H-1B Visa and Who Qualifies?

H-1B is the most popular work visa in the H class of nonimmigrant visas.  In general, an H-1B visa is for a foreign worker coming to the US to temporarily perform services in a specialty occupation for a US employer. Of paramount concern is i) whether the job is in “specialty occupation,” ii) whether the worker has the qualifications, and iii) whether the employer is a “US employer.”

A “specialty occupation” is simply one where at least a US Bachelor’s degree (or foreign equivalent) in a specific discipline is required for the job. So how do we determine whether a specific type of Bachelors degree is required for the job? Generally, we have to research sources that the immigration service considers authoritative, which specifically state that a Bachelor’s degree in a specific field is required. For example, it is clearly established that a Financial Analyst requires a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or a related field. In cases where authoritative sources are not clear whether the job requires a specific type of degree, the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) dictates that there are alternate methods to prove that the specific job offered indeed requires a degree.

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Information provided above is for educational purposes only.  One should not act or refrain to act solely based on the information provided.  You should consult an attorney to assess your case before proceeding.

Shah Peerally is an attorney licensed in California practicing immigration law and debt settlement. He has featured as an expert legal analyst for many TV networks such as NDTV, Times Now and Sitarree TV.  Articles about Shah Peerally and his work have appeared on newspapers such as San Jose Mercury News, Oakland Tribune, US Fiji Times, Mauritius Le Quotidien, Movers & Shakers and other prominent international newspapers. His work has been commended by Congress women Nancy Pelosi and Barbara Lee.  He has a weekly radio show on KLOK 1170AM and frequently participates in legal clinics in churches, temples and mosques. His law group, Shah Peerally Law Group, has represented clients all over the United States constantly dealing with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Immigration and Custom Enforcement(ICE) and CBP (Customs Border Patrol (CBP) under  the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).  This department was formerly known as the Immigration and Nationality Services (INS).

For updates follow us on Radio, Facebook, Twitter ,LinkedIn and Youtube

Listen to the Shah Peerally Law Live Show  every Monday from 12pm to 1pm and Friday 12pm to 1am - KLOK 1170AM

We have serve the community with dedication and compassion

Attorney Shah Peerally also deals in debt settlement. For more information call us on 510.742.5887 and visit us on www.YourDebtSettlementAttorney.com

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Reasons Companies should prepare early for the 2010 H1B Season – Delays Caused By iCert Glitches

By: Hasan Abdullah, Esq

April 1st has been considered an important deadline to file H1B petitions due to what is known as the “H-1B cap.” Congress has mandated a quota on how many new H1Bs may be issued every year. It has been generally set at 65,000 visas per year with an additional 20,000 for workers with US advanced degrees. The earliest that a company can file an H1B petition for a worker is April 1st. In previous years, the quota had been met as quickly as the first day. Anyone applying after the quote was reached would be out of luck, and have to wait another year.

Since April 1st is an important deadline, companies seeking to bring in foreign specialty occupation H1B workers usually retain the services of immigration firms experienced in employment based petitions at least a few weeks in advance of April 1st. In previous years, it was possible to at least prepare a bare-bones petition*, within a day, but this is no longer the case.

iCert Introduces 7-day Processing Time Burden

At the absolutely minimum, petitioners have to wait seven days. The culprit for this delay is the new Department of Labor (DOL) iCert system which was introduced on July 1, 2009. Before filing an H1B petition, a Labor Condition Application (LCA) must be approved. Before iCert was implemented, an LCA could be obtained instantaneously. Now that we must use iCert to file LCAs, we have to wait a fixed period of seven days to get a decision.

iCert can also be described as nitpicky, and you have to wait days to find out what nit it picked. For example, if you use the FLC Data Center to determine the prevailing wage, and enter anything other than “OFLC Online Data Center,” (a popular entry is OES since that was the proper entry in the previous system) you’ll potentially have to wait a few days to learn that the LCA is denied. Some experience with this system is important to avoid unnecessary delays.

iCert Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) Verification Glitch Delays

The required seven day wait is not the only problem associated with the iCert system. It seems that without fail, if a company has not previously submitted proof of their FEIN to the DOL’s “LCA business verification team,” then the LCA will be denied. Even well established companies in business for several years do not show up in whatever faulty database iCert uses to verify company FEINs.

Petitioners must be proactive and provide a scanned copy of proof of FEIN to the LCA business verification team to add the company’s tax ID number to their database in advance. Failure to provide advance notice could turn the 7-day process could into a 14+ day process; generally about 3-7 days to wait for the LCA denial, 2-5 days to wait for the LCA team to verify tax ID information, and another 7 days to get a fresh LCA approved.

Conclusion

While it is true that the H1B quota doesn’t always get exhausted immediately, it’s best to treat April 1st as a deadline to file, just in case. With April 1st as the intended deadline, companies that have not previously furnished the LCA business verification team with proof of their FEIN should to provide the proof of FEIN in advance. The entire process to obtain the LCA may take 9-12 days. For those companies which have filed LCAs on the iCert system, expect the process to take 7 days.

Gone are the days when an H1B petition could be sent out at the last minute, therefore it is recommended that employers start the process weeks in advance of April 1st.

*a bare-bones petition is where a petitioner submits only the required forms with little supporting evidence, and anticipates that USCIS will request additional evidence.

Information provided above is for educational purposes only.  One should not act or refrain to act solely based on the information provided.  You should consult an attorney to assess your case before proceeding.

Shah Peerally is an attorney licensed in California practicing immigration law and debt settlement. He has featured as an expert legal analyst for many TV networks such as NDTV, Times Now and Sitarree TV.  Articles about Shah Peerally and his work have appeared on newspapers such as San Jose Mercury News, Oakland Tribune, US Fiji Times, Mauritius Le Quotidien, Movers & Shakers and other prominent international newspapers. His work has been commended by Congress women Nancy Pelosi and Barbara Lee.  He has a weekly radio show on KLOK 1170AM and frequently participates in legal clinics in churches, temples and mosques. His law group, Shah Peerally Law Group, has represented clients all over the United States constantly dealing with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Immigration and Custom Enforcement(ICE) and CBP (Customs Border Patrol (CBP) under  the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).  This department was formerly known as the Immigration and Nationality Services (INS).

For updates follow us on Radio, Facebook, Twitter ,LinkedIn and Youtube

Listen to the Shah Peerally Law Live Show  every Monday from 12pm to 1pm and Friday 12pm to 1am - KLOK 1170AM

We have serve the community with dedication and compassion

Attorney Shah Peerally also deals in debt settlement. For more information call us on 510.742.5887 and visit us on www.YourDebtSettlementAttorney.com

Share