New Nonimmigrant Visa Fees Go in Effect on June 4, 2010
An Interim Final Rule was published on May 20, 2010, by the Department of State advising that the collection of increased consular fees will begin on June 4, 2010. As a reminder, the new schedule includes the following increased visa application fees: 1. Most NIVs and adult BCCs: $140 2. Petition-based NIVs (H,L,O,P,Q,R): $150 3. K category: $350 4. E category: $390 In introducing the new fee schedule on June 4, the Department will also post additional information about the Cost of Survey Study (CoSS) which underpinned the new fee schedule....
read moreElimination of I-94 W for Visa Waiver Program Travelers
On May 20, 2010, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) DHS announced the elimination of the paper arrival/departure form (Form I-94W) for authorized travelers from nations participating in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). The use of paper I-94W forms will be eliminated for VWP travelers with an approved Electronic System for Travel Authorization arriving in the United States at all airports by the end of this summer. For more information on this announcement, <a...
read moreH-1B FY2011 Update
April 29, 2010 – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it continues to accept H-1B nonimmigrant petitions subject to the Fiscal Year 2011 (FY 2011) cap. USCIS will monitor the number of petitions received for both the 65,000 general cap and the 20,000 U.S. master’s degree or higher educational exemption. USCIS has received as of April 22, 20210 approximately 16, 025 H-1B petitions counting toward the 65,000 cap. The agency has received approximately 6,739 petitions for individuals with advanced degrees. USCIS...
read moreArizona Signs New Immigration Act into Law
On Friday, April 23, 2010, Governor Jan Brewer of Arizona signed a new immigration bill, SB 1070, into law. The new immigration law gives police the authority to determine people’s immigration status based on “reasonable suspicion.” SB1070 also makes it a crime to be an undocumented immigrant and allows anyone to sue a local, county, or state agency if they believe the agency is not enforcing immigration laws. The law promises to have a chilling effect on the economy, with unjustifiable raids on businesses and immigrants...
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