• Hours & Info

    (562) 495-0554
    M-F: 8:00am - 6:00 p.m.
    Sat: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
  • Past Blog Posts

  • https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=13104885414

Can I get an H-1B finally?

Can I get an H-1B finally?

Question: I have an employer willing to sponsor me. What is a ‘specialty occupation’ and can I get an H-1B?

Answer: The job must meet one of the following criteria to qualify as a specialty occupation:
Bachelor’s or higher degree or its equivalent is normally the minimum entry requirement for the position. The degree requirement for the job is common to the industry or the job is so complex or unique that it can be performed only by an individual with a degree. The employer normally requires a degree or its equivalent for the position. The nature of the specific duties is so specialized and complex that the knowledge required to perform the duties is usually associated with the attainment of a bachelor’s or higher degree.

Question: How must I qualify for the H-1B?

Answer: For you to qualify to accept a job offer in a specialty occupation you must meet one of the following criteria: Have completed a U.S. bachelor’s or higher degree required by the specific specialty occupation from an accredited college or university. Hold a foreign degree that is the equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s or higher degree in the specialty occupation. Hold an unrestricted state license, registration, or certification which authorizes you to fully practice the specialty occupation and be engaged in that specialty in the state of intended employment. Have education, training, or progressively responsible experience in the specialty that is equivalent to the completion of such a degree, and have recognition of expertise in the specialty through progressively responsible positions directly related to the specialty. Of course this last option would be used only when there is no B.S degree.

Question: Must I file the Labor Condition Application?

Answer: Yes. The prospective employer must file an approved Form ETA-9035, Labor Condition Application (LCA), with the Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker.

Question: Is there a limit on H-1B’s per year?

Answer: Yes, there are only 65,000 for regular H-1B’s and 20,000 for advanced degree H-1B’s. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced it continues to accept H-1B nonimmigrant petitions that are subject to the fiscal year (FY) 2013 cap. The agency began accepting these petitions on April 2, 2012.

USCIS has received approximately 17,400 H-1B petitions counting toward the 65,000 cap, and approximately 8,200 petitions toward the 20,000 cap exemption for individuals with advanced degrees.

USCIS will provide regular updates on the processing of FY 2013 H-1B petitions. These updates and helpful filing information can be found at USCIS’s website highlighting the H-1B program. Should USCIS receive the number of petitions needed to meet the cap, it will issue an update advising the public that the FY 2013 H-1B cap has been met as of a certain date, known as the “final receipt date.” The date USCIS informs the public that the cap has been reached may differ from the actual final receipt date.

If necessary, USCIS may randomly select the number of petitions received on the final receipt date that will be considered for final inclusion within the cap. The agency will reject petitions subject to the cap that are not selected, as well as those received after the final receipt date. Whether a petition is received by the final receipt date will be based on the date USCIS physically receives the properly filed petition, not the date that the petition is postmarked.

Cases for premium processing (faster processing of certain employment-based petitions and applications) of H-1B petitions filed during an initial five-day filing window are undergoing a 15-day processing period that began April 9. For all other H-1B petitions filed for premium processing, the processing period begins on the date that the properly filed petition is physically received at the correct USCIS Service Center.

Meanwhile, petitions filed by employers who are exempt from the cap, as well as petitions filed on behalf of current H-1B workers who have been counted previously against the cap within the past six years, will not count toward the cap.

U.S.businesses use the H-1B program to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Such workers include scientists, engineers, and computer programmers, among others.

The bottom line is to get your H-1B filed right away so you are included in this years cap.

https://atomic-temporary-10880024.wpcomstaging.com/tag/h1b-2/

https://atomic-temporary-10880024.wpcomstaging.com/tag/h1b/

https://atomic-temporary-10880024.wpcomstaging.com/tag/h1b-cap/

https://californiaimmigration.us/h-1b-work-visa-for-specialty-occupation-visa/

The New Waiver Procedure

What about the new Waiver Law?

Question: I have been married for 12 years to a U.S. Citizen, but have always been afraid to file anything. I heard that I will have to file the Waiver of the 3/10 year bar, but did not want to chance leaving the U.S. What is the current status of the new Waiver regulations?

Answer: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) posted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register that would reduce the time U.S. citizens are separated from their spouses, children, and parents (i.e. immediate relatives) who must obtain an immigrant visa abroad to become lawful permanent residents of the United States. This rule would allow certain immediate relatives of U.S. citizens to apply for a provisional waiver of the unlawful presence ground of inadmissibility while still in the United States if they can demonstrate that being separated from their U.S. citizen spouse or parent would cause that U.S. citizen relative extreme hardship. The proposed rule will not alter how USCIS determines eligibility for a waiver of inadmissibility or how an individual establishes extreme hardship.

Question: Does this mean it will make it easier to get the Waiver?

Answer: No. Definitely not. Rather, it will change the procedure upon where the Waiver is filed and how it is adjudicated. It is just as hard as before to get the Waiver approved, so you should have it prepared professionally and support it with lots of evidence.

Question: Why is this happening now? What is the purpose of the new regulations on the Waiver of the 3/10 year bar?

Answer: “The law is designed to avoid extreme hardship to U.S. citizens, which is precisely what this proposed rule will more effectively achieve,” said USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas. “The current process can subject U.S. citizens to months or years of separation from family members who are waiting for their cases to be processed overseas. The proposed change will have tremendous impact on families by significantly reducing the time of separation.

USCIS also proposes creating a new form for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens who choose to apply for a provisional unlawful presence waiver. Once in effect, this form would be used for individuals filing an application for a provisional unlawful presence application before he or she departs the United States to complete the immigrant visa process at a U.S. Embassy or consulate abroad. The streamlined process would only apply to immediate relatives who are otherwise eligible for an immigrant visa based on an approved immediate relative petition.

Keep in mind that the form will be different, but the supporting documentation and declaration and evidence will all remain the same. In fact, many times, I suggest getting a hardship evaluation from a qualified psychologist.

Question: Are the regulations in effect?

Answer: The proposed process outlined above is not in effect and is not available until USCIS publishes a final rule with an effective date in the Federal Register. USCIS will consider all public comments on the proposed rule announced before publishing the final rule in the coming months. Individuals at this time should not to submit an application for a provisional unlawful presence waiver, or allow anyone to submit one on their behalf because it will be rejected.

However, the case can be started now and then submitted as soon as the regulations become final.

https://atomic-temporary-10880024.wpcomstaging.com/tag/212c-waiver-application/

https://atomic-temporary-10880024.wpcomstaging.com/tag/212d3-waiver/

https://atomic-temporary-10880024.wpcomstaging.com/tag/fee-waiver/

https://californiaimmigration.us/waivers/

How can I get the Green Card through employment without waiting years?

How can I get the Green Card through employment without waiting years?

Question: I have a Master’s Degree in Economics and would like to know if there is anyway I can get the Green Card through employment without waiting years.

Answer: There is what is known as the EB-2 category. This is the second employment based preference. It is specifically for persons whom have advanced degrees. In fact, unless you are from China or India, the EB-2 category is current and there is no waiting time. You will save about 5 years of waiting over people with just a B.S. Degree.

Question: What if I have a B.S. Degree and many years of experience? Can I still apply for the EB-2 category?

Answer: If the normal job requires a Master’s Degree and you have at least 5 years of progressive experience in the field, then you can apply for the EB-2 category.

Question: Do I still need an employer to sponsor me?

Answer: Yes. You must still go through the PERM. However, you will go through the Advanced Degree PERM and afterwards the visa number should be current.

Question: What must I do to begin the PERM process?

Answer: The Employer Must Register—Only an employee or owner of the employer entity (not its lawyer or agent) may register to use the Permanent Online System for electronic filing of LC applications (ETA 9089). To register the employer must go to icert.doleta.gov.

Question: Must the employer have an EIN number to file for the PERM?

Answer: Yes, that is required, even if it is a household filing the PERM.

Question: What happens if the employer makes an error on the PERM?

Answer: Errors on the ET 9089 Form could be fatal and the entire application could be denied. Therefore, it is critical that every question be answered and every item be completed or the entire PERM could be denied.

Question: Are there exceptions to having the petition denied if there are errors made?

Answer: If it is considered a harmless error or clerical, it is possible that the entire PERM will not be denied. However, it will be difficult to determine what is clerical and harmless verses what is material.

Question: What if the employer simply does not fill in a question or part of a question?

Answer: Errors of omission can and are fatal to the application, so you want to make sure that nothing is left blank on the ETA-9089.

Question: Must anyone sign the ETA-9089?

Answer: The employer, beneficiary and attorney must all sign the ETA 9089 after it is certified.

Question: Must the employer attest to anything before filing the PERM?

Answer: The employer must attest, under penalty of perjury, to certain matters on the ETA 9089 including that he will pay the prevailing wage, that the position is not vacant due to a labor dispute, that he has sufficient funds to pay the wage and that he will be able to place the beneficiary on the payroll on or before the date he or she enters the U.S.

Question: Are there supporting documents filed with the PERM?

Answer: No. There are no supporting documents filed with the PERM. However, if there is an audit or it is later asked for, then they must be provided.

https://www.uscis.gov/green-card

https://atomic-temporary-10880024.wpcomstaging.com/tag/green-card/

https://atomic-temporary-10880024.wpcomstaging.com/tag/green-cards/

https://atomic-temporary-10880024.wpcomstaging.com/tag/business-visas/

Waiting for years outside the U.S. Is not necessary

Do I have to wait for years to come to the U.S.?

Question: I have been waiting for many years to come to the United States from a petition from my sister. It has been 14 years. Must I still wait?

Answer: Actually, it takes even more years to do this. The visa number must be current and there is no way to speed this process up. However, there are different petitions where they do not have to wait for the visa number as they are not required to be on the visa waiting list to be able to come into the United States.

Question: What types of petitions are these?

Answer: Battered spouses/children; Returning resident aliens; Certain former U.S. Citizens; Qualifying ministers of religion and religious workers; and Certain widows and widowers of U.S. citizens.

Question: Can I have more than 1 petition go through at a time, or must I wait for my petition from my sister to become current.

Answer: You can have as many petitions as you like. It is like two horses going around the track. The first one to the finish line wins. Thus, for example, if you have a church that will petition you for the special immigrant religious petition, by all means try to get it.

Question: So which petition are on the visa waiting chart?

Answer: The basic category includes Family-based preference immigrants; Employment-based preference immigrants; Diversity immigrants; and Family unity immigrants.

Question: What about temporary visas? Can I come in temporarily while waiting?

Answer: Most of the time, the answer would be no. However, there is what is known as the H-1B work visa which allows both immigrant processing and the H-1B to go forward at exactly the same time. You will need to have an employer agree to sponsor you for a job. It does not need to be a full-time position, but it should be related to your degree. Once filed, this petition only takes about 6 months to process.

Another type of petition for a non-immigrant visa would be the L-1. An L-1 Visa is one of the nicest working visas as it allows you to run your own business or a business owned by the foreign company. If you have your own business outside the U.S. and have been working there for at least one year, you can come to the U.S. on the L-1 Visa.

Additionally, your spouse and unmarried children under 21 years old can come as beneficiaries to your approved L-2. Your children will be able to go to school in the U.S. without having to get a separate student visa (as long as they are not in college.). A great deal of the success of the L-1 Petition is how it is prepared. Unlike other investment related visas, the investment in the U.S. business could be as low as $10,000U.S.  

Thus, there are several ways to avoid the multiple years of waiting outside the U.S.

The U Visa and Deportation and Removal

The U Visa and Deportation and Removal – Avvo.com http://ping.fm/ZCIh9

https://cbocalbos.wordpress.com/tag/u-visa/

https://cbocalbos.wordpress.com/tag/removal/

https://cbocalbos.wordpress.com/tag/deportation-lawyer/

https://californiaimmigration.us/removal/

A permission to reenter will erase a deportation order?

A permission to reenter will erase a deportation order? – Avvo.com http://ping.fm/HD6sg

https://cbocalbos.wordpress.com/tag/best-deportation-attorney/

https://cbocalbos.wordpress.com/tag/deportation/

https://cbocalbos.wordpress.com/tag/deportation-attorney/

https://californiaimmigration.us/removal/winning-a-deportation-proceeding-from-an-immigration-lawyer-and-deportation-attorney/

Can I submit a Permission to Reenter in deportation proceedings?

Can I submit a Permission to Reenter in deportation proceedings? – Avvo.com http://ping.fm/49dK8

https://cbocalbos.wordpress.com/tag/deportation/

https://cbocalbos.wordpress.com/tag/deportation-or-removal-hearings/

https://cbocalbos.wordpress.com/tag/deportation-proceedings/

https://californiaimmigration.us/removal/winning-a-deportation-proceeding-from-an-immigration-lawyer-and-deportation-attorney/

I can’t become a U.S. Citizen if I’m in Deportation Proceedings?

I can’t become a U.S. Citizen if I’m in Deportation Proceedings? – Avvo.com http://ping.fm/Rz9ME

https://cbocalbos.wordpress.com/tag/deportation-proceedings/

https://cbocalbos.wordpress.com/tag/best-deportation-lawyer/

https://cbocalbos.wordpress.com/tag/best-deportation-attorney/

https://californiaimmigration.us/removal/winning-a-deportation-proceeding-from-an-immigration-lawyer-and-deportation-attorney/

Getting a Waiver for fraud or a crime in deportation

Getting a Waiver for fraud or a crime in deportation does not guarantee citizenship at a later point – Avvo.com http://ping.fm/6J0h8

https://cbocalbos.wordpress.com/tag/best-deportation-attorney/

https://cbocalbos.wordpress.com/tag/deportation/

https://cbocalbos.wordpress.com/tag/deportation-attorney/

https://californiaimmigration.us/removal/winning-a-deportation-proceeding-from-an-immigration-lawyer-and-deportation-attorney/

I’ve been deported. Now What?

I’ve been deported. Now What?

Question: I was recently deported back to the Philippines. Now what do I do?
Answer: First, you can apply for what is known and the Permission to Reenter or the Permission to Reapply for Admission to the U.S. This is not the total solution, but it is a very important part to being able to come back to the U.S.The petition must be prepared correctly and must have a lot of supporting documents and evidence to receive a favorable review.
Question: So what should I include in the Permission to Reapply?
Answer: There are several items that you should include by way of evidence, declarations, affidavits and other supporting materials. They are family ties within the United States; residence of long duration in the United States, particularly when starting at a young age; hardship that would result if permanent residence is denied; service in the U.S. armed forces; employment history; property or business ties; value and service to the community; genuine rehabilitation; payment of taxes; and any other evidence of good character.
Question: What should I submit with the Permission to Reapply to give me a better chance of success?
Answer: The I-212 Permission to Reapply must have lots of supporting evidence. Otherwise, it will certainly be denied. The applicant must normally submit the following: The applicant’s moral character; the need for the applicant’s services in the United States; whether the applicant was ignorant of the fact that he or she was deported; the length of time the applicant had been in the United States; the reason the applicant was originally deported; hardships resulting from the deportation; recency of the deportation or removal order; evidence of reformation and rehabilitation; the applicant’s family responsibilities and ties in the United States; and the existence of an approved immigrant visa petition for the applicant.
Question: What if a friend of mine has reentered illegally after a deportation order? Can he apply in the U.S.?
Answer: It will depend upon what jurisdiction he is in, but should if 10 years have passed and ICE has not yet instituted reinstatement proceedings. If ICE declines to reinstate the order, USCIS then can adjudicate the waiver.

Question: What is the procedure I must follow in order to get the Permission to Reapply filed?
Answer: The application for consent to reapply is made on Form I-212 (Application for Permission to Reapply for Admission Into the United States After Deportation or Removal). A person seeking permanent residence through adjustment of status must file the application with the USCIS office having jurisdiction over the place where the applicant resides. If the person is applying for adjustment before the IJ, the I-212 must be referred to the IJ. A person applying for permanent residence at a U.S. consulate must file the application with the USCIS office having jurisdiction over the place where the deporta­tion or removal proceedings were held.
An exception to this requirement of filing with USCIS occurs where the applicant must file both an I-212 request for permission to reapply and an I-601 application for an INA §212(g), (h), or (i) waiver. In that case, the I-212 must be filed at the U.S. consulate having jurisdiction over the applicant’s place of residence. Persons who will apply for permanent residence through a consulate may file Form I-212 with the USCIS regional service center prior to leaving for the visa appointment.

The applicant should attach the filing fee (current fee for filing the I-212 is $545) and the following supporting documents to Form I-212: Immigrant visa approval notice; proof of USC or LPR family members in the United States; a copy of the final deportation or removal order; proof of current and prior employment; proof of filing federal and state taxes; medical records or doctor’s statement indicating health-related problems; and results of FBI fingerprint check indicating criminal record; and any other evidence as listed above.
Make sure it is done professionally so that you have a higher chance of success.