H-1B Visa News

Rajiv's Article - Can an H-1B employee work from India? - The Economic Times

Published by: The Economic Times - Date: February 12, 2021

Synopsis

Until 2019, when a decision from the Department of Labor (DOL) changed the calculus, our answer to this question was: “An H-1B employee may work from outside the USA and be paid under any terms, not necessarily those required by the H-1B laws.”

For more details please see the attachment below.

Rajiv's Comments in the News - US to continue existing H-1B visa selection process in FY22

Published by: The Economic Times  - Date: February 06, 2021

Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:

“(The new rule) would’ve created a new method of selection, with restrictions over and above what the statute provides. Wages are not a method of selection specified by the statute,” said Rajiv S Khanna, Managing Attorney at immigration.com.

FY 2022 H-1B Cap Initial Registration Period Opens on March 9

USCIS announced that the initial registration period for the fiscal year (FY) 2022 H-1B cap will open at noon Eastern on March 9 and run through noon Eastern on March 25. During this period, prospective petitioners and representatives will be able to fill out petitioner and beneficiary information and submit their registrations.

A confirmation number will be assigned to each registration submitted for the FY 2022 H-1B cap. This number is used solely to track registrations; you cannot use this number to track your case status in Case Status Online.

Rajiv's Article - President Biden hands another win to H-1B holders and Indian students in the US

Published by: The Economic Times - Date: February 02, 2021

Two developments in immigration law bring happy tidings: a court challenge to OPT and STEM OPT extension has failed; and the US Department of Labor (DOL) has delayed to May 14, 2021 (beyond the H-1B lottery deadlines) implementation of the regulations affecting disproportionate wage hikes for H-1B and green card petitions.

For more details please see the attachment below.

Radio Show with Rajiv S. Khanna - "Recent Regulations by the USCIS and Department of Labor" - Effect on H-1B, Students, US Businesses

Following is an excerpt from a Radio Show with Rajiv S. Khanna:

"I think these regulations will get frozen and I think we will be able to revert to our last year's lottery system and we'll be able to make it through this year but I also think that it's going to be a comprehensive legal immigration reform".

Watch the complete video here:

Rajiv's Article - This year's H-1B lottery: The Trump legacy of chaos must end - The Economic Times

Published by: The Economic Times - Date: January 07, 2021 

Synopsis

For this year (FY 2021-22), the USCIS has attempted to change the lottery selection process to favor the highest paid employees first. That change is embodied in a proposed regulation, which can be published as a final rule any time.

For more on this article please see the attachment below.

FY 2021 H-1B Cap Petitions May Be Filed as of April 1

WASHINGTON — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced that H-1B cap-subject petitions for fiscal year (FY) 2021, including those petitions eligible for the advanced degree exemption, may now be filed with USCIS if based on a valid selected registration.

A petitioner is only eligible to file an FY 2021 H-1B cap-subject petition if they electronically registered the beneficiary in the H-1B registration process and USCIS selected the registration submitted for the beneficiary through the random selection process.

USCIS Announces Implementation of H-1B Electronic Registration Process for Fiscal Year 2021 Cap Season

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services  announced that it has completed a successful pilot testing phase and is implementing the registration process in the next H-1B lottery. Employers seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions for the fiscal year 2021 cap, including those eligible for the advanced degree exemption, must first electronically register and pay the associated $10 H-1B registration fee.

USCIS Implements $10 Fee for H-1B Visa Registration

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced a final rule that will require a $10 non-refundable fee for each H-1B registration submitted by petitioning employers, once it implements the electronic registration system. The registration fee is part of an agency-wide effort to modernize and more efficiently process applications to live or work in the United States.