All posts by Harun Kazmi

The U.S. Embassy in Sana’a, Yemen recently announced that it is temporarily suspending routine visa services.  The Consular Section is currently dedicating its limited resources to providing services to U.S. Citizens. The State Department issued the following statement: “The U.S. Embassy is distressed by the violence, April 27,  that killed and injured hundreds of Yemeni citizens. …Read More

Our firm is tracking the H1-bs very closely. USCIS is periodically updating the public on the count since the filing began earlier this month. As of April 22nd, USCIS has received approximately 8,000 H-1B petitions counting toward the 65,000 cap, and approximately 5,900 petitions toward the 20,000 cap exemption for individuals with advanced degrees.

USCIS is monitoring the number of petitions received that count toward the congressionally mandated annual H-1B cap of 65,000 and the 20,000 U.S. master’s degree or higher cap exemption. USCIS has received approximately 5,900 H-1B petitions counting toward the 65,000 cap, and approximately 4,500 petitions toward the 20,000 cap exemption for individuals with advanced degrees.

USCIS starts accepting H-1B petitions subject to the fiscal year (FY) 2012 cap on April 1, 2011. Cases will be considered accepted on the date USCIS receives a properly filed petition for which the correct fee has been submitted; not the date that the petition is postmarked. U.S. businesses use the H-1B program to employ …Read More

On March 17th the U.S. Department of State issued a warning for U.S. citizens in Pakistan. The Embassy remains open but all Consulates General will be closed until further notice, except for emergency American Citizens Services. The Embassy will issue an updated Warden Message when the Consulates General reopen for routine business. The Embassy reiterates …Read More

Our thoughts are with our friends, clients and family in Japan. We hope that everyone is OK and staying safe. The USCIS has issued an advisory is for Japanese and other foreign nationals from the Pacific stranded in the United States due to the earthquakes and tsunami devastation in the Pacific. If you have exceeded …Read More

Due to security concerns, all visa services at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo are suspended until further notice. The Embassy regrets any inconvenience this temporary suspension may cause for persons wishing to visit or immigrate to the United States. The Embassy will resume visa operations as circumstances permit. Non-immigrant and immigrant visa applications of persons …Read More

Please be advised that as of January 10, 2011, the procedure to request a waiver appointment has changed. Applicants can make the appointment through the following website http://mexico.usvisa-info.com. They will need to log onto the website using their Passport Number, Date of Birth and Nationality. When prompted to select a Trip Purpose, they will need …Read More

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it has received a sufficient number of H-1B petitions to reach the statutory cap for fiscal year (FY) 2011.  USCIS is notifying the public that yesterday, Jan. 26, 2011, is the final receipt date for new H-1B specialty occupation petitions requesting an employment start date in …Read More

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced that it is now issuing employment and travel authorization on a single card for certain applicants filing an Applicant for Adjustment of Status, Form I-485. This new card represents a significant improvement from the current practice of issuing paper Advance Parole documents. The card looks similar to the …Read More