U.S. Immigration News

The number of approvals for H-1B visa petitions has plummeted in recent years, and OnlineVisas.com is setting out to reverse the trend. We want to show companies our approach

The Trump administration is most likely to continue eroding the foundation of immigration that America was built on as more restrictive policies are introduced and existing ones locked in.

USCIS announced that it has successfully completed pilot testing for the new digital pre-registration process that will be used for the next H-1B lottery. The digital pre-registration is part

It is no secret that the current administration frequently bypasses Congress and issues policy changes to curb legal immigration. According to the latest data from USCIS, H-1B visas are

The H-1B is a merit-based visa that has been at the forefront of the immigration battle. Essentially, the H-1B is the white-collar visa, meaning it is for specialty occupations

On October 11, 2019, a federal judge in New York issued an injunction blocking the amended Public Charge rule. USCIS and DHS published the final rule on August 14,

To date, the Trump administration has taken no positive action toward the H-1B visa program. USCIS continues to view highly skilled foreign-born workers as threats instead of assets to

The United States is the entertainment hub of the world. Americans spend more money on entertainment than they do on education, clothes, and retirement savings. Last year, Americans spent

The House Judiciary Committee cleared three critical bills that went seemingly unnoticed as tension in Washington D.C. mounts. The DREAM Act (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) and

The highly contested H-4 EAD work ban affecting the spouses of H-1B visa holders is set to be published this month. An estimated 100,000 immigrants will no longer be

As H-1B visa receipts trickle in, here is a recap of the 2019 filing season. An uptick in H-1B visa applications for FY 2020 For the first time in

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Labor (DOL) have released 30,000 additional H-2B visas for the second half of FY 2019. The extra permits are

The L1 visa is an intra-company transfer work visa that allows a U.S. company to transfer executives, managers and specialized employees from one of its offices abroad into the United States. The

Updated legislation for the Regional Center Program that focuses on the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program could be released this month. The EB-5 program is a permanent program written into

On Monday, April 8, 2019, U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg in San Francisco blocked the recent policy of returning to Mexico the Central-American asylum seekers awaiting adjudication of their

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a new two-phased procedure for premium processing of H-1B applications to prioritize FY 2020 cap-subject petitions. Phase one will prioritize cap-subject

The Trump administration is deliberately focusing the national immigration debate around the southern border while quietly denying more applications and petitions from people seeking to enter the country legally.

The O-1 visa is a non-immigrant U.S. visa for people who demonstrate extraordinary ability in their field, such as arts, sport, business, education, or research. The O-1 visa is

Knowing which documents to submit for an H-1B visa petition is important. Equally important, however, is understanding how each document should be presented and how the petition will be

In just one year, the backlog of applications submitted to the United States Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) has doubled. The slowing processing times continue to cause undue anxiety

As tensions surrounding U.S. immigration system, the border wall and its funding mount, here is a look at what we can expect in 2019. Further restrictions to the H-1B

With the unpredictable yet consistent changes to the H-1B visa process, many employers and H-1B visa holders are looking for alternative visa types to enter the U.S. workforce. Here

On January 30th, 2019, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a final rule for the Registration Requirement for Petitioners Seeking To File H-1B Petitions on Behalf of CapSubject

The possibility of building a stable future makes Canada a viable prospect for U.S. tech workers who are living visa to visa. The Canadian tech scene is ruthlessly capitalizing

The policy disagreements over border wall funding as a solution to a broken immigration system continue crippling U.S. immigration courts. Here are three areas affected the most. E-Verify The

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a Notice of Proposed Rule Making titled Registration Requirement for Petitioners Seeking To File H-1B Petitions on Behalf of Cap-Subject Aliens. The

There are three clear reasons why there is a longer processing time for H-1B visa petitions this year. The Trump administration has created an air of uncertainty for highly

As Congress continues working on updating the legislation, authorization for the Regional Center program that focuses on the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program has been extended through December 21, 2018.

The USCIS has recently clarified that L-1 employees must meet the one-year foreign work requirement to be eligible for consideration. To qualify for an L-1A or L-1B visa, an

As attacks on the H-1B visa continue, the current administration is now looking to tighten its stronghold on tech companies by redefining the employer-employee relationship. However, the change may also

Well it’s happened folks! America managed to top Orwell’s Hate Week. On Wednesday, a disaffected man with a history of violence randomly shot and killed two African-Americans at a

To say that immigration is “good for America” should arouse patriotic fervor but it doesn’t. Why? To most, immigration is not about us. It’s about our intrepid immigrant grandparents

Transitioning from F-1 to H-1B is becoming increasingly complicated. International students seeking employment after graduation from a U.S. university increasingly experience difficulties as USCIS continues to reinterpret and redefine

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is committed to enacting more regulation that limits H-1B visa qualifiers. As part of the proposed regulation titled “Strengthening the H-1B Nonimmigrant Visa

On November 9, 2018, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued new procedural guidance essentially suspending entry for asylum seekers at the southern land border. Under the presidential directive,

The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) fall agenda proposes major changes to the H-1B visa program and seeks to redefine both ‘specialty occupation‘ and the ‘employee-employer relationship,’ which requires

An EB1 visa category is a group of highly sought-after permanent residency green cards within the employment-based or “EB” visa category.  The number “1” denotes preference and is seen

The new USCIS policy, effective Sept. 11, 2018, grants immigration officials the ability to deny a visa, a green card application, petition or request without issuing a Request for

On October 1, 2018, USCIS Policy Memorandum 602-0050.1 will go into effect expanding the conditions under which USCIS issues a Notice to Appear (NTA), the document that initiates removal (deportation) proceedings, to

No one can say for certain what exactly is going to happen to the H-1B visa under the Trump administration. The fact of the matter is that there has

Merit-based immigration is primarily associated with the H1-B visa program, however, there are alternative avenues leading to legal permanent residency in the United States such as the Immigrant Investor

In an update of the January 2010 Neufeld memo, USCIS has released Policy Memorandum PM-602-0157 Subject: Contract and Itineraries Requirements for H-1B Petitions Involving Third-Party Worksites in conjunction with

In accordance with the Buy American, Hire American executive order and in an attempt to heighten scrutiny of companies who place H-1B workers at third-party worksites, the Trump Administration

A new document released from the Department of Homeland Security entitled “Registration Requirement for Petitioners Seeking to File H-1B Petitions on Behalf of Aliens Subject to Numerical Limitations” means

The US Administration has staged several high-profile attempts to legal immigration in the past year. There has been an increase in immigration and customs related arrests, campaigning for a

U.S. Senators David Purdue and Tom Cotton’s bill Reforming American Immigration for Strong Economy Act (RAISE Act) has received a key congressional endorsement in its efforts to move towards

California Rep. Darrell Issa has ramped up his effort to present legislation which will unfairly target H-1B employers, especially U.S. based tech companies that support other U.S. companies by

Earlier this month, Cleveland Federal Reserve President Loretta Mester made a speech to the Cato Institute in Washington regarding the future of the U.S. economy. Her outlook was not

On November 2nd, Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google Parent company Alphabet Inc., praised Canada’s cultivation of tech friendly immigration policies saying he was “enormously thankful to Canadians” for the

In 2013, Kevin Hassett, who is now chair of the Trump Administration Council of Economic Advisors, wrote an article entitled “America Needs Workers” in an issue of National Review.

The baby boomer generation is composed of persons born between 1946 and 1964. They will reach retirement age between 2011 and 2029. In the coming years, there will be

There has been talk of immigration enforcement in the workplace since the 2016 election. Now, it has been announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will officially begin this

In September, Amazon announced that it will be opening a second north American headquarters. The structure will cost $5 billion to build and the endeavor will bring as many

According to a report by The Partnership for a New American Economy, young businesses under five years of age are responsible for all net job creation over the past

Immigrants positively affect the U.S. economy. The presence of immigrants increases wages for U.S. born workers and generates jobs. Immigrants are also inventing the products that will drive innovation

As legislation like the RAISE Act threatens to cut U.S. immigration by half over the next 10 years, history of immigration in the Midwest tells a cautionary tale for

There is a misconception in our country that “decades of immigration have produced lower wages and higher unemployment for our citizens.” People also believe that low-skilled immigration is responsible

This past Sunday (October 08, 2017), the White House released a list of priorities it is willing to exchange for reinstating DACA, the Obama-era executive order that provided work

A Federal Court decision on September 29, 2017, Next Generation Technology v. Johnson, affirms that the occupation of “computer programmer” is considered a specialty occupation for purposes of H-1B

On October 3, 2017 USCIS resumed premium processing for all H-1B visa petitions. As we previously reported, on April 3, 2017, USCIS temporarily suspended premium processing at the beginning

Last Monday, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced that an immigration proposal could be expected in “the coming days”. A recently leaked document shows Republicans in congress

There has been an updated reboot of President Trump’s travel ban on six Muslim majority countries. The White House statement entitled, “Presidential Proclamation Enhancing Vetting Capabilities and Processes for

At the dawn of the nation we know today as the United States of America, there was no concept of “illegal” or “legal” immigration because there were no laws

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has released a diplomatic cable cable to all U.S. embassies stating that persons who have obtained a visa before entering the U.S. must follow

The International Entrepreneur Rule is Obama-era legislation which allows international entrepreneurs to open U.S. companies if they obtain U.S. investment. The rule was signed by Former President Obama during

While America is poised to making hiring high skilled workers more difficult, Canada has launched their fast track work permit program which will grant high-skilled foreign nationals a work

Last Tuesday when President Trump ended DACA, Attorney General Jeff Sessions claimed DACA was taking jobs and income away from Americans. However, despite the debate, this is just flatly

A key question after President Trump’s rescinding of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA on Tuesday is what’s next for America’s 1.1 million DACA-eligible undocumented immigrants. Unfortunately, if

…and Shatter the Dreams of a Generation of Legal Workers Today, President Trump announced an end to the Obama-era legislation known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA.

Jobs are integral to a thriving economy. Now, in the decade following the recession, stimulating job growth is a top priority to keep the economy growing. An article published

Most agree that economic growth is an important factor in propelling the nation forward. A commonly overlooked economic stimulus is immigration – in particular the H-1B visa. The H-1B

Earlier this month, President Trump formally backed a modified version of the Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy Act or RAISE Act. The bill was first introduced into

Government’s plan to reduce American companies’ freedom to hire the best workers, will crush the US economy. President Trump has formally backed legislation that will cut legal immigration by

A new study by Gaurav Khanna and Nocolas Morales of the Global Development Fund shows exciting positive economic impacts of the United States’ H-1B visa program. The positive effects

On August 2, 2017, President Trump formally backed an overhaul to legal immigration which would cut the number of legal immigrants entering the country by half over the next

With half a dozen bills looming in congress addressing various reforms to the H-1B visa program, many are concerned what this could mean for the current filing season. Bills

On April 18, 2017 at a manufacturer plant in Kenosha, Wisconsin, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order entitled “Buy American, Hire American.” He signed the order in Wisconsin

On March 31, 2017, USCIS released a policy memorandum which could severely impact whether computer programmers from abroad can continue to utilize the H-1B visa. The agency stated that the

On March 3rd, 2017, USCIS announced that beginning April 3rd, 2017 they will temporarily suspend premium processing for all H-1B petitions. Premium processing services is normally requested by filing

When the Trump Administration signed its original executive order blocking travel into the US from 7 predominately Muslim countries and barring Syrian refugees, protest broke out across the country

Today is seeing a charged political conversation about how H-1B highly-skilled non-immigrant visas affect the economy, corporations, and the workforce.  Approximately two-thirds of requests for H-1B visa are from science,

IT consulting companies are the heaviest utilizers of H-1B visas. The need for skilled professional workers, especially in hi-tech, produces a large demand for both short and long term

On February 16, 2017, businesses across the United States closed as immigrants protested in “A Day without Immigrants”. The goal was to show how integral immigrants are to the

On January 30, 2017, legislation by Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren was introduced in the US House of Representatives. If passed, this legislation would drastically change the H-1B landscape for the

On January 30th, 2017 a preliminary copy of an executive order on immigration was leaked from the White House. Dated January 23rd, 2017, the leaked document entitled “Executive Order

On January 27th, 2017 an executive order on national security and immigration was signed by President Donald Trump. Entitled “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United

An Explanation of the US Immigration Rule  “Retention of EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 Immigrant Workers and Program Improvements Affecting High-Skilled Nonimmigrant Workers” of January 18, 2017 On January 18,

For the first time, Online Visas is able to offer U.S. businesses a H-1B Visa Petition service package for our lowest-ever price of just $999 per application. The $999 fee

Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA), has proposed legislation which would drastically change the landscape of H-1B immigration in the US. The bill is called the “Protect and Grow American Jobs

One of the excellent attributes of the Online Visas Gateway system is that it organizes all your required visa documents in one place. However, you’ll still need to assemble

Much of the anxiety surrounding filing for an H-1B visa stems from the cap on H-1B visas. Most people are aware that the general cap on H-1Bs is set

When obtaining an H-1B, it’s important to remember that the visa is granted in order to benefit the US enterprise – not the beneficiary. In order to protect the

The H-1B filing period comes around only once a year and the cap is quickly reached. When filing your petition, it’s important to get things right the first time

With the fiscal year cap on H-1B visas set at 85,000, many employers are looking for alternatives to bring qualified workers into their companies. Pursuing alternate visa types or

H-1B visas are granted to qualifying persons trained and employed in specialty occupations. Many of the Requests for Evidence received by over 25% of H-1B petitions involve the question

How Legal Immigration Reform Could Be the Key to Bringing Jobs Back to America Under the Trump Administration. Donald Trump campaigned on creating jobs for Americans and bringing companies

Are you upset about the results of the US Presidential election and want to move to another country? Many have said they would move away with Canada as a

Last night, Donald Trump overcame poll predictions to become President-elect of the United States. Many people have said that, if that should happen, they would leave the U.S. If

President Obama’s International Entrepreneur Rule provides international entrepreneurs a welcome additional visa route into the United States. The Obama Administration’s proposed international entrepreneur rule grants international entrepreneurs entry into the

The Rio Olympics are occurring during the worst refugee crisis since WWII, when the concept of “refugee” was first uttered in International Law. For the first time ever, a