When Immigration Matters

On Thursday, August 30, 2012, Roberta Freedman, AILA Students & Scholars Committee member, and Mike Nowlan, Chair of the AILA Business Committee, discussed the Visa Bulletin, visa demand in the employment preference categories, and predictions for FY2012 and FY2013 with Charlie Oppenheim of the Department of State’s Visa Office. These are only discussions of what could happen and are not assurances or guarantees by the Visa Office, as changes in visa usage result in changes in the Visa Bulletin.

USCIS has partnered with business experts to improve the way it approaches the employment-based and high-skilled visa categories used by immigrant entrepreneurs. USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas kicked-off this innovative program, called the Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIR) initiative in February. The EIR initiative consists of a tactical team comprised of outside experts working alongside USCIS employees. For 90 days this collaborative team, comprised of both USCIS employees and entrepreneurs from the private sector, will identify opportunities where USCIS can streamline pathways for foreign entrepreneurs.  We welcome this significant effort to streamline visas for employment-based and high-skilled visa categories.   You can read more on this initiative at http://blog.uscis.gov/

Visa Bulletin Dates – Employment – March 2012

Great News.  EB2 for India and China moves ahead to May 2010. 

 In the January visa bulletin, wait times for EB-2 (employment based) visas for India and China  move forward by (by nine and a half months) and there is a continued forward movement in the FB1 (family based) categories.

The Most Common Green cards issued to South Africans