USCIS CONTINUES TO
ACCEPT FY2011 H-1BS; ONLY 19,600 RECEIVED UNDER GENERAL CAP
As
of May 21st, 2010, the USCIS had received only 19,600 H-1B
petitions counting toward the 65,000 general cap; and only 8,200
petitions for individuals with advanced degrees. These numbers leave
more than 50,000 slots still open for new H-1B cases. More
information can be found
HERE.
USCIS TO REDESIGN GREEN
CARD
The
USCIS has announced that starting May 11th, it will be
issuing redesigned “green cards”. These cards will include new
security features which will help to prevent counterfeiting,
obstruct tampering, and facilitate quick and accurate
authentication. Ironically, these redesigned
cards are actually true to their name and will be in green in color.
More information can be found
HERE.
USCIS RELEASES H-1B “ADVISOR” FOR EMPLOYERS
AND EMPLOYEES
The US
Department of Labor has created and released a new tool to help H-1B
employers and others understand how to comply with the H-1B program
requirements. This online “advisor” both describes the H-1B program
and provides detailed information about employers’ and workers’
rights and responsibilities under the program, including
notification requirements, monetary issues, worksite issues and
recordkeeping. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis describes the goal
of the new tool as working to “provide employers and the public with
user-friendly information regarding both the rights and
responsibilities under the H-1B program. The new online advisor
harnesses technology to help take the mystery out of the new rules,
and it offers an important resource to workers and employers alike.”
http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/asp/oasp20100563.htm
The online
“advisor” can be found
HERE.
AMERICANS RANK IMMIGRATION TOP PROBLEM
A new Gallup
poll has found that 10% of those surveyed find immigration as the
most serious problem currently being faced by the nation. This is up
two percent from just one month ago, and it is at the highest level
in more than two years. The poll also found that the concern over
immigration is the highest in the West and among Republicans and
conservatives. These increased levels most likely are a result of
the increased media attention given to the controversial Arizona
immigration law. It will be interesting to see
if this trend in public opinion continues.
http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2010/05/12/americans-citing-immigration-as-top-problem-highest-in-2-years/?hpt=T2
ARIZONA STATE
BILL 1070
The recent passage of Arizona State Bill
1070 has caused a media uproar. The bill allows law enforcement
officers to arrest a suspect without a warrant if the officer has
probably cause to believe that the person
has committed any public offense that makes the person removable
from the US. Critics have claimed this bill
gives law enforcement free reign to commit acts of racial profiling.
If a person does not hold the appropriate documents to prove
immigration status, under the Act, law enforcement has the right to
detain these individuals until the status is verified with federal
immigration authorities. This could mean a number of hours or days
in lockup. HLG clients residing in and/or working in
Arizona
are encouraged to contact HLG for guidance on the appropriate
documents to carry.
For full Bill
see:
http://www.azleg.gov/DocumentsForBill.asp?Bill_Number=SB1070
As
a result of the passage of the State Bill 1070,
Los Angeles has imposed an economic boycott on any new
business with Arizona. The decision also suspends any
city-related travel to Arizona. In support of
the boycott, LA Councilman Ed Reyes comments, “I
cannot go to Arizona today without a passport. If I come
across an officer who's had a bad day and feels the picture on my ID
is not me, I could be summarily deported -- no questions asked. That
is not American.” It is suspected that several other cities will
soon follow in LA’s footsteps.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64B64S20100513
USCIS REAPPROVES FCCPT TO ISSUE HEALTHCARE WORKER CERTIFICATES
The Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy, also known
as FCCPT, recently announced that it has been re-approved by USCIS
to issue Healthcare Worker Certificates for an additional 5 years,
through 2015. Healthcare Worker Certificates, also common referred
to as “visascreens” are required for admission to work in the United States for a variety of
healthcare workers. FCCPT is responsible for issuing certificates
required to enter and work as a Physical Therapist. More information
is available at
http://www.fccpt.org.
CALIFORNIA
BOARD OF RNS REQUIRING SSN FOR LICENSE
The
California Board of Registered Nursing has announced that is will no
longer accept an application for a
California
nursing license which does not contain a U.S. Social Security
Number. In the past, the California Board of Nursing has accepted
and processed applications but withheld issuance of the actual
license until the Social Security number was presented. This may
present significant difficulties in the future for foreign national
candidates attempting to obtain a California nursing license. HLG is in contact
with the Board to see if there is any way to work around this
requirement. More information is available here:
http://www.rn.ca.gov/pdfs/applicants/ssninfo.pdf
DID
YOU KNOW?
In
this new section, each month HLG will be sharing a basic rules and
regulations that both employers who hire nonimmigrant workers and
employees who are on nonimmigrant visas should know.
Did you know that:
You can file for
your Employment Authorization Document (EAD) and Advanced Parole
(AP) travel authorization extensions no earlier than 4 months prior
to the expiration of these documents. It takes approximately 90 days
for these to be processed by the USCIS
