FY 2023 H-1B Cap Initial Registration Period Opens on March 1

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced that the initial registration period for the fiscal year 2023 H-1B cap will open at noon Eastern on March 1 and run through noon Eastern on March 18, 2022. During this period, prospective petitioners and representatives will be able to complete and submit their registrations using our online H-1B registration system.

USCIS will assign a confirmation number to each registration submitted for the FY 2023 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.

Read more at: https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/fy-2023-h-1b-cap-initial-registration-period-opens-on-march-1

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

DHS Announces Availability of Additional H-2B Visas for First Half of Fiscal Year

WASHINGTON—The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Labor (DOL) today announced the availability of 20,000 additional H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas for the first half of fiscal year (FY) 2022. These visas are for U.S. employers that are facing irreparable harm without additional workers and seeking to employ additional workers on or before March 31, 2022.

“DHS is taking action to address the needs of our economy by making an additional 20,000 H-2B visas available to workers,” said Secretary Mayorkas. “We are providing employers with the resources and support needed to sustain their businesses while expanding lawful pathways to the United States. At the same time, DHS and DOL are protecting against the exploitation of H-2B workers.”

Read more at: https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/dhs-announces-availability-of-additional-h-2b-visas-for-first-half-of-fiscal-year

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

USCIS Provides Clarifying Guidance for O-1 Petitions with a Focus on STEM Fields

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today issued policy guidance clarifying how it evaluates evidence to determine eligibility for O-1A nonimmigrants of extraordinary ability, with a focus on petitions filed for individuals in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) fields, as well as how USCIS determines whether an O-1 beneficiary’s prospective work is within their area of extraordinary ability or achievement.

Individuals of extraordinary ability in the sciences, education, business, or athletics may be eligible for O-1A classification. The new update provides examples of evidence that may satisfy the O-1A evidentiary criteria and discusses considerations that are relevant to evaluating such evidence, with a focus on the highly technical nature of STEM fields and the complexity of the evidence often submitted.

Read more at: https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/uscis-provides-clarifying-guidance-for-o-1-petitions-with-a-focus-on-stem-fields

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.