Background The H-1B category is an attractive employment-based option for U.S. employers seeking to hire foreign nationals in specialty occupations. Generally, in order to qualify for an H-1B visa, the employer must demonstrate to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (the "USCIS") that the following requirements are met: the job is a specialty occupation, Read More »
Seasonal Workers The U.S. wine industry is facing an imminent shortage of labor, particularly during harvest season. Throughout the United States, such work is mostly done by foreign workers. The H-2A visa program is commonly utilized by wineries to fill employment gaps, by hiring temporary, seasonal workers. H-2A visas are Read More »
On January 21, 2022, the Biden Administration announced several agency actions to attract and retain international science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) talent. Attracting STEM talent is one of the administration's key strategies for U.S. technological and economic global competitiveness. The administration set forth new policies to provide clearer and more predictable pathways for international Read More »
On April 3, 2017, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (the "USCIS") will begin accepting H-1B petitions subject to the Fiscal Year ("FY") 2018 cap. Foreign employees whose H-1B FY 2018 petitions will be approved can start their employment in the United States on October 1, 2017. While April 3rd may seem far away at Read More »
On April 2, 2018, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (the "USCIS") will begin accepting H-1B petitions subject to the Fiscal Year ("FY") 2019 cap. Foreign employees whose H-1B FY 2019 petitions will be approved can start their employment in the United States on October 1, 2018. While April 2nd may seem far away at Read More »
UPDATE! The Federal government has agreed to rescind its new policy directive preventing full online instruction in the US for International students settling a lawsuit filed by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston federal court. Thus, foreign students are now permitted to lawfully remain in the United States even if their schools Read More »
On March 1, 2022, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services ("USCIS") will start accepting registrations of H-1B petitions subject to fiscal year (FY) 2023 cap. Beneficiaries of selected and approved H-1B cap-subject petitions will be eligible to start working in the United States on October 1, 2022. Competition for H-1B numbers during the FY2023 season is Read More »
On Monday, September 11, Bousquet Holstein immigration attorney Anna Putintseva presented on Temporary Protected Status (TPS) eligibility at the First Ukrainian Pentecostal Church in Syracuse, New York. Anna discussed the process of applying for and renewing TPS in the United States, as well as topics related to work and travel authorizations. TPS is a temporary Read More »
NEWS Bousquet Holstein PLLC is pleased to announce that attorney Rebecca R. Cohen has been elected a Member of the firm. Cohen joined the firm in 2017 and served as an integral part in expanding Bousquet Holstein's Immigration Practice Group. Cohen focuses her immigration practice on employment-based petitions and visas; transitioning from a student exchange Read More »
I was recently denied approval to travel for some important upcoming meetings in the United States on the Visa Waiver program and thus needed a skilled attorney that fully understood Immigration Law to assist me with overcoming the denial and obtaining a business visa to the United States. Anna Putintseva and her team assisted me Read More »