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	<title>Labor Immigration Law</title>
	<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com</link>
	<description>United States Labor Immigration Law News and Analysis</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:39:44 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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	<item>
		<title>Visa Bulletin Updates and Predictions by Charles Oppenheim (January 19, 2012)</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Mr. Oppenheim is the Chief of  the Visa Control and  Reporting Division at the U.S. Department of  State.  For many, he is  simply known as the person responsible for the  monthly and annual visa  number allocations for family- and  employment-based green cards.  He is  also the person [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2012/01/visa-bulletin-updates-and-predictions-by-charles-oppenheim-january-19-2012/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Updates from the Department of Labor (H-1B/PERM)</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The Department of Labor has provided some updates (as of January 6, 2012) on their processing of employment-based cases and we are happy to share them with our clients and readers.   This kind of information is generally available, but if rarely combined in one place while it is still fairly recent information.
DOL Processing Statistics [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2012/01/updates-from-the-department-of-labor-h-1bperm/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Admission of Canadian TN Workers</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), certain Canadian and Mexican professionals are allowed to enter the U.S. under the TN nonimmigrant classification to engage in certain TN-eligible occupations.
TN Admission Requirements

It is important to note that requirements for admission of Canadian and Mexican TN workers vary.   A Canadian citizen TN worker may apply for [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2012/01/admission-of-canadian-tn-workers/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Biometrics Codes and Reusing/Transferring Biometrics</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Many of our clients and readers are familiar with the requirement to submit to biometrics (digital fingerprinting and/or photograph, please see below) in connection with certain USCIS applications.    The biometrics are often taken at USCIS Application Support Centers (ASC) after a notice, showing a specific ASC address and appointment date/time, is issued and mailed to [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2012/01/biometrics-codes-and-reusingtransferring-biometrics/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Current PERM Processing Times (as of January 4, 2012)</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Our office handles a substantial number of ETA Form 9089 – Permanent       Labor Certification (“PERM”) applications and we are closely     monitoring   the current PERM processing times not only for the benefit     of our   clients but also to [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2012/01/current-perm-processing-times-as-of-january-4-2012/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>February 2012 Visa Bulletin – EB-2 India and China Advance by Twelve Months; Slow Movement in EB-3; FB-1 Advances Again; Moderate Movement in FB2A</title>
		<description><![CDATA[


The U.S. State Department just released the February 2012 Visa Bulletin which is the fifth Visa Bulletin for the FY2012 fiscal year.    The            major headline in the upcoming month’s   bulletin is the    significant  forward movement in EB-2 India [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2012/01/february-2012-visa-bulletin-%e2%80%93-eb-2-india-and-china-advance-by-twelve-months-slow-movement-in-eb-3-fb-1-advances-again-moderate-movement-in-fb2a/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>US Consulate in Chennai, India No Longer Accepts Immigrant Visa Applications</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The Department of State has confirmed that as of January 1, 2012, the U.S. Consulate in Chennai, India will no longer accept and process immigrant visa (IV, or green card) applications.    The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi and U.S. Consulate in Mumbai will become the only acceptance centers in India for immigrant visas.
The change does [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2012/01/us-consulate-in-chennai-india-no-longer-accepts-immigrant-visa-applications/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>N-400 U.S. Citizenship Application Statistics</title>
		<description><![CDATA[USCIS has released an interesting report from its field offices on the processing times and statistics of N-400, Application for Naturalization, filings for the fiscal years 2010 through 2012 (or, October 2011).
Number of N-400 Applications
The report breaks down, for each field office processing N-400 applications, the number of receipts, approvals, denials and pending cases for [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2012/01/n-400-u-s-citizenship-application-statistics/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>USCIS Ombudsman Recommends Changes to EB-1 EA Adjudication Standards</title>
		<description><![CDATA[A few days ago, on December 29, 2011, the USCIS Ombudsman has issued a report and set of recommendations urging USCIS to take proactive steps to ensure clear, consistent and predictable standards are applied to immigrant visa applications under the first employment-based preference category (EB-1) for aliens with extraordinary ability (EA).
Background on the Current EB-1 [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2012/01/uscis-ombudsman-recommends-changes-to-eb-1-adjudication-standards/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>AAO Processing Times (December 1, 2011)</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
Our office has established a reputation as one of the leading practices for handling appeals with the Administrative     Appeals Office (AAO) and we often receive inquiries not only    about   the procedural  aspects of an AAO appeal but also about the current processing  times for AAO [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/12/aao-processing-times-december-1-2011/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>January 2012 Visa Bulletin – EB-2 India and China Advance by Nine and a Half Months; Slow Movement in EB-3; FB1 Advances Again; Moderate Movement in FB2A</title>
		<description><![CDATA[

The U.S. State Department just released the January 2012 Visa Bulletin which is the fourth Visa Bulletin for the FY2012 fiscal year.    The           major headline in the upcoming month’s   bulletin is the   significant  forward movement in EB-2 India and China [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/12/january-2012-visa-bulletin-%e2%80%93-eb-2-india-and-china-advance-by-nine-and-a-half-months-slow-movement-in-eb-3-fb1-advances-again-moderate-movement-in-fb2a/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Current PERM Processing Times (as of December 6, 2011)</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Our office handles a substantial number of ETA Form 9089 – Permanent      Labor Certification (“PERM”) applications and we are closely    monitoring   the current PERM processing times not only for the benefit    of our   clients but also to be able to [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/12/current-perm-processing-times-as-of-december-6-2011/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>We Are Hiring &#8211; Open Immigration Paralegal Position</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The Capitol Immigration Law Group PLLC is a boutique law firm  specializing in employment-based immigration and representing  individuals and employers.   We are also growing fast.    As a result, we are looking for smart, creative people who will give 100 percent.    In exchange, we’ll provide tremendous opportunities for growth, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/12/we-are-hiring-open-immigration-parlegal-position/</link>
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		<title>Update on H.R. 3012 – Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act Clears the U.S. House of Representatives</title>
		<description><![CDATA[There has been a considerable amount of discussion, excitement and, unfortunately, some incorrect rumors over the past few weeks regarding possible changes to the way employment-based immigrant visas are allocated.   Our office has been receiving many requests to comment on and speculate on what may happen with the proposed legislation.   To avoid fueling rumors, we [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/12/update-on-h-r-3012-%e2%80%93-fairness-for-high-skilled-immigrants-act-clears-the-u-s-house-of-representatives/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>USCIS Online Systems Will be Unavailable Over the Weekend (12/2-12/5)</title>
		<description><![CDATA[USCIS has issued an alert that a number of key online systems will be unavailable due to system maintenance from Friday, December 2nd at 7pm (EST) until Monday, December 5th at 9am (EST).   As a result, there will be no access or service to the following USCIS online systems and tools:

Check My Case Status
Sign-Up for [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/12/uscis-online-systems-will-be-unavailable-over-the-weekend/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>FY2012 H-1B Work Visa Cap Reached — Alternatives to H-1B</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Many of our readers are aware that as of November 22, 2011, USCIS has  received a sufficient number of H-1B cap-subject petitions to fill the  annual H-1B quota.  All cap-subject new H-1B petitions received by USCIS  on or after November 23rd will be rejected.   Throughout the entire H-1B  cap season, our [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/11/fy2012-h-1b-work-visa-cap-reached-%e2%80%94-alternatives-to-h-1b/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>U.S. Department of State:  Consulates to Issue F-1 Visas Within 15 Days</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The U.S. Department of State has announced that all U.S. embassies and consulates will expedite the processing of F-1 student visa stamp applications to ensure that qualified foreign students are able to begin their studies on time.   According to the Department of State, the maximum wait for a student visa appointment (for all posts) is [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/11/u-s-state-department-consulates-to-issue-f-1-visas-within-15-days/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>FY2012 H-1B Cap Limit Approaching &#8212; What Happens When the Cap is Reached?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Throughout the H-1B cap filing season (which opened back in April), we have been providing updates on the available H-1B cap numbers.   Over the past few weeks, we have been also issuing alerts (on our website, via our newsletter and through our twitter and facebook pages) on the upcoming H-1B cap limit.
Partially as a result [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/11/fy2012-h-1b-cap-limit-approaching-what-happens-when-the-cap-is-reached/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>FY2012 H-1B Numbers Update – 56,300 Regular Cap Visas Used; Master’s Cap Reached; Last Call for H-1B Cap Cases (November 14, 2011)</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
USCIS just released the information on the numbers of                                     cap-subject FY2012 H-1Bs filed since April 1.    As  [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/11/fy2012-h-1b-numbers-update-%e2%80%93-56300-regular-cap-visas-used-master%e2%80%99s-cap-reached-last-call-for-h-1b-cap-cases-november-14-2011/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Current PERM Processing Times (as of November 1, 2011)</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Our office handles a substantial number of ETA Form 9089 – Permanent     Labor Certification (“PERM”) applications and we are closely   monitoring   the current PERM processing times not only for the benefit   of our   clients but also to be able to predict longer-term trends [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/11/current-perm-processing-times-as-of-november-1-2011/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>December 2011 Visa Bulletin – EB-2 India and China Advance by Four and a Half Months; Slow Movement in EB-3; FB1 Advances Again; Moderate Movement in FB2A</title>
		<description><![CDATA[

The U.S. State Department just released the December 2011 Visa Bulletin which is the third Visa Bulletin for the FY2012 fiscal year.    The          major headline in the upcoming month’s   bulletin is the  significant  forward movement in EB-2 India and China (four and [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/11/december-2011-visa-bulletin-%e2%80%93-eb-2-india-and-china-advance-by-four-and-a-half-months-slow-movement-in-eb-3-fb1-advances-again-moderate-movement-in-fb2a/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>FY2012 H-1B Numbers Update – 49,200 Regular Cap Visas Used; Master’s Cap Reached; Last Call for H-1B Cap Cases (October 28, 2011)</title>
		<description><![CDATA[USCIS just released the information on the numbers of                                    cap-subject FY2012 H-1Bs filed since April 1.   As  of  [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/11/fy2012-h-1b-numbers-update-%e2%80%93-49200-regular-cap-visas-used-master%e2%80%99s-cap-reached-last-call-for-h-1b-cap-cases-october-28-2011/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>India Blanket L-1 Visa Stamping Applications to be Processed in Chennai Only</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The Department of State (DOS) has announced that effective December 1, 2011, the U.S. Consulate in Chennai will become the only acceptance center in India for all applications for intra-company transfers under the blanket L  category.
The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi and U.S.  Consulates in Mumbai, Kolkata and Hyderabad will no longer accept [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/11/india-blanket-l-1-visa-stamping-applications-to-be-processed-in-chennai-only/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>PERM and LCA Updates from the Department of Labor</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Due to the significant number of PERM-based green cards and H-1B work visa applications (including the required Labor Condition Application, or LCA), our office constantly monitors developments at the Department of Labor (DOL) which controls the review of PERM and LCAs.
As of October 5, 2011, DOL has shared some important statistics about their processing of [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/11/perm-and-lca-updates-from-the-department-of-labor/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Visa Bulletin Predictions and Updates from Charles Oppenheim (October 26, 2011)</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Our office just came back from a discussion session here in Washington, DC with  Charles Oppenheim.  Mr. Oppenheim is the Chief of the Visa Control and  Reporting Division at the U.S. Department of State.  For many, he is  simply known as the person responsible for the monthly and annual visa  number [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/10/visa-bulletin-predictions-and-updates-from-charles-oppenheim-october-26-2011/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>USCIS to Issue Redesigned Employment Authorization Document (EAD) Cards</title>
		<description><![CDATA[USCIS has announced that effective October 30, 2011, it would  issue redesigned Employment Authorization Document Cards (also known as “EAD” or &#8220;work permit&#8221; cards )   The redesign is mainly driven to incorporate new security  features to deter counterfeiting, tempering and document fraud,  generally.
Design
Samples of the front and back are shown below:

No Changes [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/10/uscis-to-issue-redesigned-employment-authorizatio-document-ead-cards/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>FY2012 H-1B Numbers Update – 46,200 Regular Cap Visas Used; Master&#8217;s Cap Reached (October 21, 2011)</title>
		<description><![CDATA[



USCIS just released the information on the numbers of                                   cap-subject FY2012 H-1Bs filed since April 1.   As  of   [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/10/fy2012-h-1b-numbers-update-%e2%80%93-46200-regular-cap-visas-used-masters-cap-reached-october-21-2011/</link>
			</item>
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		<title>Does Change in H-1B Work Location Require an H-1B Amendment, in Addition to a New LCA?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Our office handles a substantial number of H-1B work visa petitions for a variety of U.S. employers and we often share our direct experiences with the H-1B work visa program.   This article is intended to share our experience with H-1B work visa petitions where there is a change of the job location once the H-1B [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/10/does-change-in-h-1b-work-location-require-an-h-1b-amendment-in-addition-to-a-new-lca/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>ICE Deportations for FY2011 Hit Record Number</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced yesterday that for the fiscal year 2011 (FY2011) which ended September 30, 2011, ICE has deported a record number of individuals.
In FY 2011 ICE&#8217;s Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations removed 396,906 individuals — the largest number in the agency&#8217;s history. Of these, nearly 55 percent or 216,698 [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/10/ice-deportations-for-fy2011-hit-record-number/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>FY2012 H-1B Numbers Update – 43,300 Regular and 19,500 Masters Cap Visas Used (October 14, 2011)</title>
		<description><![CDATA[


USCIS just released the information on the numbers of                                  cap-subject FY2012 H-1Bs filed since April 1.   As  of  October 14, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/10/fy2012-h-1b-numbers-update-%e2%80%93-43300-regular-and-19500-masters-cap-visas-used-october-14-2011/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>FY2012 H-1B Numbers Update – 41,000 Regular and 19,100 Masters Cap Visas Used (October 7, 2011)</title>
		<description><![CDATA[

USCIS just released the information on the numbers of                                 cap-subject FY2012 H-1Bs filed since April 1.   As  of October 7, 2011,  [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/10/fy2012-h-1b-numbers-update-%e2%80%93-36300-regular-and-17700-masters-cap-visas-used-october-7-2011/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>AAO Processing Times (October 1, 2011)</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
Our office has established a reputation as one of the leading practices for handling appeals with the Administrative     Appeals Office (AAO) and we often receive inquiries not only    about   the procedural  aspects of an AAO appeal but also about the current processing  times for AAO [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/10/aao-processing-times-october-1-2011/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>November 2011 Visa Bulletin – EB-2 India and China Advance by Three and a Half Months; Slow Movement in EB-3; FB1 Advances Again; Moderate Movement in FB2A</title>
		<description><![CDATA[

The U.S. State Department just released the November 2011 Visa Bulletin which is the second Visa Bulletin for the FY2012 fiscal year.    The         major headline in the upcoming month’s   bulletin is the significant  forward movement in EB-2 India and China and the forward movement [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/10/november-2011-visa-bulletin-%e2%80%93-eb-2-india-and-china-advance-by-three-and-a-half-months-slow-movement-in-eb-3-fb1-advances-again-moderate-movement-in-fb2a/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Update on DOL Prevailing Wage Determinations</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Many of our clients and readers are asking us on updates regarding the Department of Labor&#8217;s (DOL) prevailing wage determination process.  We are happy to report that according to DOL reports and according to our first-hand experience, prevailing wage determinations are issued and they are (slowly) starting to return to normal.
Background on the DOL Prevailing [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/10/update-on-dol-prevailing-wage-determinations/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>FY2012 H-1B Numbers Update – 36,300 Regular and 17,700 Masters Cap Visas Used (September 23, 2011)</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
USCIS just released the information on the numbers of                                cap-subject FY2012 H-1Bs filed since April 1.   As  of  September 23, 2011,  [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/10/fy2012-h-1b-numbers-update-%e2%80%93-36300-regular-and-17700-masters-cap-visas-used-september-23-2011/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>U.S. Consulate in Mumbai Resumes H and L Visa Processing</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The Department of State has announced that as of August 26, 2011, the U.S. Consulate in Mumbai would resume processing of H and L visa stamp applications.   The earliest appointments available were for September 6, 2011 and as of today, the Consulate is in normal processing mode.
Earlier this year, in March, the Mumbai Consulate suspend [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/09/u-s-consulate-in-mumbai-resumes-h-and-l-visa-processing/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>DV-2013 Diversity Visa (Green Card) Lottery Opens October 4, 2011</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The Department of State will open the DV-2013 Diversity Visa (a.k.a.   “green card”) lottery on Tuesday, October 4, 2011.   The entries for  this year’s lottery must be  submitted electronically between noon,  Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)  (GMT-4), Tuesday, October 4, 2011, and  noon, Eastern Standard Time (EST)  [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/09/dv-2013-diversity-visa-green-card-lottery-opens-october-4-2011/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>H-1B SSN Audit Report: Substantial Percentage of H-1B SSN Cases May Involve Fraud</title>
		<description><![CDATA[In a September 2011 audit report on the use of Social Security Numbers (SSNs) by H-1B temporary workers, the Office of Inspector General (OIC) claims that a substantial percentage of H-1B cases may involve some amount of irregularity or fraud.   OIG based its review on a random sample of 200 H-1B cases from the 38,546 [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/09/h-1b-ssn-audit-report-substantial-percentage-of-h-1b-ssn-cases-may-involve-fraud/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>FY2011 Employment-Based Visas Limit Reached: No New Green Card Approvals Until October 1</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The Department of State (&#8220;DOS&#8221;), in an &#8220;urgent&#8221; alert dated as of September 15, 2011, has advised that due to heavy demand in the employment-based immigrant visa categories, DOS has reached the Fiscal Year 2011 annual limit of employment-based green cards.
DOS/USCIS to Stop Approving EB Immigrant Visas Until October 1
As a result of reaching the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/09/fy2011-employment-based-visas-limit-reached-no-new-green-card-approvals-until-october-1/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Current PERM Processing Times (as of August 22, 2011)</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Our office handles a substantial number of ETA Form 9089 – Permanent    Labor Certification (“PERM”) applications and we are closely  monitoring   the current PERM processing times not only for the benefit  of our   clients but also to be able to predict longer-term trends in  PERM [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.laborimmigration.com/2011/09/current-perm-processing-times-as-of-august-22-2011/</link>
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