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  1. ACIP Question of the Week: PERM Applications Selected for Audit

    Thu, 05/23/2013
    ACIP would like to thank the 55 members who responded to this week’s Question of the Week, which asked about PERM applications selected for audit.  The results showed that compared to this time last year, exactly 50% of the respondents have seen an increase in the percentage of PERM applications selected for audit, while 50% have not.  The results also showed that for 74.1% of respondents, 0-20% of their PERM applications are selected for audit; 18.5% of respondents said that 20-40% of their PERM applications are selected for audit; for 3.7% of respondents, 40-60% of PERM applications are selected for audit; and for the remaining 3.7% of respondents, over 60% of their PERM applications are selected for audit. 

    Please see below for more details.

    Full text available to ACIP members only. Contact us to inquire about membership.


  2. From the Agencies: A Message from ACIP’s Manager of Agency Liaison

    Tue, 05/21/2013
    Hello ACIP Members.  It’s mid-May and that means the ACIP staff is working very hard on our last minute preparations for this year’s Symposium!  It has been an exciting year already with major immigration legislation being introduced and you definitely don’t want to miss the Symposium this year.  It’s not too late… Register now at www.acipSymposium.com!
     
    It’s not just legislation: it continues to be an active year for the agencies as well. 
     
    This month, my update covers:
     
    • Reflections on my recent visit to the Texas Service Center and the Lewisville Lockbox
    • An update on I-94 automation, including issues I have heard with the website and information about when a printed I-94 is necessary
    • Mandatory SEVIS checks upon entry for F-1s, J-1s and M-1s
    • Results from recent Questions of the Week regarding employees working on projects at other client worksites, the CIS Ombudsman’s office, administrative checks and “completion of requirements” letters for H-1Bs
    • Visa bulletin update – Little movement for India, strong advancement for China

    As always, reach out to me anytime with your issues, concerns or questions at justin_storch@acip.com.

    Please click through to read the full update.

    Full text available to ACIP members only. Contact us to inquire about membership.


  3. ACIP Question of the Week: Completion of Requirements Letters

    Thu, 05/16/2013
    ACIP would like to thank the 43 members who responded to this week’s Question of the Week, which asked about completion of requirements letters.  The results showed that 51.2% have submitted completion of requirements letters from universities for H-1B petitions where the degree requirements have been completed but the diploma has not yet been issued.  Of those respondents who have submitted completion of requirements letters, over 52% have received an RFE requesting a copy of the diploma for the beneficiary, while almost 48% have not.

    Please see below for more details.

    Full text available to ACIP members only. Contact us to inquire about membership.


  4. ACIP Question of the Week: Administrative Processing Checks

    Thu, 05/09/2013
    ACIP would like to thank the 50 members who responded to this week’s Question of the Week, which asked a series of questions surrounding administrative processing checks.  The results showed that of the respondents who have ongoing administrative processing checks, almost 45% have 1-5, over 4% have 6-10, and over 4% have more than 10.  The results also showed that for all respondents, almost 19% have seen more administrative processing checks compared to this time last year.  The majority of ACIP members, 54.2%, also have policies and procedures in place to handle issues related to administrative processing checks.  Finally, when using outside counsel to assist with administrative processing checks, about 9% of members have seen reduced times to reach a resolution, while almost 24% have not.

    Please see below for more details.

    Full text available to ACIP members only. Contact us to inquire about membership.


  5. In the Know - May 2013: This month: Is the Senate immigration bill good for your organization? How the Symposium can help you decide. And a “thank you” to ACIP members.

    Mon, 05/06/2013
    Last month I wondered whether comprehensive immigration reform might save us from another mad rush toward an H-1B lottery.  After scrutinizing the Senate immigration bill, the answer is that it might but not for the reasons we want.
     
    Although the Senate bill increases the H-1B visa cap to a total of 135,000 in the first year, given that approximately 124,000 applications were filed in the first week for Fiscal Year 2014, it is clear that the cap increase alone won’t get us out of a lottery.  The bill does provide many more green cards and a direct path to green cards for STEM students – a great development that will take some people out of the H-1B queue but which is unlikely to be fully operational for several years. The thing that is most likely to impact the cap are the new recruitment, non-displacement and outplacement attestations as well as the enormous new fees imposed on all employers.  My sense is that many employers may just determine that the cost of doing business in the United States is too high.  As Stuart Anderson notes in a new report, this “would represent a serious policy mistake that would shift more work and resources outside the United States and harm the competitiveness of U.S. employers.”  The Senate bill would also impose significant new restrictions on employers’ ability to place L-1B workers at client sites.

    Please click through to read the full update.

    Full text available to ACIP members only. Contact us to inquire about membership.


  6. ACIP Question of the Week: CIS Ombudsman’s Office

    Thu, 05/02/2013
    ACIP would like to thank the 51 members who responded to this week’s Question of the Week, which asked a series of questions surrounding the CIS Ombudsman’s office.  The results showed that of the respondents who have used the CIS Ombudsman’s office for assistance, over 57% said that the office has at least been successful sometimes in resolving their cases.  The results also showed that for all respondents, over 68% would utilize the CIS Ombudsman’s office for assistance if their role were expanded to cover ICE and CBP.

    Please see below for more details.

    Full text available to ACIP members only. Contact us to inquire about membership.


  7. ACIP Legislative Director Update: What Do You Need to Know about the Senate’s Comprehensive Immigration Bill (S. 744)?

    Mon, 04/29/2013
    There is no denying that the immigration debate is in full swing in Washington!  To help you learn more about the key sections of “The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act,” (S. 744) introduced by the Gang of Eight on April 16, 2013, we encourage you to read ACIP’s  detailed chart summary on the key provisions of the bill that will impact your organization and immigration practice the most.

    While the bill’s text as introduced will change over the course of the coming months through amendments and a Senate Judiciary Committee mark up, the overall framework of the bill will remain the same.  Reading ACIP’s summary will help you learn the ins and out of the bill, as we work on the ground in the months to come to improve some concerning provisions in the bill on H-1B and L-1 visas, as well as employment verification.  We anticipate markup on the bill will happen as early as May and if a bill passes out of the Senate Judiciary Committee a bill could be on the Senate floor as early as June!  The time to educate yourself and your organization on the Senate bill is now!  And, if you use the H-1B visa, the L-1 visa and E-Verify you should register for ACIP’s June 3 Advocacy Day to help ensure these programs remain usable to your organization and that the bill reflects what employers need! 
     
    Here are some of the bill’s key highlights that you can get more details on in ACIP’s chart summary:

    Full text available to ACIP members only. Contact us to inquire about membership.