Assistance with naturalization and citizenship application can be challenging to handle on your own, especially in 2015 which has been a year of sweeping policy changes. As the immigration specialist in Pleasanton and the surrounding area, Nasiri Law has compiled the most relevant potential changes to keep you informed, as follows:
When an individual has been sponsored for permanent residence by a family member or employer, he/she enters a process known as Adjustment of Status. Proposed regulations would accelerate the application period to be available even when an individual’s visa number is not available.
Any business employing foreign nationals must deal with the process of applying for H1-B visas. The annual number of new H-1Bs released is currently capped at 65,000, with an additional 20,000 more available for Master’s degree holders. The demand for these visas is expected to drop in the face of upcoming changes. The Senate also expects to raise the cap as high as 195,000.
For Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math graduates, employees can be authorized for longer periods of post-graduation work if their employers participate in the government’s E-Verify program. Upcoming rules may extend the authorization period and also allow individuals with STEM B.S.s but not STEM M.S.s to qualify.
New regulations are also expected to change workplace availability for spouses of H-1B holders being sponsored for green cards. These H-4 holders would not need to wait for the permanent residence process to seek U.S. employment.
PERM is the most typical way for a worker to obtain permanent residence sponsorship. The decade-old regulations are due for an update and a streamline of the process in 2015.
L-1B holders, who are considered to hold “specialized knowledge” vital to their employers, may see a relaxing of the definition of the term, which has constrained the availability of L-1Bs in the past. The U.S. Court of Appeals may also revise a ruling to expand the applicability of the definition, granting the possibility of L-1Bs to a wider sector of workers.
The category of individuals who benefit from National Interest Waivers may be broadened, to include workers whose work will benefit the United States. The USCIS also plans to allow the individuals to enter the US prior obtaining the N.I.W.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement will work closer with the Department of Labor to strengthen worksite enforcement of policy. Workers can also expect to see the ICE worksite enforcement, the Department of Justice (Office of Special Counsel), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the National Labor Relations Board working together in the future, likely resulting in higher incidence of investigation of workplaces.
If this information sounds intimidating to you, you are not alone. The premier immigration specialist in Pleasanton, Nasiri Law, extends a helping hand to workers who want to make sense of the government immigration rules that apply to them. If you need assistance with naturalization and citizenship application, Nasiri Law can provide answers to all your most important questions.
