On November 29, 2011 the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act (H.R. 3012) by an overwhelmingly favorable vote of 389-15. The bill now moves to the U.S. Senate for consideration. To take effect, the bill must pass the Senate and be signed into law by the President.
If enacted, H.R. 3012 would eliminate the per-country limit, currently 7%, on employment-based green card allocation for any given...
Read MoreUnited States Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that it has received sufficient petitions to reach the statutory cap for new H-1B petitions for Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 (October 1, 2011 to September 30, 2012). Any cap-subject petitions received after November 22, 2011 will be rejected. Petitions on behalf of existing H-1B workers filed previously against the cap are not subject to the cap and therefore will continue to be...
Read MoreAfter November 27, 2011, employers in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) will no longer be able to use Form I-9 CNMI. Form I-9 CNMI was a version of Form I-9, valid only in the CNMI, that contained additional List A documents issued by the CNMI government. Employers must use the standard Form I-9 to verify the work authorization of employees hired in the CNMI on or after November 28, 2011.
Please contact your designated...
Read MoreIncrease in Quota for Federal Skilled Workers
Citizenship & Immigration Canada (CIC) has announced an increase in its Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) quota for 2012. The FSWP is the principal method to apply for permanent resident or landed status in Canada. The CIC 2011 Immigration Levels Plan for the FSWP quota allowed for 47,400 workers; CIC expects to admit up to 57,000 workers in 2012.
New Scheme for PhD Students and Graduates...
Read MoreEffective November 7, 2011, employers in Australia may apply for Accredited Status and priority processing to sponsor Temporary Business Entry (Long Stay) visa (Subclass 457) nominations and visa applications for their employees. Applications for Accredited Status may be filed through a new sponsorship application submission or through submission of currently available sponsorship agreements. The validity period for the visa will be up to six...
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