Published by Admin on February 2nd, 2012 in US immigration
The United States-India Educational Foundation and US immigration officials advised students wishing to study in the US should apply early for the US visas so they have time to prepare properly for their interview.
Jessica Pfleiderer, Vice Consul of the Consulate General of the US, stressed the need for coming well prepared to the US visa interview.
“Applying early for US visa is the key to ensure a hassle free process for the students, who want to study in the United States,” said Pfleiderer about the immigration process. She also added that the peak season for US student visa applications is from April to July. Therefore, if the applicants apply early, they will have more time to prepare for the interview.
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Published by Admin on January 25th, 2012 in US immigration
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced last week that there have been five more countries added to the list of eligible nationals who can participate in the H-2A and H-2B programs in 2012. This brings the lists total to 58 countries. The list of Countries will be reviewed again one year from the date of publication
The H-2A and H-2B programs allow US employers to bring foreign workers to the US in order to fill temporary agricultural jobs and temporary non-agricultural jobs. USCIS generally may only approve H-2A and H-2B petitions for nationals of countries that are designated as eligible to participate in the programs. USCIS may also approve H-2A and H-2B petitions for nationals of countries not on the list if it is determined to be in the interest of the US; this is taken on a case by case basis.
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Published by Admin on January 23rd, 2012 in US immigration
US President Obama announced yesterday that “America is open for business” and detailed a new approach the country is planning to take in order to make it easier for foreign visitors from certain Countries to travel to the US in an effort to boost tourism and create jobs.
“I want America to be the top tourist destination in the world,” said Obama who announced the news at Walt Disney World in Florida, a huge tourist attraction for millions of people each year. “The more folks who visit America, the more Americans we get back to work. It is that simple.”
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Published by Admin on January 18th, 2012 in US immigration
With this month marking the two year anniversary of Haiti’s massive earthquake, members of the US Congress along with Haitian-American community leaders are urging the Obama administration to expedite US visas for more Haitians to live and work in the US.
Specifically, they are asking to fast-track visas for tens of thousands of Haitians whose applications have already been approved but could take many more years for a visa to be issued. This is due to a cap on the number of visas that the US grants each year.
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Published by Admin on January 17th, 2012 in US immigration
The US Travel Association is pushing Congress to pass new legislation to ease US visitor visa restrictions in the hope that tourism to the US will increase. International visitors are expected to spend more than $152 billion in the year 2012, but tourists could offer an even larger boost to the US economy if the current bill before Congress passes so that it is easier to obtain visitor visas.
The bill is designed to stimulate international tourism to the US; Supporters believe it will help the US economy and create more jobs. The proposed overhaul of the US visa system has been endorsed by the National Retail Federation, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.
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Published by Admin on January 5th, 2012 in US immigration
The US Consulate General in Shanghai is increasing in size in order to deal with the rapidly increasing number of US visa applications it processes. In 2011, US consular officers in China had processed more than 1 million non-immigrant visa applications, 30 percent of them in Shanghai. These visa applications are mainly from Chinese citizens wishing to visit the US on B-1/B-2 visit visas.
“We recently signed a lease to expand our consular facility by increasing the number of interview windows from nine to 20. Then we can interview more applicants on a daily basis,” said Robert Griffiths, US consul-general in Shanghai.
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Published by Admin on December 7th, 2011 in Global Visas, US immigration, USA Immigration and work visas
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced they are in the post-development testing phase of a new online application system that will eventually change the paper-based agency into an electronic, online organisation.
The new Electronic Immigration System (ELIS) will reduce the US immigration department’s reliance on paper and make it easier to access information for benefit requests. The tool is designed to digitize the current paper documentation review by allowing US visa applicants to submit and track their applications online.
“This is an unprecedented step for the world’s largest and most complex immigration system,” said the USCIS . “Past efforts to transform our agency have not reached the point where we are today: the testing phase of a system that has been developed.”
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Published by Admin on December 1st, 2011 in Global Visas, US immigration, USA Immigration and work visas
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced they have received enough petitions for graduate level skilled workers under the H-1B visa program to meet the cap of 65,000 for fiscal year 2012. This is the earliest the visa cap has been reached in the past three years, signifying renewed demand for this visa program.
Each year on April 1 the USCIS begins accepting H-1B petitions for the new fiscal year; USCIS announced the cap for H-1B visa applications was officially reached on 22 November, two months ahead of last year.
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Published by Admin on November 24th, 2011 in Global Visas, US immigration
The US H-1B visa program is about to reach its maximum cap of 65,000 visas. As of 18 November, 61,800 visas have been granted leaving only a small number left for employers looking to employ graduate level foreign workers in the US under this program.
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant work visa that allows US businesses to hire foreign workers with a bachelors degree or higher to come work in the US in specialty occupations that require theoretical expertise and practical application such as in the education, finance, IT, and medical fields. The visa is valid for up to three years from issuance and applicants can reapply for another three years for a total of six years.
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Published by Admin on November 17th, 2011 in Global Visas, US immigration
Business leaders welcomed new legislation signed by US President Obama and the 21 leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic cooperation (APEC) to enable the introduction of the APEC Business Travel Card Scheme to make travel across the Asia-Pacific region easier, faster, and more secure.
President Obama signed the bill which will allow issuance of the APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) to eligible US travelers. The new law increases the mobility of those who apply for the card by expediting visa interviews and faster processing times at immigration checkpoints in APEC economies throughout the region.
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