Categories

A sample text widget

Etiam pulvinar consectetur dolor sed malesuada. Ut convallis euismod dolor nec pretium. Nunc ut tristique massa.

Nam sodales mi vitae dolor ullamcorper et vulputate enim accumsan. Morbi orci magna, tincidunt vitae molestie nec, molestie at mi. Nulla nulla lorem, suscipit in posuere in, interdum non magna.

NY Times Features Sports Extraordinary Abilities Visa Case

On Friday, the NY Times had a feature article about a failed extraordinary abilities visa case involving an Iranian Olympic athlete in table tennis. The case, which Gafner Law Firm had no affiliation with, reached the Federal District Court after the USCIS denied a case that it initially approved.

Although this case ultimately failed, …

Continue reading “NY Times Features Sports Extraordinary Abilities Visa Case”

New I-140 Form Introduced

The USCIS has introduced a new I-140 form. The I-140 form is used by foreign nationals seeking permanent residency in the United States through an employment-based visa. For example, the I-140 is used in conjunction with the extraordinary abilities visa (EB 1-1) and the national visa waiver visa (NIW).

The USCIS periodically issues new versions …

Continue reading “New I-140 Form Introduced”

Employment-Based Immigrant Statistics 2002-2011

The Department of Homeland Security recently announced how many employment-based immigrants became lawful permanent residents in 2011. The chart below breaks down the immigrants into their priority classification (e.g. first through five priority). Additionally, the chart provides historical statistics for each of the five priority classifications for the last ten years.

Of note is the …

Continue reading “Employment-Based Immigrant Statistics 2002-2011”

DHS Ombudsman Recommends Improving Extraordinary Abilities Visa’s Objectivity

On December 29, 2011, the DHS Ombudsman issued a report highlighting the inadequacies of the current extraordinary abilities visa and outstanding researcher/professor visa adjudication process. Additionally, the report recommended numerous improvements to the adjudication process.

The report highlighted that many employers and potential applicants have complained about their inability to truly understand the requirements of …

Continue reading “DHS Ombudsman Recommends Improving Extraordinary Abilities Visa’s Objectivity”

Cornell, Technion, and New York City Get It, Will the U.S. Government?

Yesterday, New York City Mayor Bloomberg announced that the joint team of Cornell University and Technion – Israeli Institute of Technology had won the city’s competition to develop a world-class technological institute on Roosevelt Island. It is hoped that it will be a catalyst to creating new and innovative companies in the New York City …

Continue reading “Cornell, Technion, and New York City Get It, Will the U.S. Government?”

Most EB1 Applicants Already In United States

Each year, the Department of Homeland Security provides statistics from the previous year. These statistics provide great insight into immigration trends – especially when compared to previous years’ statistics.

This holds especially true for the best and brightest immigrants – including those applying through the extraordinary abilities visa and the outstanding professors and researchers visa. …

Continue reading “Most EB1 Applicants Already In United States”

How USCIS Can Help the United States Win the Global Competition for the Best and Brightest

New York Immigration attorney Chris Gafner’s most recent article, “How USCIS Can Help the United States Win the Global Competition for the Best and Brightest” was recently included as part of the National Foundation for American Policy’s legal brief, Reforming America’s Regulations and Policies on Employment-Based Immigration.

Given the general lack of action towards legislative …

Continue reading “How USCIS Can Help the United States Win the Global Competition for the Best and Brightest”

EB 1 Visa Statistics Released by Immigration Agency

The Immigration Agency (USCIS) in the United States has released its data on EB-1 cases from 2010 and 2011. The data, although not a complete picture of the EB-1 Visa – provides statistics that reflect what many EB-1 Visa Lawyers have been feeling about the category.

For example, statistics show that Requests for Further Evidence …

Continue reading “EB 1 Visa Statistics Released by Immigration Agency”

Monthly AAO Processing Times Report

The USCIS has issued its AAO processing times report for July 2011. AAO stands for Administrative Appeals Office and is the part of the immigration agency that reviews appeals to certain immigration decisions made by the immigration agency. A few of the more popular immigration categories are listed below (along with the processing time):

K-1 …

Continue reading “Monthly AAO Processing Times Report”

BIB Republishes NYC Immigration Attorney’s Best and Brightest Article

Bender’s Immigration Bulletin has reprinted an article that New York City Immigration Attorney Chris Gafner wrote concerning how to improve America’s ability to attract the best and brightest immigrants. The article, originally published in the Fordham Urban Law Journal, examines how other countries attract the best and brightest, how the current U.S. system for attracting …

Continue reading “BIB Republishes NYC Immigration Attorney’s Best and Brightest Article”

Premium Processing in Immigration

 

The speed of the business world and the speed of the immigration system are rarely the same. In the high-paced business world it is difficult to wait weeks or even months to receive immigration approval from the USCIS.

Acknowledging its slowness, the USCIS provides certain employment-based immigration petitioners to receive a response within 15 …

Continue reading “Premium Processing in Immigration”

Permanent Residency Worker Petitions Filed at New Address

The USCIS has recently announced that all I-140 permanent residency petitions that are not premium processed will need to be submitted to the USCIS’s Dallas Lockbox. The I-140 petition is used for immigrants who seek to gain permanent residency through employment, including EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 visa applicants.

The new address is:

USCIS Dallas Lockbox

Continue reading “Permanent Residency Worker Petitions Filed at New Address”

EB 11 and EB 12 Visa Approval Statistics Released By USCIS

The USCIS has recently released its statistics on the approval rates for the EB 11 Visa (Extraordinary Abilities Visa) and the EB 12 Visa (Outstanding Professors and Researchers). These two immigrant visa types are the most enticing immigrant visas that the United States has to offer top notch immigrants. Here are the statistics:

EB 1-1 …

Continue reading “EB 11 and EB 12 Visa Approval Statistics Released By USCIS”

Chris Gafner Co-authors Brief Included in Legal Briefs on Immigration Reform from 25 of the Top Legal Minds in the Country

NYC Immigration lawyer Chris Gafner has co-authored a legal brief that has been published in Legal Briefs on Immigration Reform from 25 of the Top Legal Minds in the Country. The book, edited by Deborah Robinson and Mona Parsa, is now available for purchase. Each brief in the book focuses on one piece of immigration …

Continue reading “Chris Gafner Co-authors Brief Included in Legal Briefs on Immigration Reform from 25 of the Top Legal Minds in the Country”

Attracting the Best and Brightest – An Immigration Article Published By Chris Gafner

Immigration attorney Chris Gafner has published an immigration law article entitled Attracting the Best and Brightest: A Critique Of The Current Immigration System. Published in the Fordham Urban Law Journal,the article provides an in-depth analysis of the current U.S. immigration system for attracting the best and brightest immigrants to the United States. The article also …

Continue reading “Attracting the Best and Brightest – An Immigration Article Published By Chris Gafner”