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A final rule was recently published by the Department of State (DOS) that affects its J-1 Exchange Visitor Program. The J-1 visa category will go through some significant administrative and program compliance changes, including: J-1 Responsible Officers (ROs) and Alternate Responsible Officers (AROs) must have three years of relevant international experience and clear a criminal background check; J-1 sponsors must replace any departing RO and/or ARO within ten days; independent auditors will audit private sector J-1 sponsors to ensure their programs are compliant; minimum levels of insurance coverage for J-1 visitors and dependents will increase; among others.
Continue Reading New Final Rule for Exchange Visitor Program

The majority of employees selected for the FY2015 H-1B cap will be changing status on October 1, 2014 and employers should be mindful of the following:

  • Any FY2015 H-1B petition that is still pending approval for an employee who is working pursuant to the F-1/H-1B cap gap provision should be premium processed now. Employers should note that the F-1/H-1B cap gap provision only provides employment authorization until September 30, 2014, so the beneficiary of an H-1B cap-subject petition will need to have the H-1B petition approved on or before that date to avoid any interruption in work authorization.
    Continue Reading Employers Take Note: The Start Date For This Year’s H-1B Cap Cases Is Around the Corner

There is a philosophical move fueled by union sympathizers and apparently imbedded in the leadership of this administration to re-engineer the temporary non-immigrant visa programs in such a way as to render them unworkable and unusable.
Continue Reading Employers of Skilled, Professional and Intracompany Transfers Beware: Administration’s Regulatory Creep Threatens Non-Immigrant Visa Programs