February, 2019 | Scott Legal, P.C.

Decline in H-1B Visa Approval Rates

Last week, USCIS published data showing increases in the number of Request for Evidence (RFE) and denials issued for H-1B Visa applications. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that permits a company to hire workers in specialty occupations. This visa…

Jenny ZhanFebruary 28, 2019

EB-5 Visa Immigration Investor Visas

New EB-5 Rule Sent to Office of Management and Budget for Review

The Department of Homeland Security has sent a new EB-5 regulation to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for federal review. The contents of the regulation will remain confidential until the regulations are published. However, in January 2017, DHS…

Jenny ZhanFebruary 25, 2019

News

Ian E. Scott, Esq. featured on NBC News

Scott Legal's founder Ian Scott was interviewed by NBC news on the current state of immigration and the new visa challenges immigrants face. The article can be found on the NBC News website here. To find out more about the…

Jenny ZhanFebruary 21, 2019

H-1B and E-3 Visa Immigration

Proposed H-4 Work Authorization Rescission Regulation Under Federal Review

The Department of Homeland Security has submitted a proposal to rescind the H-4 spousal work authorization regulation to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. The rule was originally implemented in 2015 under the Obama Administration, permitted certain…

Jenny ZhanFebruary 21, 2019

Approvals

TN Visa Approval For Management Consultant at Pearson Airport

Scott Legal P.C. just had a TN visa approval at Pearson international airport in Toronto for a Canadian national under the Management Consultant category. The visa was approved for 3 years and the applicant had a fine arts degree. A…

Jenny ZhanFebruary 20, 2019

Immigration Immigration Law Changes & New Law News

Congress Passes FY 2019 Spending Bill, Avoiding a Second Government Shutdown

Last night Congress passed an appropriations bill that will fund the Department of Homeland Security, the State Department, and other federal agencies through to September 30, 2019. The President is expected to sign the bill Friday morning. Below is a…

Jenny ZhanFebruary 15, 2019

Immigration News

Biometrics Now Required for Certain Foreign Nationals Seeking a Change or Extension of Nonimmigrant Status

On March 11, USCIS will introduce a new Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status. This revised version of the form will be implemented immediately upon release and no older versions of the form will be accepted. If you are…

Jenny ZhanFebruary 14, 2019

Approvals

E-2 Visa approval at the U.S. Consulate in Dubai for a Gas Station/Convenience Store for a National of Pakistan

We just received an approval at the U.S. Consulate in Dubai for an E-2 visa filed on behalf of a Pakistani national treaty investor. The investor purchased a gas station and convenience store. His visa was approved for 5 years. You…

Jenny ZhanFebruary 14, 2019

Approvals

E-2 Visa approval for a Romance Book Publishing Company at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto

We just had an E-2 investor visa approval at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto. The applicant was granted the visa for 5 years and the business is a book publishing company specializing in romance novels and cozy mysteries. The applicant has experience…

Jenny ZhanFebruary 14, 2019

Approvals

L-1A Visa approval at USCIS for an Executive of a Consumer Goods Company

We just had an L-1A approval at the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services. The applicant is a merchandising executive and received his L-1A visa stamp at the U.S. Consulate in Ottawa. The applicant was granted the visa for 3 years. You can set…

Jenny ZhanFebruary 13, 2019

Approvals

EB-5 Approval for Indian National

Scott Legal, P.C. just had an EB-5 approval for a national from India. The client invested in a regional center where he invested $500,000. The EB-5 program is one where you invest $500,000 or $1,000,000 in a program or project…

Jenny ZhanFebruary 13, 2019

EB-5 Visa Immigration Investor Visas

Unsecured Loan EB-5 Class Action Lawsuit: Potential Members Can Now Have Their Denials Reconsidered By USCIS

Zhang v. USCIS is a November 2018 Class Action Lawsuit that challenged USCIS’ denials of EB-5 investment petitions that had investment funds sourced solely from unsecured loans. The EB-5 program, also known as the Million Dollar Green Card, allows investors…

Jenny ZhanFebruary 13, 2019

Approvals

E-3 Visa approval at U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services for an Accountant

We just had an E-3 extension of status approved by the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services. The applicant is an accountant working for a hotel. The business is based in Florida. You can set up a consultation by clicking the link below. To…

Jenny ZhanFebruary 13, 2019

Approvals

Naturalization Approval of French National

Scott Legal, P.C. had an approval for a naturalization application. The green card holder had been in the U.S. for several years and recently decided to apply for Citizenship. The green card holder is a French will attend the swearing in ceremony…

Jenny ZhanFebruary 12, 2019

News

Kelly R. LeGrand Weiner Speaks at E-2 Visa Question and Answer for Immigration Lawyers

Kelly R. LeGrand Weiner spoke on E-2 visa issues at a Corporate Practice Committee event for AILA’s New York chapter as part of a larger conversation with business immigration practitioners on a variety of current business immigration topics. This committee…

Jenny ZhanFebruary 11, 2019

Approvals

TN Visa Approval for Canadian National

Scott Legal, P.C. just had a TN visa approval at Pearson International Airport for a Canadian national. The visa was approved for 3 years and the category was engineering. TN visas are available to Canadian and Mexican nationals that have…

Jenny ZhanFebruary 8, 2019

Extraordinary Ability

USCIS Now Directly Accepts Negative Consultation Letters for P Visas

In September 2018, USCIS created a venue to accepts copies of negative consultation letters directly from labor unions for O nonimmigrant visas. For more information about O-1 petitions, please click here. Effective immediately, USCIS will also directly accept negative letters for…

Jenny ZhanFebruary 8, 2019

Client Advice H-1B and E-3 Visa Immigration

FY 2020 H-1B Cap Season Starts April 1, 2019: Things You Should Do and Know

H-1B cap season for fiscal year 2020 will begin on April 1, 2019. Employers should start preparing for cap petitions now as applications not received within the first five business days of April could miss out access due to the…

Jenny ZhanFebruary 7, 2019

Approvals

B-1 Visa Extension Approval

We just had an B-1 extension approval at the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services. The applicant was granted an extension of B-1 business visitor status in order to further investigate E-2 investment in the United States and will return to the…

Jenny ZhanFebruary 6, 2019

Immigration News

Canadian Marijuana Investors are Being Barred from Entering the U.S.

Four months after Canada became the second country in the world to legalize recreational marijuana use and certain commercial activities, Canadian travelers who are found to have invested in legal U.S. and Canada marijuana companies are being banned from entering…

Jenny ZhanFebruary 5, 2019

Immigration News

USCIS to Close Moscow Field Office

Due to low workload, USCIS will permanently close the Moscow field office on March 29, 2019. The last day the field office will accept applications is on February 28, 2019. The USCIS field office in Athens, Greece, will assume jurisdiction…

Jenny ZhanFebruary 5, 2019

Approvals

E-2 Specialist Employee Visa Approval for Architecture Recruitment Business in Toronto

We just had an E-2 employee visa approval at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto. The visa was approved for 5 years for an architect. The visa was approved under the E-2 specialist category and the E-2 Specialist employee will offer…

Jenny ZhanFebruary 1, 2019

Approvals

E-2 Visa Approval in Toronto for Architecture Recruiting Business

Scott Legal P.C. just had an E-2 visa approval for an investor in Toronto for a headhunting recruiter business for a National from Canada. The business was set up in California and focuses on finding jobs for people in the…

Jenny ZhanFebruary 1, 2019

H-1B and E-3 Visa Immigration

State Department Eliminates Two Interview Locations in China for H and L Visas

Starting on March 1, 2019, H visa and L visa interviews in Mainland China will only be conducted at the U.S. embassy in Beijing, the U.S. consulate in Guangzhou, and the U.S. consulate in Shanghai. Interviews for these visas will…

Jenny ZhanFebruary 1, 2019