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One of the central purposes of the H-1B visa program is to attract foreign students to US colleges and universities by offering a post-graduate opportunity to stay in the country and work specialty occupations.  The H-1B visa is a visa of dual intent which allows beneficiaries the option to pursue pathways to citizenship if they […]

The word is out!  The United States experienced a record low in population growth over 2021 and the situation is dire.  The United States workforce needs more skilled foreign workers because there are simply not enough American workers to fill the jobs needed to support programs like social security.  Declining birth rates, higher mortality due […]

This past year has seen some monumental shifts in education and work-based immigration.  As we bring in the New Year, it is important to acknowledge the peculiarities of this year in the world of immigration, and to celebrate the victories we have had in the world of visa approval and immigration reform. The number of […]

Since 2017, specialty occupation H-1B RFEs have become commonplace even for occupations that had never before run into trouble.  Here is why: In terms of H-1B eligibility, the beneficiary must work in a specialty occupation and so the burden of proof is on the petitioner to show that the H-1B job meets one of the […]

At CCI TheDegreePeople.com we work with difficult cases every year.  It is not uncommon for one RFE to trigger another, leading to as many as three rounds of RFEs before the H-1B visa is approved.  In this case, our client came to us with their second RFE.  The first was for a wage level issue, […]

Unsure of your H-1B petition status?  Does it seem like processing time is dragging?  Has your address or other contact information changed since the time of filing leave you concerned that maybe you missed something?  You can get peace of mind by checking your case status online through the USCIS Case Status Online portal. Here […]

One recurring education issue facing H-1B beneficiaries is when they have the required degree but in a field that is not an exact match for the H-1B job.  H-1B eligibility requirements state that the beneficiary must hold a minimum of a US bachelor’s degree or its equivalent in a field related to the H-1B job.  […]

While the rate of H-1B RFEs has dropped, applicants selected in the second round of this year’s H-1B lottery are seeing a rise in the RFEs instead of outright visa approval.  The start of FY 2022 has come and gone, and RFEs further delay employee start dates, especially if round two arrives. At CCI TheDegreePeople.com […]

The numbers are in!  The National Foundation for American Policy reports that the Denial rate for new H-1B petitions for the first two quarters of 2021 is 7.1%.  This is down from 28.6% for the first two quarters of 2020.  However, this does NOT mean we can relax.  USCIS approval trends are still far stricter […]