Pages
- 1-L-1 Start Spotlight L Visas
- About Us
- ADJUSTING STATUS versus CONSULAR PROCESSING – for Green Cards
- Adjustment of Status vs. Consular Processing (or Immigrant Visa Processing)
- B Visas
- B-1 Business Visitors
- B-2 Tourist Visa
- Blog
- Careers
- Complex Requests for Evidence & Motions to Reopen / Reconsider
- Compliance, I-9s & E-Verify Services
- Comprehensive Services for Corporate Immigration
- Comprehensive Visa Services
- Consular Processing vs Filing a Case on U.S. Soil
- Consular Processing VS. Filing a Case on U.S. Soil
- Consulting & Training
- Contact Our Office
- Corporate Transactions
- Disclaimer
- E-1 and E-2 Visas
- E-2 Investment Visas
- E-3 Australians
- E-3 Visa
- EAD Cards
- EB-1As & O-1s
- Extraordinary Ability Cases
- Family and Business Immigration Strategies
- Family Immigration
- Getting a Second Opinion About Your Case
- Getting a Second Opinion About Your Case
- Green Cards via Labor Certification
- H-1B Visa
- I-140s (Permanent Employment Visa Categories)
- I-751 Removal of Conditions
- I-751 Removal of Conditions on Residence
- I-9 Compliance
- Immigration Co-Counsel
- Immigration Consulting & Training
- Industries
- J Visas
- J-1 Visas for Trainees, Interns
- L-1 Intracompany Transferees
- Labor Certification & I-140
- Mulitinational Company Sponsorships
- National Interest Waiver
- National Interest Waiver (EB-2 NIW)
- O-1 Extraordinary Ability Work Visa
- O1
- Obtaining Legal Permanent Residence
- Our Approach
- Our Approach in Delivering Services
- Personal Representation for Green Card Interviews (at USCIS)
- Privacy Policy
- Pursuing U.S. Permanent Residency Through Investment
- Reentry Permits for Green Card Holders
- Reentry Permits for Green Card Holders
- Retaining LPR & Reentry Permits for Green Card Holders
- Strategizing Individual Immigration Options
- Student Visas
- The Firm
- TNs for Mexicans and Canadians
- US Citizenship
Posts
Admissibility
- Caution when Posting Political Messages on Social Media
- Requirements for a Waiver of Interview for visa stamping at U.S. Consulates Was Updated
- Federal Court Upholds H-4 Employment Authorization
Application Procedures
- Updated TN Visa Guidance
- Biological Sex of Person Determinative for USCIS
- COVID-19 Vaccinations No Longer Required
- Form I-140 Submission Procedure Updated
- New H-1B Requirements
- Updated Policy Guidance on International Entrepreneur Rule
- USCIS issues new guidance on EB-1 Eligibility
- Applicants Beware!
- RFEs Issued to Refresh Medicals (I-693) Pending Over One Year
- Third-Country Nationals’ (“TCN”) Processing in Canada “Extremely Limited”
- San Francisco Immigration Lawyer Q & A: Leaving the US while Advance Parole Application [I-131] is Pending
- Q & A: EAD/AP Combo Card
- Q & A: Need to file GC under EB2 – Company norms forcing me to file EB3
- How to Prepare for an Immigration Consultation
- Q & A: B-2 visa holder risks of refusal and minimizing the same; F-1 visa as alternative option
- FY2012 Visa Bulletin Predictions: Forward movement through March, steady for summer then possible retrogression
- SF immlawyr Q & A: I-539 application basics (being in status at the time of filing the change or extension of status)
- New USCIS system created to streamline the application process for immigration benefits: ELIS
- AILA Liaison Practice Pointer: VSC: Preferred Order of Documents for Submission of Form I-129 Petitions
- AILA: E-Verify Not the Right Solution for American Economy
- US VISA ISSUANCE DELAYS CAUSED BY PIMS
Blog Post
Business Law
Citizenship
- New Naturalization Test Implemented
- House Hearing on Foreign STEM Graduates
- Preparing for the Marriage-Based Green Card Interview
- EFFECTIVE 11/18/2011: U.S. Department of State halts issuance of ALL F, M, J visas at U.S. Embassies and Consulates.
- DREAM ACT DEFERRED ACTION UPDATE; PLEASE BE CAREFUL OF POTENTIAL FRAUD BY SO-CALLED “NOTARIOS”
- USCIS Announces “Entrepreneurs in Residence” Initiative
- 2013 Green Card (Diversity Visa) Lottery Information and Link to Entry Form
- nextgov.com: Say Goodbye to Traditional Immigration Processing Forms
- Q & A: NIW [National Interest Waiver] green card petitions, legal standards and practical tips
- Q & A: I-130 upgrade after sponsor becomes a US Citizen
Employment based Immigration
- PERM and Prevailing Wage Processing Times as of April 1st, 2025
- H-1B Visa Cap Reached for FY 2026
- H-1B Cap Registration Opens March 7
- Sept 2014 Visa Bulletin Moved!
- H-1B Cap Season is Here
- San Francisco Immigration Lawyer Q & A: Is my Labor Certification (PERM) based Green Card Application location specific?
- San Francisco Immigration Lawyer: USCIS Denial Overturned by AAO on Appeal in L-1 New Office Extension Case
- USCIS Q & A re: National Interest Waivers for Entrepreneurs
- San Francisco Immigration Lawyer Q & A: Labor Certification Application/PERM based green card cases and U.S. labor market tests
- USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas Blog Post: Encouraging Entrepreneurs and High Skilled Workers to Bolster the U.S. Economy and Spur Job Growth
- TN Scientific Technician case approved for three years in Toronto for Canadian software engineering technician with no post secondary education!
- Q & A: I-140 Portability under AC-21: Same or Similar Job?
- Q & A: Resuming H-1B status after departing the US for more than a year
- NEW OFFICE L-1 TRENDS IN ADJUDICATION
Firm News
General Immigration News
- Proposed Rule to Collect Biometrics from All
- DOL Resumed Application Processing
- Electronic Payments Only
- AOS Applications Do Not Require $1000 Advance Parole Fee
- Good Moral Character will be Assessed to Attain U.S. Citizenship
- Waiver of Interviews Still Available
- Fixed Periods for F Students, J Exchange Visitors, and I Visas
- Get to Know the New Secretary of Labor
- Qatar Joins U.S. Visa Waiver
Green Cards
- San Francisco Immigration Lawyer Q & A: Meeting the Physical Presence requirements for Naturalization while Traveling Overseas
- I-9 Compliance Resource Center
- EB-3 to EB-2 Upgrades: Reducing Green Card Wait Times By Years
- H.R. 3012: “Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act”: Bill passes House by a 20 to 1 margin; moves on to Senate
- San Francisco Immigration Lawyer Q & A: Upgrading a green card case from EB-3 to EB-2 and shaving years off green card wait time
- NIW [National Interest Waiver] green card petition approved for PhD student with only 3 scientific research publications and seven citations!
Immigration Enforcement
- Attorneys May Provide Assistance at U.S. Embassies Again
- Final Rule for New Registration Requirements for Certain Noncitizen Immigrants Issued by USCIS
- State Department to Open Six New Passport Agencies Across the United States
- New I-539 Fee & Biometrics
- The Trump Administration’s Immigration Policies
- Tony and Janina To Be Reunited!
- NYT: My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant
- NAFTA TN Management Consultant application approved after prior refusals!
- H-1B visa usage statistics confirm U.S. employers are not hiring as much as some reports would like us to believe
- How to Fix the Flawed Startup Visa Act
- Deeper into the Shadows: The Unintended Consequences of Immigration Worksite Enforcement
- Students who came out to support failed DREAM Act now fear deportation
- THE PRACTICES AND OPINIONS OF EMPLOYERS WHO DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN E-VERIFY
- Tri Valley University blames Indian-origin staffer for immigration fraud
Law Firm Technology
Law School
Supreme Court Rulings
- Supreme Court Overturns Chevron Doctrine, what this Means for US Immigration
- Supreme Court Limits Arizona’s Overreach on Immigration, Leaves Door Open to Future Challenges
- Obama Statement on SB 1070 Supreme Court decision
Visas
- Final Rule on F-1 Student Visa Reflected in Updated Form I-9 Employer Handbook
- O-1 Visas for People of Extraordinary Ability get Updated Policy Guidelines
- New I-9 Form
- Form I-983 F-1 OPT Students Employed at Client Worksites
- San Francisco Immigration Lawyer Q & A: F-1 Student Visa Denials and Subsequent B-1/2 Visa Applications
- Visa-Renewal Waiver Program Made Permanent
- San Francisco Immigration Lawyer Q & A: Traveling with Company A visa stamp and Company B approval notice
- San Francisco Immigration Lawyer Q & A: Working for Multiple Employers in H-1B status Simultaneously
- H.R. 3012: “Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act”
- Visa Overstay and Illegal Presence in the US
- Three year H-1B visa approved for sole employee-entrepreneur; USCIS makes good on promise to encourage entrepreneurship
- Comparative analysis of H-1B visa usage from 2007 to 2011: U.S. employers hiring more!
- Q & A: H-1B Cap after being away from US for one year; H-1B three-year extensions for Company B, based on Company A approved I-140; Re-capturing previously established priority dates
- Impact of Government Shutdown on US Visa Matters
- Hells Angels Sues Over Visa Denials for Foreign Members
- H-1B Cap Update (as of 10/7/2011): 24,000 regular Hs left; 900 advanced degree Hs left
- San Francisco Immigration Lawyer Q & A: San Francisco Port-of-Entry and Overstays
- Q & A: H-1B portability after the 6th year; priority date recapture
- Frequently Asked Questions about the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)
- USCIS Reaches FY 2011 H-1B Cap