BAGON LAW FIRM

FY 2012 H-1B Cap Count Cap Type   Cap Amount  Cap Eligible Petitions    Date of Last Count H-1B Regular Cap   65,000     32,200    9/9/2011 H-1B Master’s Exemption   20,000    16,700    9/9/2011 Source:  USCIS For more information, please contact our office: Sharlene Mae Bagon, Esq. BAGON LAW FIRM 21550 Oxnard Street, 3rd Floor Woodland Hills, CA 91367 Main: (818) 224-6632 Direct: (818) 539-0120 Fax: (888) 589-0804 www.bagonlawfirm.com

September 19, 2011 Washington - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), marking a significant milestone in its efforts to provide relief to victims of crimes, has for the second straight year approved 10,000 petitions for U nonimmigrant status, also referred to as the U-visa. On an annual basis, 10,000 U-visas are set aside for victims of crime who have suffered substantial mental or physical abuse and are willing to help law enforcement authorities investigate or prosecute crime. “Providing immigration protection to victims of crime and their families while aiding law enforcement efforts to bring criminals to justice is of the utmost importance to the Agency and the public we serve,” said USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas. Due in large part to public education and partnerships forged with law enforcement agencies and service providers, USCIS reached the statutory maximum of 10,000 U-visas per fiscal year for the second year in a row since it began approving ...

USCIS is implementing the first phase in a series of proposed enhancements to the EB-5 program. Beginning today, Form I-924 applicants will be able to communicate directly with USCIS adjudicators via e-mail in an effort to streamline the process and quickly raise and resolve issues and questions that arise during the adjudication process. The Form I-924 is the Application for Regional Center Under the Immigrant Investor Pilot Program.  USCIS intends to monitor the progress of this new line of communication to assess whether changes are needed and to implement any required changes on a real-time basis.  USCIS is eager to implement all the proposed enhancements to the EB-5 program that is first announced on May 19, 2011. USCIS is currently exploring how it can accelerate the implementation of premium processing, which customarily takes months due to the need to revise the applicable forms. USCIS is currently hiring economists and other experts that will enhance and acceler...

In recent weeks, USCIS has received a large number of applications prepared by an online business that charges users to complete their USCIS forms. In most cases, the charge for preparing an application is the same as the USCIS filing fee. When applicants pay these businesses online using an electronic check, the applicant is only paying for the service provided to prepare the application, and not the actual USCIS filing fee. As a result, applicants are attaching a copy of a cashed electronic check when mailing their applications to USCIS. Because the applicant has not paid the USCIS filing fee, USCIS cannot process these applications and must return them to applicant. We would like to urge applicants to carefully read the user agreements provided by non-government websites. This information should help the applicant determine what services he or she is paying the online service provider for and minimize the possibility that the application will be rejected for the reasons noted abov...

Below is a comparison of the September and October 2011 Visa Bulletin: October 2011 Family 1st: Slight forward movement for chargeability for Mexico (15MAR93 to 22MAR93), Philippines (01NOV96 to 08JAN97), and all other chargeability areas (01MAY04 to 15JUN04). 2A: Forward movement for chargeability for Mexico (22SEP08 to 15OCT08). Also, forward movement for Philippines and all other chargeabiltiy areas (01DEC08 to 08JAN09). 2B: Forward movement for chargeability for Philippines (22MAR01 to 01MAY01). Also, slight forward movement for Mexico (01NOV92 to 22NOV92) and all others (01JUL03 to 15JUL03). 3rd: Forward movement for chargeability for Philippines (15MAY92 to 08JUN92), Mexico (22NOV92 to 01DEC92), and all others (22AUG01 to 08SEP01). 4th: Forward movement for chargeability for Philippines (08JUL88 to 01AUG88), Mexico (22MAR96 to 08APR96), and all others (15APR00 to 15MAY00). Family- Sponsored All Chargeability Areas Except Those Lis...

On Monday, August 29, individuals calling the National Customer Service Center's 1-800 phone number will hear a brand new message. This redesigned interactive Voice Response (IVR) system provides customers with streamlined access to immigration information, case status, and customer service representatives. The old IVR had 10 main menu options for the customer to listen through in order to make a selection. The redesigned IVR now only has 3 main menu options. This redesign has cut the amount of time required to listen to the entire main menu from 2 minutes and 50 seconds to only 38 seconds. The new 3 main menu options are: Immigration Services, Immigration Information, and Special Programs and Other Resources. Callers can press 1 to hear information on Immigration Services including: Case status Forms Locating a USCIS office Civil surgeons Change of address Attorneys, community based organizations, and employers should also press 1. Callers can press 2 to hear informa...