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Immigration Options Immigration Options for Students and Scholars Saturday, April 2, 2011 William A. Stock, Esq. Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP Philadelphia.

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Presentation on theme: "Immigration Options Immigration Options for Students and Scholars Saturday, April 2, 2011 William A. Stock, Esq. Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP Philadelphia."— Presentation transcript:

1 Immigration Options Immigration Options for Students and Scholars Saturday, April 2, 2011 William A. Stock, Esq. Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP Philadelphia New York 1800 John F. Kennedy Blvd., 17 th Floor317 Madison Ave., Suite 1518 Philadelphia, PA 19103 New York, NY 10017 215.825.8600 212.796.8840 wstock@klaskolaw.com www.klaskolaw.com

2 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP William A. Stock, Esq. Bill Stock is a founding partner of Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP and has been providing immigration assistance and solutions to leading universities, research institutions, hospitals, multinational corporations, and individuals for over 15 years. Bill is featured in Chambers Global, Best Lawyers in America, and other guides to prominent attorneys. He is a leader in the American Immigration Lawyers Association on a national level, and in 2000 he received AILA’s Joseph Minsky Award, given to the lawyer under age 35 who has made the most outstanding contributions to the field of immigration law. Bill is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School and is a frequent author and lecturer on business-related immigration topics and currently is an Adjunct Faculty Member at Villanova University School of Law.

3 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP H-1B Visas H-1B Quota Options for Dealing with H-1B Quota Quota-Exempt Employment Strategies to Enhance Chances of Getting H-1B Other Visa Options Permanent Resident Status – Family, Investment, Asylum, Lottery Immigration Options for Students and Scholars Agenda

4 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP Permanent Resident Status – Employment Quotas Q & A Session (cont’d) Immigration Options for Students and Scholars Agenda

5 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP Basic requirements  Job Offer Part-time or full-time  Bachelors or higher degree Determine U.S. equivalence of foreign degree Combination of education and experience  Specialty occupation Job requires bachelors or higher degree in specific field  Prevailing wage H-1B Visas

6 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP H-1B Visas Employer requirements  U.S. employer  Pay fees  Post notice  Keep public examination file (cont’d)

7 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP H-1B Visas Procedure and processing time  File Labor Condition Application with DOL  File H-1B petition with CIS  Change of status or consular visa issuance  Processing time 3 to 6 months 15 days or less with premium processing (cont’d)

8 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP H-1B Visas Length of approval and extensions  3 year initial approval and 3 year extension  6 year maximum – any combination of employers  Extensions beyond 6 years Recapture time out of U.S. 1 year extension if file labor certification application or immigrant petition one year before expiration 3 year extension if immigrant petition approved and quota backlog (cont’d)

9 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP H-1B Visas H-1B portability  Present or prior H-1B  Commence employment upon new employer filing petition Spouses  H-4 cannot work Travel  Dual intent (cont’d)

10 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP H-1B Quota What is it, and what does it mean?  65,000 visas Separate quota for US-educated advanced degree holders  20,000 visas Separate options for Canada, Mexico, Australia, Chile and Singapore  TN-1, E-3, H-1B1 Prospects for change Timing  April 1 filing date  October 1 start date

11 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP Options for Dealing with H-1B Quota Quota-exempt employment Strategies to enhance chances of getting H-1B Alternative visa options Applying for permanent residence directly

12 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP Quota-Exempt Employment Who is not subject to the quota?  Universities  Nonprofit institutions affiliated with universities  Employed “at” university  Nonprofit or government research organization  Concurrent employment  Previous H-1B

13 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP Strategies to Enhance Chances of Getting H-1B Obtaining masters degree Filing multiple years Filing first day Using previously-obtained degree Combination of education and experience Start your own business?  Apply as H-1B employee?

14 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP Other Visa Options F-1  OPT 12 months or 29 months  Going back to school Advantages of Masters or PhD Working overseas for U.S. employer  Entering U.S. as B-1  Eligibility for L-1 after one year Look at spouse’s status  Spouse of J,E and L can work

15 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP Other Visa Options E-1 Treaty Trader  Substantial import or export  Treaty country nationality  Executive, supervisor, essential skill employee E-2 Treaty Investor  Substantial investment No exact amount  Treaty country nationality  Investor or employee (executive, supervisory or essential skill) L-1 Intracompany Transferee  Related company (equity ownership)  One year employment overseas  Managerial or specialized knowledge Overseas and U.S. (cont’d)

16 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP H-3  Corporate trainee  Training not available overseas  Formal training program required  Productive employment incidental to training  Training will qualify for position abroad Other Visa Options (cont’d)

17 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP O-1 Visas  Employer sponsored  Standards National or international reputation  Documentation  Reference letters  Length of approval 3 years Unlimited one year extensions  Spouses O-3 cannot be employed Other Visa Options (cont’d)

18 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP J-1 Visas  Trainee, researcher, scholar  Who is subject to 2-year return?  What does it mean to be subject?  Options if subject: Return home  Where is home?  Aggregating trips?  O-1  Waiver Other Visa Options (cont’d)

19 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP Permanent Resident Status Family Investment Asylum Employment Lottery

20 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP Spouse of U.S. citizen  No quota wait  EAD and AP within 3 months All other relationships  Long quota wait  No interim benefits Family

21 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP Investment $500,000 or $1,000,000 Individual investment or regional center

22 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP Asylum Individualized fear of persecution Race, religion, nationality, political opinion, social group, sexual persuasion

23 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP Lottery Only specified countries One year window Apply in October www.travel.state.gov

24 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP Permanent Resident Status Employment Employer-sponsored or self-sponsored Labor certification or extraordinary/national interest/exceptional Multiple petitions

25 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP Permanent Resident Status Employment Self-Sponsored  Extraordinary ability EB-1 Standard  National or international reputation  “One of few at the top of peers”  Key is defining field of expertise specifically  First? Only? Best?  Media publicity Extensive documentation required Reference letters critical (cont’d)

26 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP Permanent Resident Status Employment  National Interest Waiver EB-2 Standard  Exceptional ability or advanced degree  National priority  National impact Extensive documentation required Reference letters critical May file multiple petitions (cont’d)

27 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP Permanent Resident Status Employment Employer-Sponsored  Outstanding Researcher EB-1 “Permanent position” Similar to extraordinary ability  Multinational Manager EB-1 Same as L-1 except must be manager or executive overseas (cont’d)

28 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP Permanent Resident Status Employment  Labor Certification Application (PERM) EB-2 or EB-3 Employer must:  Pay attorney fees and advertising costs  Define “minimum requirements”  Engage in required recruitment (approximately 4-5 months)  Interview U.S. worker applicants  Prove unavailability of qualified, interested, and available U.S. worker  Pay prevailing wage (cont’d)

29 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP Permanent Resident Status Employment Timing  Electronic filing  Varies  Possibility of audit  First of three steps (cont’d)

30 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP Quotas Per country of birth, per preference category, per fiscal year Filing date is “priority date” EB-1 (extraordinary ability, outstanding researcher, multinational manager)  No quota wait

31 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP Quotas EB-2 (national interest waiver and labor certification)  National interest waiver  Labor certification requiring Masters degree Bachelors degree plus 5 years progressive experience, or Exceptional ability  No quota wait, except China and India EB-3  Labor certification requiring bachelors or 2 years experience  Long quota wait for all countries (cont’d)

32 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP Permanent Resident Status Employment I-140 Petition  1 st step for EB-1 and national interest waiver  2 nd step for PERM Employee documents education and experience  If adjustment of status, file concurrently with I-485 if quota current  If consular immigrant visa processing, approval sent to National Visa Center (cont’d)

33 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP Permanent Resident Status Employment I-485 (Application for Adjustment of Status to Permanent Resident)  Cannot file until quota is current  Importance of filing Do not need to maintain visa status Can file for spouse and child Can get Employment Authorization Document (EAD) (cont’d)

34 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP Permanent Resident Status Employment Can get advance parole travel document  Eliminate need to obtain visas  Can still maintain and extend H-1B status Can leave employer if  I-140 approved  I-485 pending 180 days  Similar occupation Permanent resident upon approval Timing and delay issues (cont’d)

35 Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP

36 For Further Information William A. Stock, Esq. Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP E-mail: wstock@klaskolaw.com Telephone: 215-825-8600 (Philadelphia) 212-796-8840 (New York) Website:www.klaskolaw.com Blog:http://blog.klaskolaw.com


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