Catherine Brown - Immigration Blog

Category Archives: Business Immigration

H-1B Cap Hit – Applications Subject to Lottery

The “H-1B cap” – or limited number of H-1B visas allowed to be issued – was met on April 5, 2013, 4 days after the earliest filing date became available on April 1, 2013. A lottery will be held for … Continue reading →

New I-9 For US Employers

USCIS has finally issued the new I-9 Form, required for US employers to verify whether an employee is authorized to work in the US. The form’s “Revision Date” is “3/8/2013.” All employers must be using this version by May 7, … Continue reading →

Do Unemployment Rates Affect H-1B Visa Applications?

With the recent downturn in the United States unemployment rate, some individuals can take advantage of the H-1B visa, a three-year, non-immigrant visa for professional foreign workers operating in the United States. Do you qualify for this specialized visa? A … Continue reading →

I-9 Compliance for Your Colorado Workforce

The federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (“IRCA”) states that every employer is required to verify the identity and work authorization status of every employee of the business. This I-9 compliance regulation is critical for all Colorado employers and those across … Continue reading →

Visa Options for Investors: EB-5 and E-2 Visas

As the U.S. continues to deal with a struggling economy, entrepreneurs living abroad see opportunity for investment in our country. To enter the US as an entrepreneur, individuals currently have two options:  the EB-5 permanent visa which results in permanent residence … Continue reading →

US Bill Introduced to Create a Green Card Option for All Entrepreneurs

House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) on July 26, 2012 introduced the American Investment and Job Creation Act of 2012 (H.R. 6210), which would change immigration laws to permit entrepreneurs a path to permanent … Continue reading →

Changes to E2 Investor and E1 Trader Visas in Mexico

As of June 20, 2012, the US Embassy in Mexico City announced two changes to the issuance of American Investor (E-2) and Treaty Trader (E-1) visas. The changes are to improve the efficiency for investors and traders, for the fourth … Continue reading →

H-1B Cap Has Been Reached: Other Options?

The H-1B cap was reached on June 11, 2012 for both the regular cap of 65,000 H-1B visas and the 20,000 cap, segregated for those who earned a US Masters Degree or higher. The cap was reached more than 5 … Continue reading →

What is Up with Startup Visa 2.0? A Proposed Green Card Option for Investors in the US

Another foreign investor proposal came out of the Senate this past week due to the work across party lines amongst freshman Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.). This is one of approximately … Continue reading →

H-1B Season to Begin in April: What Is It and Are You Ready?

Each year on April 1st, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service begins accepting petitions for H1B work visas for the upcoming fiscal year (Oct 1 2011/Sept 30 2012). A new season is rapidly approaching, and only a limited number of … Continue reading →