Advanced Employment Based Immigration Topics for Scholar Advisers - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Advanced Employment Based Immigration Topics for Scholar Advisers

Presenters  Elise Fialkowski, Klasko Immigration Law Partners, LLP  Shinn Ko, Emory University  David Muusz, University of Michigan

Agenda  Prevailing Wage Issues  H-1B Location Change  Travel  AC21 Extensions  EAD for H-4 Spouse  Section 212(e)  Recent Developments

Who Is In the Audience? – Scholar advisor vs. student and scholar advisor – # of I-129 filings a year – # of PERM Special Handling filings a year – # of traditional PERM filings a year – # of I-140 filings a year

Prevailing Wage Issues  Combinations of occupations  Unrealistic data/ wage determinations  Alternatives:  Determine own PWDs  Request usage of survey  Some accepted directly on LCA  Safe harbor?

Prevailing Wage Issues  BLS data is problematic for ACWIA occupations  Acceptability of employer provided surveys  ETA 9141  LCA  Recent NPWC scrutiny of surveys, e.g. CUPA  What is an institution of higher education?  Accredited  Not-for-profit

Prevailing Wage Issues  Requirements  Current edition  Published in last 24 months  Data collected within 24 months of publication  Cover employers in area of intended employment  Job description must match survey position  Weighted average or median  Cover all ACWIA industries??  Must provide survey and methodology to NPWC for 9141 requests

AAO decision on Location Change  Matter of Simeio Solutions, LLC (4/9/15)  26 I&N Dec. 542 (AAO 2015)  New LCA for new location?  Overturns previous precedent and guidance  Considered material change, which requires amended petition  Limited exceptions  Same geographic area:  DOL WHD Fact Sheet 62J  30/60 day rule for short-term travel:  DOL WHD Fact Sheet 62K

Travel  Last Action “Rule”?  Change of Status  Extension of Status  Electronic I-94s  Now get limited travel history for 5 year period  CBP updated FAQ; refer to Deferred Inspection/POE for issues  Consent from beneficiary before downloading  EAD v. Advance Parole

AC21 Extensions  §106 vs. §104(c)  Timing of I-129 filing  Recapturing time spent outside the US  Handling change of employers

EAD for H-4 Spouses  For certain H-4s  Employment-based I-140 for H-1B spouse; or  H-1B extension under AC21  USCIS begins accepting I-765 applications on 5/26/2015  Timing of I-765 filing  Concurrent I-539 filing?  Effect of I-140 withdrawal?

Section 212(e) – Impact  Ineligible for certain visas only  H-1B, K, L-1  Ineligible for COS from J-1  What about consecutive J-1 programs?  Can do COS from other status, e.g. F-1  Ineligible for last step of Green Card  I-485  IV Consular Processing  But, may commence initial steps

Recent Developments  Executive Action – Impact on Employment  DOL/PERM  Visa Wait Times/Adjustment of Status  STEM/OPT  H-1B termination – back pay  Barclays Capital , ALJ Case No. 2011 - LCA - 025  More… "Gall-Peters Projection SW" by Strebe - Own Work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons