New York Lawyer's Legal Updates
U Visa Certification In NYC
22 February 2016Author: New York Immigration lawyer Alena Shautsova A U visa is a non-immigrant status that can be bestowed on a victim of crime who cooperates with the law enforcement in its investigation. A U visa provides a path for the permanent residency, and an authorization to work in the United States. One does not need to be in a legal status to apply fo ...
Changes To Visa Waiver Program
06 February 2016Author: New York Immigration Attorney Alena Shautsova Usually, to come to one country from another, a person would have to obtain a visa, or permission. Citizens of the United States may travel without visas to many countries, but for some countries they do need to obtain visas. Non-U.S. citizens usually have to apply for a visa before coming to t ...
Extending H1B Status After 6 Year Cap
03 February 2016Employment Immigration Attorney Alena Shautsova An H1B worker may stay and work in the U.S. for a total of 6 years only. It means, that upon conclusion of the 6 -year period, the H1B holder has to leave the U.S., and will not be able to qualify for another H1B visa, unless he/she spends 1 year abroad. However, recognizing the need of the U.S. emp ...
Religious Immigration: Qualifications And Requirements
01 February 2016Author: New York Immigration lawyer Alena Shautsova A worker in religious vocation may apply for an R-1 visa after a corresponding petition was filed and granted on his/her behalf. In addition, such a worker may adjust his/her status to one of a permanent resident using Special Immigrant Status Petition, I -360. Religious vocation as per USCIS is ...
R-1 Non-immigrant Visa For Religious Workers
27 January 2016Author: New York Immigration lawyer Alena Shautsova Over time, a religious organization may encounter the need for a minister, religious worker in occupation, or religious worker in vocation who is currently stationed overseas. For religious organizations with an already established US bona fide non-profit organization the basic requirements for t ...
P Is For Performing – P Non-immigrant Visa Overview
25 January 2016New York Visa lawyer Alena Shautsova The P Non-immigrant visa category has four (4) separate classifications, P-1, P-2, P-3 and P-4. The main distinction between O and P visa is that the P visa is limited to a specific event whether it be a competition, sports season, tour, exhibition, a performance even. This limitation does not limit the indivi ...
Waiver Of Expedited Processing Fee For O Visa Petitions
20 January 2016Author: New York Visa Attorney Alena Shautsova To receive an O visa, a US employer or agent has to submit a petition on behalf of the O visa / status beneficiary. Usually, USCIS considers such petitions within 4-6 months, and recently there were serious delays in adjudication of O petitions. O status / visa petitioners have an option to "expedi ...
O Non-immigrant Visa: Basic Classification And Requirements For Artists And Entertainers
18 January 2016Author: Visa Lawyer Alena Shautsova The O visa classification was created for those who were not covered by the H1B work visa category and did not have to jump through hoops of Deportment of Labor. An O Visa can be a great alternative to other business and work visas. The benefits of the O visa process are absence of a “cap” (which is recently w ...
I-9 Compliance For Employers
06 January 2016Author: Alena Shautsova I-9 compliance is a necessity nowadays, and if you do not know what I-9 means you should at least read this article: I-9 Audit. Today’s article will be focused on internal audit that employers should conduct to avoid penalties for missed compliance. It is important to remember that employers cannot discriminate against empl ...
Recourse For Widow(er)s After The Death Of The Beneficiary
06 January 2016Author: Green Card Attorney Alena Shautsova We all know that life happens, and sometimes it happens unpredictably. It may occur that one who started the immigration process for his/her family members passes away and the beneficiary is left in the middle of a crisis unsure about his/her immigration status. For situations like that, USCIS created s ...