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As the
New Year beckons us,
we at VisaPro are striving
hard to introduce exciting
services to make your
visa processing even
more Fast, Easy and
Economical! We embraced
2006 with a resolution
to divulge into UK
Immigration and
other Country-Specific
Websites ensuring
you the ultimate user
experience. It has been
your continued support
and belief that has
made this journey and
every new introduction
of a service a memorable
moment.
I wish you all a very
Happy
and Prosperous New Year!
In spite of the new
Democrat-controlled
Congress taking office
in January, H-1B visas
will still remain the
focal point of debate.
The present H-1B blackout
will end in April when
the USCIS will begin
taking
H-1B applications for
visas that will be issued
in October at the start
of the 2008 fiscal year.
Last year, with high
demand for H-1B visa
holders, the USCIS reached
the 65,000 visa cap
in less than two months
after it began accepting
applications. In addition,
20,000 H-1B visas limited
to graduate students
was gone in four months.
In this fiscal year,
the strong demand will
lead to proposals to
raise the H-1B cap being
introduced again in
Congress. This will
be no less than a rat-race!
However, the lame duck
Congress deferred consideration
of larger immigration
issues to the 110th
Congress which convened
in January.
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The
month of December
saw some innovative
developments to
our existing services.
VisaDesk,
a service that
will provide Global
Immigration Services
to Attorneys,
Human Resource
Consulting, HR
Outsourcing, Corporate
Relocation Services
and other Third-Party
Service |
Providers who want to
provide immigration
services
along with their regular
services. For some of
you seeking visa options
to U.K., VisaPro brings
you Online
and Telephonic Consultations
with our immigration
experts. The added advantage
would be an online written
opinion in less than
3 business days from
a licensed immigration
solicitor or adviser.
Keeping up with the
tradition, this month's
IN
FOCUS section will
take you through our
attorney’s experiences
in Bangalore: our first
Immigration Workshop
in the immigration events
series last year. To
make sure to be a part
of his travelogue, don’t
miss reading your Immigration
Monitor. Just
add our address Immigration-Monitor@VisaPro.com
in the list of your
contacts to ensure you
receive it straight
into your email inbox.
I am sure you wouldn’t
want to miss out on
the latest you need
to know from the immigration
front.
We at VisaPro wanted
to get a first hand
insight into the H-1B
back-end preparation
that has gathered full
momentum in companies.
We have consolidated
our findings from the
discussion with our
clients for you through
our Industry
Perspective Article
in this issue.
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Last
month Kim
Balmer
had a tough competition
to win the Immigration
Quiz.
This time it seemed
to be a cakewalk
for Myraa
Parker.
Congratulations
to
Ms. Parker
for winning a
FREE Online
Consultation
with VisaPro Attorney. |
Would you like to see
your name as the WINNER
in the next issue of
Immigration
Monitor? Surf
through VisaPro.com
to find the correct
answer to this month's
question.
As part of our continued
efforts to provide you
with The Best, our team
is currently working
on various exciting
projects for this year.
Your suggestions are
valuable, so do let
us know how we can
help you out better!
A lot of activity is
expected in the next
few months with the
H-1B quota being released
in April. As always,
we will keep you posted
on all the news you
need to know.
Get geared for
an exciting year ahead!
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I-130 no longer accepted at U.S. Consulates
Effective
immediately, the immediate relative
petition (I-130) must be filed with
the USCIS office responsible for
the petitioner's place of residence.
Consular offices at U.S. embassies
and consulates are no longer authorized
to accept I-130s, although they
will continue to provide guidance
to American citizen petitioners
and their family members.
Passport requirements for air travel
Starting January 23rd, 2007, the
citizens of the United States, Canada,
Mexico, and Bermuda will be now
required to present a passport to
enter the United States while arriving
by air from any part of the Western
Hemisphere.
USCIS
introduces online change of address
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services (USCIS) launched a new
web-based service allowing USCIS
customers to submit change of address
information online.
Travelogue:
Immigration Workshop in Bangalore
This month's IN FOCUS section will
journey you through yet another
exciting day in our attorney’s travelogue:
Bangalore, our first Immigration
Workshop in the immigration events
series last year.
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Get
Geared for the H-1B Season
We
bring to you first hand insight
into the “talk of the town”:
H-1B quota and all the preparation
and paper work that the companies
are getting ready with this
year.
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| QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS |
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| 1. |
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I
am from Mexico.
I am looking for
a job in a USA
company to work
with. My question
is: Do I need
to live in the
USA while working
there or I can
live in Mexico
and work. What
other requirements
are there to work
in USA? Thank
you in advance.
The TN visa is
available for
citizens of Canada
and Mexico, under
the terms of the
North American
Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA). A citizen
of a NAFTA country
may work in a
professional occupation
in the U.S. provided
that all of these
conditions are
met: The profession
is recognized
under NAFTA; the
applicant possesses
the specific criteria
for that profession;
the prospective
position requires
someone in that
professional capacity
and the applicant
is coming to work
for a U.S. employer.
Most professional
jobs require possession
of a baccalaureate
degree as an entry-level
requirement; some
positions offered
do not require
a degree. Instead,
for some of these
positions, an
alternative criterion
to the degree
such as experience
is permitted. |
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| GOT
A
QUESTION? |
If
you
have
a
short,
simple
query
on
immigration
to
the
U.S.,
send
your
questions
to
us.
We
will
select
and
answer
a
few
of
the
queries
in
every
issue.
Note:
Responses
posted
in
this
section
provide
only
general
information.
Since
immigration
law
is
a
complex
matter,
please
consult
an
immigration
attorney
before
acting
upon
any
responses
provided. |
| Ask
Your
Question |
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| 2. |
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I
am working for a company
in my Optional Practical
Training (OPT) period.
Even after the expiry
of the grace period
of 60 days in my OPT,
I will be having a
gap until the H-1B
quota opens by October
1. Please advise the
appropriate plan of
action.
You may not remain
in the US beyond your
currently authorized
period of stay—unless
you change your status
to a new visa that
would allow you to
stay. Your earliest
start date will be
for October 1, 2007—unless
Congress changes the
law before then, you
will be out of status
after your expiry
of the grace period.
You may have to depart
the US and apply for
the H-1B outside the
US—again, unless Congress
changes the law on
H-1B cap. You may
apply to change the
status to B-2 for
this period to remain
inside the US. But
USCIS may or may not
approve such request
though you may remain
in the US while the
USCIS makes a decision
on your B-2 change
of status application.
B-2 status does not
allow you to work.
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"For
me, it was like
appearing in a
board exam to
sit in front of
an Officer at
US Consulate.
But with the Internet
services which
is shrinking the
world & bringing
world class services
on your laptop,
I got the opportunity
to get in touch
with VISAPRO
local office at
Hyderabad, India.
Their services
are excellent
right from the
first interaction
of putting across
a visa process
request to the
delivery of the
package to the
client. Their
online document
management system
is best which
enables you to
do a lot with
your documents
that you would
like the attorney
to go through,
before processing
your US Visa request.
The professional
care that was
extended to me
is definitely
to my knowledge
only experienced
attorneys who
are involved in
visa processing
on a daily basis
can handle.
I would have been
satisfied with
a 1 year Multiple
entry --- But
a 10 year Multiple
entry is something
which is beyond
my imagination.
I wish VISAPRO
all the very best
& wish that they
continue to provide
such excellent
services to enable
US Visa seekers
to pursue their
dreams. And at
the same time,
I express my gratitude
to the organization
in making it possible
for the applicants
to place the FACTS
at the CORRECT
PLACE & in a PRESENTABLE
manner, which
could be noticed
easily by the
interviewing officer.
I don’t mind shelling
out US $295 for
VISAPRO’s service
if I get either
a 1 year / 5 year
or 10 years Multiple
entry US Visa."
All the very best
Mr.
Sanjay Kumar Mukherjee,
Director
Shreema Software
Solutions Pvt.
Ltd.
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Your Feedback |
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suggestions on topics that
you want us to cover and Tell
us what you think about us. |
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Immigration News |
| Do you have
any interesting immigration-related
news to report? We will give
a FREE Online Consultation
to whoever provides us with
the best news story of the
month. Send
your story. |
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