Improving and Expanding Training Opportunities for F-1 Nonimmigrant Students With STEM Degrees and Cap-Gap Relief for All Eligible F-1 Students

By: Grant W. Godfrey On October 19, 2015, the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) published in the Federal Register a proposed rule that would revise work authorization for F-1 students.  The proposed rule addresses extensions of F-1 post-completion Optional Practical Training (“OPT”) for foreign students who have completed U.S. degree programs in the fields of Science, Technology, …

Attention: File H-1B Visas Early

On April 1st the 2016 H-1B cap will open. As the economic conditions continue to improve the demand for H-1B visas will likely vastly exceed the available supply.  Last year, over 172,000 cap subject H-1B petitions were filed in the first week of April, which lead to a series of lotteries to determine which petitions would be …

President Obama to Sign Executive Order With a Promising Impact on Business Immigration

By: Donald W. Parker, John J. Gallini and Grant W. Godfrey On Thursday November 20, 2014, President Obama announced that he would be using his powers already granted to him by the U.S. Constitution and Congress to make certain reforms to the United States’ broken immigration system.  Most of the fanfare (and most of his …

Upcoming Retrogression for Indian EB-2 Immigrant Visas

After months of steadily moving forward the priority date for the Employment-based Second preference category (“EB-2”) for foreign nationals chargeable to India, in the October 2014 Visa Bulletin the Department of State (“DOS”) has stated that the EB-2 India priority date will retrogress to 2005 as early as on November 1, 2014.  Any Indian national …

Grant Godfrey to Speak at Lesley University

On Wednesday, March 5th MBBP Immigration Attorney Grant Godfrey has been asked to speak to international students attending Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Grant will be discussing immigration options for students once they receive their degree. Please feel free to contact Grant with any questions on immigration. Visit our resources page for MBBP immigration articles and …

MBBP Immigration Event: I am a Foreign National in the U.S. and I Want to Start a Company

On Thursday, October 24th MBBP is hosting a brown bag lunch event titled "I am a Foreign National in the U.S. and I Want to Start a Company" at the Cambridge Innovation Center in Cambridge, MA. Foreign Nationals who are already in the U.S. and want to start a company have special considerations relating to …

CIS Will Likely Need Until The End of May to Sort Out Accepted and Rejected H-1B Cap Cases

In recent alerts, we have informed clients that the H-1B Caps had been reached and the lottery had been held, provided a FAQ in regards to the H-1B Cap, and provided an alert describing the H-1B caps and provided an overview of eligibility for the status. At a recent conference, an official at the U.S. …

“Getting in Line”: A flawed concept in the Immigration debate

By: Grant Godfrey Anyone who has navigated through our maze of immigration laws understands that it is complicated and takes a long time. An NBC news article published today sheds light on how the concept of "getting in line" for a Green Card is a dramatic oversimplification of our current system. The better questions are: …

MBBP Immigration Event: Alternatives to H-1B Visas

On Thursday, May 9th MBBP is hosting a complimentary immigration event on the topic of "Alternatives to H-1B Visas". With the economy steadily improving, over the past two years the H-1B cap has been reached very quickly. The most recent year, it was reached in approximately two months. This timely event will provide an overview …

John Gallini Panels MCLE’s Immigration Law Event

On December 12th - 13th MBBP Immigration Attorney John Gallini was a panel member for MCLE's BasicsPlus! two-day intensive immigration law program. The event helped to provided attendees with a practice introduction to the concepts, procedures and practice of immigration law. John lead a discussion on Employment-Based Green Cards Without Labor Certification. John Gallini is also the co-chair of the Boston Bar Association's …