Dear Readers:
Accountants have April 15th circled on their calendars every year as the deadline to get their clients tax returns filed. Immigration lawyers who handle employment visas usually plan their spring calendars around April 1st, the day that employers can file H-1B visa applications for the fiscal year that starts October 1st. The H-1B visa category has a cap of 65,000 per year and that cap now routinely gets used up in a matter of a few days. So if you want an H-1B visa for the 12 month period starting October 1st, you have to get your case in at the beginning of April. Otherwise, you may have to sit on the sidelines for a year.
That the H-1B quota usually gets used up in a couple of days each year should be evidence enough that we need a higher quota. The 65,000 cap was set nearly 25 years ago and reflects the needs of a 1980s economy. Congress raised the cap briefly in the late 1990s and then allowed it to go back to the original cap. Now Congress is debating a permanent increase that could take the cap up to at least 150,000. The increase may seem like a lot, but I’m guessing even that much larger number won’t be enough to meet the demands of the marketplace.
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In firm news, we say hello to Justin Mantell, a new law clerk in our Memphis office. Justin is an Indiana University graduate who plans on attending law school next fall. We also say goodbye to Melinda Artz, our very able paralegal who is taking on a position with St. Jude Children’s Hospital. We’ll miss Melinda, but St. Jude is a wonderful organization and we wish her the best.
Regards,
Greg Siskind
Disclaimer: This newsletter is provided as a public service and not intended to establish an attorney client relationship. Any reliance on information contained herein is taken at your own risk.