In our Ask Visalaw.com section of the SIB, attorney Ari Sauer answers immigration law questions sent in by our readers. If you enjoy reading this section, we encourage you to visit Ari’s blog, The Immigration Answer Man, where he provides more answers to your immigration questions. You can also follow The Immigration Answer Man on Facebook and Twitter.
If you have a question on immigration matters, write [email protected]. We can’t answer every question, but if you ask a short question that can be answered concisely, we’ll consider it for publication. Remember, these questions are only intended to provide general information. You should consult with your own attorney before acting on information you see here.
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1) QUESTION: What is the DV lottery and how do I know I’m signing up for an authentic U.S. visa?
ANSWER: The Department of State is currently taking online registrations for the 2015 Diversity Visa (DV) Program. The registration period ends on Saturday, November 2, 2013.
During this time it is common for scammers to pose as the U.S. government and attempt to deceive DV Program applicants and take their money. DV Program applicants should be wary of fake emails, letters, text messages and phone calls from possible scammers. There is no fee to enter the lottery and you do not need an attorney in order to enter the lottery. If you are selected in the lottery, then at that point I recommend that you consult an attorney about applying for permanent resident status or an immigrant visa based upon your being selected in the lottery.
2) QUESTION: I want to file for an H-1B petition but I’m worried that my application will get lost while people are cleaning up after the government shutdown. Should I wait to submit my application?
ANSWER: If you have been waiting because of the shutdown to file an LCA for an H-1B petition or have been waiting to file a request for a Prevailing Wage Determination or the PERM Labor Certification, the DOL website is now accepting these applications. Also if you have been waiting for a determination on any of these applications from the DOL, they should now be back to adjudicating these. We do not yet know how backlogged the DOL adjudications are or how much longer applicants should expect to wait for a decision because of the backlog created by the shutdown
Disclaimer: This newsletter is provided as a public service and not intended to establish an attorney client relationship. Any reliance on information contained