Entries by Cyrus Mehta

HOW EXTRAORDINARY DOES ONE NEED TO BE TO QUALIFY AS A PERSON OF EXTRAORDINARY ABILITY?

When Kazarian v. USCIS, 596 F.3d 1115 (9th Cir. 2010), was first decided, it was received with much jubilation as it was thought that the standards for establishing extraordinary ability would be more straightforward and streamlined. Kazarian essentially holds that a petitioner claiming extraordinary ability need not submit extraordinary evidence to prove that he or […]

HOW LONG IS A LAWYER OBLIGATED TO CORRECT FALSE EVIDENCE THAT WAS SUBMITTED ON BEHALF OF THE CLIENT?

One of the cardinal ethical rules governing a lawyer’s conduct is the prohibition, with some exception, from revealing a client’s confidential information. This information, which must be kept confidential, is normally gained during the course of the representation of the client. Still, at the same time, a lawyer is also prohibited from offering or using […]

Meet Our New Friend: Who Is An “H-1B Skilled Worker Dependent Employer” In Senate Immigration Bill, S. 744?

By Gary Endelman and Cyrus D. Mehta Since we last wrote about the H-1B visa provisions in Senate Immigration Bill, S. 744, Workable Or Unworkable? The H-1B And L-1 Visa Provisions In BSEOIMA, S. 744, there have been several changes to this portion of the bill. The amendment proposed by Senator Hatch (after reaching a compromise with Senator […]

AN IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY’S RESPONSE TO STATEMENT OF USCIS UNION PRESIDENT OPPOSING SENATE IMMIGRATION BILL, S. 744

Kenneth Palinkas, President of the National Citizenship and Immigration Services Council, the union representing 12,000 United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) adjudications officers and staff, issued a statement joining a vocal minority of other government union bosses, most notably Chris Crane of the ICE employee union, opposing the Senate immigration bill, S. 744. Mr. […]

Do We Still Need PERM Labor Certification? An Analysis of the Merits-Based Points System in BSEOIMA

By Gary Endelman and Cyrus D. Mehta We continue to analyze the provisions of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013, s. 744 (BSEOIMA), which seeks to bring about dramatic changes to the existing immigration system in the United States.  One of the most  transformative changes that BSEOIMA will bring, if enacted, is a […]

Workable or Unworkable? The H-1B and L-1 Visa Provisions in BSEOIMA, S. 744

By Gary Endelman and Cyrus D. Mehta The Senate Immigration Bill, S. 744, entitled the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (BSEOIMA) has been applauded by immigration advocates for bringing much needed changes to the broken immigration system. Although the bill does not have everything that everyone wants, S. 744 offers a pathway to legalization for […]

THE MANY PROBLEMS SURROUNDING THE H-1B VISA CAP

Everyone was rushing to file H-1B visa petitions between the April 1-5 window as there was a sinking feeling that the USCIS would receive more than the 65,000 cases allocated under the H-1B annual cap as well as more than the 20,000 cases under the additional Master’s cap. Just as we were emerging from the […]

H1B DITTY

By: Myriam Jaidi [An LLMJ creation set loosely to an old “gangsta” tune.  A thank you to Elizabeta Markuci for a lyrical turn] Here’s a little somethin’ bout the H-1BHavin’ so much trouble as a legit visa categoryGrass-ley would like to sayIt’s a crazy visa status, should be thrown away Since it was established, so much […]

The Way We Count

By Gary Endelman and Cyrus D. Mehta “Perfect numbers like perfect men are very rare.” Rene Descartes Now is the time to change the way America counts green card numbers.  Congress is presently debating comprehensive immigration reform and grand events are likely to reshape the legal landscape. Yet, at such a seminal moment we ought not lose sight […]