Pst OPT Visas fr the Private Sectr, Standard Optins and New Pssibilities Kathleen Grzegrek Certified C tifi d Specialists S i li t in i Immigratin I i ti & Natinality Law www.lskglaw.cm
The Big g Picture Why U.S. Immigratin is imprtant Of curse, yur wn immigratin issues are pririty, but there is a bigger picture Fr future entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs business leaders, leaders etc. etc Must knw immigratin issues in hiring wrkfrce and retaining key talent in rder t lead a U.S. business Many M graduate d students, d particularly i l l in i science i and d engineering, are freign natinals With glbalizatin, there is a need fr a diverse wrkfrce kf Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 2
Outline f Discussin Tday y Nnimmigrant Visas fr Private Industry Temprary status fr accmplishing a specific task such as a degree, emplyment, investment, etc. Immigratin Refrm This is nw a ht tpic in the United States What is nw being discussed That wuld effect highly skilled/educated wrkers That wuld effect entrepreneurs The likelihd f passage int law Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 3
Definitins -Nnimmigrant Wrk Visas g H-1B is the standard wrk visa fr prfessinals I is It i a temprary t status Since green cards can take years t btain under current law need temprary status t live and wrk in the US There are ther temprary wrk visas such as E, L, O, P, Q, R, TN we will discuss later, but we will fcus n H-1B s H 1B s since it is the visa mst students first btain after F-1 practical training is finished r is unavailable Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 4
H-1B Status - Descriptin p H-1B is a temprary, nnimmigrant status Standard S d d wrk k visa i fr f prfessinals f i l Limited t 6 years with a few exceptins Given in maximum increments f 3 years Can extend beynd 6 years if emplyer has filed fr y yur g green card and y yu are waiting fr it Limited t a specific emplyer, jb psitin, lcatin and salary Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 5
Spuse and Children p Spuse and children eligible fr H-4 status Cannt wrk in H-4 H 4 status Prpsals t allw H-4 emplyment authrizatin are being discussed in Cngress but nt yet law Only nnimmigrant wrk visas that allw spuse t btain emplyment authrizatin are E 1/E 2 r L-1 E-1/E-2 L 1 status Spuse can als hld separate wrk visa, visa such as an H-1B, in his r her wn right Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 6
H-1B Requirements q U.S. Emplyer Cannt be self-emplyed Must pay gvernment filing and legal fees Can have mre than ne emplyer but each must file separate H-1B petitin Jb Psitin Must be Prfessinal Requires R i a Bachelr B h l Degree D r abve b Engineer, scientist, accuntant, etc. Can be full r part-time p Salary must be prevailing wage fr ccupatin and lcatin Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 7
H-1B Cap p Exempt p - Emplyer p y Cap Exempt nt subject t a number quta C file Can fil H H-1B 1B petitin i i at any time i Emplyers wh are cap exempt Universities Private emplyer if their emplyees wrk at a university Nnprfit research rganizatin primarily engaged in basic and/r applied research Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 8
H-1B Cap p Exempt p - Emplyee p y Certain emplyees are cap exempt Have had H h d an H-1B H 1B subject bj t cap iin past 6 years and d nt left the US fr mre than 1 year Only need t be cunted against the cap nce Citizens f Singapre and Chile have a separate quta Certain emplyees wh have had an H-1B frm a cap exempt emplyer and will have cncurrent emplyment with a cap subject emplyer Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 9
H-1B Cap Cases p Subject j Nnexempt H-1B Petitins are subject t an annuall quta 58,200 H-1B Slts available each fiscal year Plus, Plus 20,000 20 000 fr applicants wh earned a Master degree r higher frm a US university Plus, 6,800 fr citizens f Chile and Singapre First d F day t ffile l is April il 1 (r ( fllwing f ll Mnday) d ) ff each year Wrk start date is Octber 1 Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 10
H-1B Cap p Usage g 2012,, 2013 2013 cap remained pen until: Regular cap: June 11, 2012 Master cap: June 7, 2012 (after Master cap exhausted exhausted, Master can still file under Regular cap until Regular cap is exhausted) 2012 cap remained pen until: Regular cap: Nvember 22, 2011 M Master cap: Octber O b 19, 19 2011 Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 11
Cap p Usage g 2009 t 2011 2011 cap remained pen until: Regular cap: January 26, 2011 Master cap: December 22, 2010 2010 cap remained pen until: Regular Cap: December 21, 2009 Master Cap: p April p 17, 2009 2009 - all numbers used within initial filing windw Apprximately 131,800 fr the regular cap with 58,200 slts ((~ 22.3 3 t 1) Apprximately 31,200 fr the Master cap f 20,000 slts (~ 1.5 t 1) Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 12
H-1B Cap p Cases Timing g Issues Given that first day f emplyment is Octber 1, there h can b be a gap iin status Expiratin f F-1 practical training r ther status may nt cincide with Octber 1 start date f H-1B Petitin Extensin f stay available t cver gap time fr F-1 s, J-1 s and d their th i d dependents d t And, extend emplyment authrizatin fr thse in OPT status Als, remember the 60 day grace perid fr F-1 s and 30 day grace perid i d ffr J-1 s 1 Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 13
H-1B Prcessing g Times & Prtability y Nrmal USCIS prcessing time is 2-4 mnths Premium Prcessing Fr $1,225 extra filing fee, USCIS will give a decisin within ithi 2 weeks k Prtability If in valid H-1B H 1B status with ne emplyer, emplyer can generally mve t secnd emplyer and begin wrk when H-1B petitin is filed D nt need t wait fr apprval t begin wrk Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 14
H-1B Status and Travel Need t have an H-1B visa in passprt fr travel M Mstt peple l change h status t t ffrm F F-11 t t H H-1B 1B while in the US Will receive a new II-94 94 Can stay in the US but will need t apply fr H-1B visa at cnsulate t reenter US after freign travel Exceptins: Trips t Canada r Mexic less than 30 days Hwever, sme natinalities cannt d autmatic Hwever visa revalidatin Canadian citizens d nt need visas Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 15
H-1B Visa Applicatins pp Fllw directins n Cnsulate Website very carefully Must make appintment plus leave time fr Cnsulate t return passprt t yu Sme natinalities/jb psitins subject t extra security clearances Plan ahead these clearances can take time Althugh emplyer name will be n visa, d nt need t get a new H-1B H 1B visa if yu change emplyers Can travel n valid H-1B visa with ld emplyer s name n it as lng as yu have receipt i r apprvall ntice i ffrm new emplyer l Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 16
Terminatin f HH-1B Jbs J N grace perid! Last day L d ff wrk k is i the h last l ff day d ff status If cmpany has terminatin plicy where it g gives H-1B emplyee p y several weeks r mnths f severance after last day f emplyment, the H-1B ceases status frm the day yu stp emplyment nt the day yur severance ends Plan ahead t find new jb r change t anther status If terminated, emplyer must pay fr ticket t return t hme cuntry if yu chse t g hme Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 17
Alternatives t HH-1B Status J-1 Exchange Visitr TN NAFTA Prfessinal Canada and Mexic E-1/2 Treaty Trader/Investr E3 E-3 Specialty Occupatin Australia A t li O-1 Extrardinary Ability R-1 Religius Wrker Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 18
J-1 Exchange g Visitrs Sme Emplyers have ability t use J-1 status fr additinal training r cultural exchange Hwever, if yu have used OPT, may nt have justificatin fr needing mre training Tw-year hme residence requirement q still applies pp if: Freign medical graduate Gvernment funding Skills list Dependents: J-2 spuse can wrk with EAD Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 19
E-1/E1/E / -2 Treaty y Trader/Investr / Available t citizens f certain cuntries that have E-1/E-2 treaties with the U.S. Cmpany must have minimum 50% wnership by citizen r entity f treaty cuntry fr E-2 Cmpany must have minimum 50% trade with treaty cuntry fr E-1 May als qualify as emplyee f E entity Investment r Trade must be substantial Funds must be at risk and business established Spuse can btain EAD Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 20
O-1 Extrardinary Ability r Achievement Must file a petitin with USCIS cntaining extensive i d dcumentatin i Must have an emplyer r agent Cannt self-petitin Need clearance frm unin, guild r peer grup Duratin: 3 year perid M extend May t d beynd b d 3 years Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 21
O-1 Extrardinary Ability in Science, Educatin Business Educatin, Business, r Athletics Majr award (such as Nbel Prize) r Three f the fllwing: a. b. c. d. e. f. g. g h. natinally y r internatinally y recgnized g p prizes membership in assciatins which require utstanding achievements published material in prfessinal r majr trade publicatins r majr media abut the alien, relating t the alien's wrk in the field participatin as a judge f the wrk f thers riginal scientific, schlarly, r business-related cntributins f majr significance authrship f schlarly articles in the field, in prfessinal jurnals, r ther majr media; emplyment p y in a critical r essential capacity p y fr distinguished rganizatins high salary Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 22
TN Prfessinal Wrkers Available t citizens f Canada and Mexic Must be in prfessin listed in NAFTA agreement and have apprpriate degree Canadians may apply at US brder Mexicans may y apply pp y at a US Cnsulate Advantages Less cst than H-1B petitin Maximum 3 year perid (1 year visa fr Mexicans) Can extend beynd 3 years Disadvantages Spuse cannt wrk S k N dual intent issue if als pursuing green card Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 23
E-3 Specialty p y Occupatin p Citizen f Australia USCIS petitin based status r applicatin at U.S. US Embassy/Cnsulate Must have emplyer Cannt self-petitin self petitin r self-emplyment self emplyment Must have Bachelr degree r abve apprpriate t jb psitin Pay P mustt be b prevailing ili wage fr f jb j b psitin iti iin th the metrplitan area Duratin M Maximum i 2 year perid i d Can extend in 2 year increments Spuse can btain EAD Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 24
Security Check at U.S. Embassy/Cnsulate Certain natinalities wrking in certain fields can be subject t additinal security checks upn visa applicatin at the Embassy r Cnsulate Natinalities that may encunter additinal backgrund checks h k iinclude l d specific ifi cuntries t i (Iran, (I IIraq, Chi China, etc.) t ) and checks are at different levels f scrutiny Emplyment in sensitive areas: Sme examples are: high energy physics, rbtics, explsives, bilgical weapns, etc. If subject t security check while applying fr a visa at a US Cnsulate, cannt reenter the US until security check is cmpleted Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 25
Exprt Cntrl Cmpliance p p Since February 20, 2011, USCIS nw requires that all emplyers filing H-1B, H 1B H-1B1, H 1B1 L-1 L 1 and O-1A O 1A petitins certify that: They have reviewed Exprt Administratin Regulatins (EAR) and, Internatinal Traffic in Arms Regulatins (ITAR) t ascertain whether r nt an exprt cntrl license is required fr the emplyment This requirement may require mre preparatin time befre filing the petitin Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 26
What Fields and Natinalities Require an Exprt Cntrl License Exprt Cntrl can be triggered by the field as well as the th emplyee s l citizenship iti hi and/r d/ natinality: ti lit Cntrlled technlgy exists in a wide variety f fields including, g, but nt limited t,, bitechnlgy, gy, materials,, imaging, avinics, chemistry, physics, cmputer security, rbtics and urban planning Freign persns brn r frm specific cuntries are mre likely t require an exprt license fr cntrlled technlgy gy e.g., g Iran, Syria, y Cuba, Sudan, China, Israel, Russia and the frmer Sviet republics Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 27
What type f Jb Duties require an Exprt Cntrl License? Exprt cntrls are generally thught f in relatin t the transfer f p physical y technlgy gy Hwever, exprt cntrls als encmpass the ral and visual disclsure r transfer (by any means ) f technical data t a freign g p persn Exprt cntrls may apply whenever a freign persn is directly r inadvertently given access t cntrlled technlgy Inadvertent d disclsure d l can ccur during d telephne, l h email r fax cmmunicatins; thrugh visual access t phtgraphs, technical specificatins r di diagrams; r ffrm cmputer t server access, ttraining i i sessins, r turs f facilities Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 28
Necessity f Planning Ahead Expiratin f Nnimmigrant Status If yu plan n staying in the United States lng-term, need t plan ahead It can take frm 2 t 5+ years t btain Permanent Residence depending n the preference categry and yur place f birth Sme natinalities, e.g. India and China, have lnger wait times Can have H H-1B 1B status fr 6 years, but mre time is pssible IF yur green card applicatin is filed befre yu enter the 5th year Pssible t change t anther nnimmigrant visa categry after 6 years in H-1B status (if therwise eligible) Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 29
Strategic Planning Fr Permanent Residence Save immigratin dcuments and build d dcumentatin i fr f a future f case What t put in a green card flder Cpies f ld passprts, Frms I-20, DS-2019, etc. University Degrees, transcripts and translatins int English Bigraphical Dcuments Birth,, marriage, g, divrce certificates,, birth certificates f yur children plus translatins int English Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 30
Status f Immigratin Refrm g Fr President Obama, immigratin refrm is a tp pririty In a recent speech speech, he annunced that he wuld wrk with Cngress t fashin a plan F Fr C Cngress, as a result lt ff the th electin l ti in i Nvember N b 2012, 2012 immigratin refrm is als a tp pririty Hwever, there are many cmpeting interests and blueprints f pssible fr ibl changes h iin iimmigratin i ti llaw A bipartisan grup f senatrs has agreed t a set f principles t guide t revise immigratin laws Nte that it can be a lng prcess fr a bill t becme a law in the US Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 31
Prpsals that wuld effect highly skilled/educated immigrants Immigratin Innvatin (I2) Act f 2013. This l i l i legislatin, which hi h was iintrduced d d n January J 29, 29 2013 by a bipartisan grup f Senatrs, addresses a grwing shrtage f highly-skilled highly skilled wrkers in the United States. It calls fr, in part: Establish an imprved prcess fr admitting future wrkers t serve ur natin s wrkfrce needs, while simultaneusly prtecting all wrkers I Imprve ur Legal L l Immigratin I i i System S and d Attract A the Wrld s Best and Brightest Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 32
Pssible F F--1 and H H--1B Changes g The fllwing prpsed changes may survive intact, be deleted r altered Increase the number f H-1B cap subject visas Prvide emplyment authrizatin fr H H-44 spuses 60 day grace perid fr terminated H-1B wrkers Renewal f H-1B visas within US Eliminate the cncept f dual intent frm F-1 visa status Wuld W ld raise i fees f fr f H-1B H 1B petitins ii t ffund d STEM educatin Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 33
Emplyment Based Immigrant Visas - Changes Award a green card t immigrants wh have received a PhD r Master ss degree in science, technlgy, engineering, r math frm Master an American university N details yet, emplyers wuld pay a filing fee Create a new visa categry fr emplyees f federal natinal security science and technlgy labratries. The prpsal creates a new visa categry fr a limited number f highly-skilled highly skilled and specialized immigrants t wrk in federal science and technlgy labratries n critical natinal security needs after being in the United States fr tw years and passing rigrus natinal security and criminal backgrund checks Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 34
Emplyment Based Immigrant Visas Changes cntinued Changes, Eliminatin f per-cuntry numerical limitatins This wuld be a majr bst t immigrants frm India and China Wuld still have limited visa numbers but wuld exempt certain immigrants frm cunting against the cap such as: Dependents f the principal applicant Thse that earned a Master degree r higher in a STEM subject Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 35
Entrepreneurs - Changes p g President Obama released a prpsal fr immigratin refrm n JJanuary y 29, 2013 that wuld: Create a startup visa fr jb-creating entrepreneurs. The prpsal allws freign entrepreneurs wh attract financing frm U.S. investrs r revenue frm U.S. custmers t start and grw their businesses in the United States, and t remain permanently if their cmpanies grw further, create jbs fr American wrkers, and strengthen ur ecnmy y Expand pprtunities fr investr visas and U.S. ecnmic develpment. The prpsal permanently authrizes immigrant visa pprtunities fr reginal center (pled investment) prgrams; prvides incentives fr visa requestrs t invest in prgrams that supprt natinal pririties (energy, etc.) Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 36
Handling Immigratin Fee Questins at Jb Interviews Many emplyers will pay immigratin fees r part f the fees In certain categries, categries emplyer is required t pay legal and gvernment filing fees (such as H-1B) If yu knw and can articulate that the whle package (H + green card) d) iis likely lik l t t be b arund d $12,000 $12 000 20,000 20 000 (d (depending di n numerus factrs), yu are in a much strnger psitin in an interview than if they think the price is $100,000 Dn t D t expectt the th persn wh h is i iinterviewing t i i yu tt k knw these details Sme cmpanies understand immigratin issues and have handled visas befre, sme cmpanies have nt Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 37
Dealing g With an Attrney y Ensure that the Attrney is licensed and in gd standing by the State Bar Yu can check the attrney by name at the Califrnia Bar Website at: http://members.calbar.ca.gv/fal/membersearch/quicksearch Sme attrneys charge cnsultatin fees, thers d nt Whether a fee is charged r nt nt, shuld nt drive yur decisin Immigratin attrneys charge either n a fixed fee basis r based n the amunt f time spent n the case r hybrid f bth Balance csts against g the reputatin p f the law firm and its track recrd Many emplyers will pay immigratin fees r part f the fees Certain categries, such as H-1B, emplyer is required t pay legal g fees and filing Larger cmpanies may have in huse immigratin cunsel r an utside immigratin firm they use Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 38
Stne & Grzegrek, LLP Our Firm g Frmed in 2005 by Lincln Stne and Kathleen Grzegrek Additinal Partners: Elsie Arias, Victria Dung, Michele Buchanan Is a Full-Service immigratin firm Can d All types yp f immigratin g cases Active vlunteer and public service wrk Diverse grup f 17 highly qualified attrneys 6 are Certified Immigratin Specialists 22 supprt staff Fluent in Arabic, Armenian, Farsi, Japanese, Krean, Mandarin Chinese,, Spanish, p, Russian,, and Vietnamese Office is in dwntwn LA at crner f Wilshire and Flwer Streets (800 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 900) Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 39
Thank Yu! Kathleen Grzegrek Certified Specialist in Immigratin & Natinality Law Stne & Grzegrek LLP www.lskglaw.cm 800 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 900 Ls Angeles, CA 90017 Disclaimer: This presentatin is fr general educatin purpses nly and is nt intended as legal advice. Questins abut specific immigratin matters shuld be presented in cnfidence t a qualified immigratin lawyer. Stne & Grzegrek LLP 2013 40