Reminder: USCIS accepting H-1B petitions for FY 2015 starting from April 1

On April 1, 2014 USCIS will start accepting H-1B petitions subject to the Fiscal Year 2015 cap. Last year the cap was set at 65,000 for petitioners holding bachelor’s degrees, with an additional 20,000 for petitioners holding master’s degrees. The H-1B quota set by USCIS was reached within the first week. Employers and qualified workers willing to file an H-1B work petition should have their petition ready, in order to make sure that it is timely filed on April 1.

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Update on EB-5 for the construction industry

An update on EB-5 visas comes from the American Immigration Lawyers Association¹, indicating that the latest trends from the adjudicating officers seems to require much more detailed information, especially with regard to the description of the jobs that will be created as part of construction-related projects.

In addition to a business plan, which was already to be attached to the petition, a detailed and third-party verified review of each individual construction phase of the project, as well as each related expense item. It should also be shown that the time schedule table and the related costs allocated reflect average market standards. Continue reading →

SEC Issues Proposal on Crowdfunding

On October 23, 2013 the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) unanimously voted a proposal¹ to allow companies to raise funds by issuing equity through crowdfunding. If passed, the proposal should be good news for all those small to medium companies hoping to increase their fund-raising capabilities by issuing securities and selling them to crowdfunding investors.

Some of the limitations set by SEC under the proposed regulation are:

Continue reading →