The Trump Administration has made significant changes to its review of H-1B visas, which engineering firms use to hire foreign nationals when qualified Americans are not available. These changes include:

• The rescission of a previous policy memorandum instructing the USCIS to give deference to previous approvals when reviewing renewal H-1B Petitions
• Increased scrutiny on the proper maintenance of status for F-1 visa holders
• The introduction of a system through which F-1 students accrue unlawful presence
• A shift to prioritizing visa holders with master’s degrees
• The intermittent suspension of premium processing
• A significant increase in requests for information (RFE) related to H-1B visa extensions

Join BJ McCullick and Thea Prochaska to review these changes to H-1B visas and better prepare your firm to employ or seek to employ high-skilled visa holders.

TAKEAWAYS:

• Strategies for initial filings
• Preparing successful responses to RFEs
• Business planning in the event of the unknown