Greetings!
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Late-breaking news on H-1B
Have any H-1B cap cases left to file? File now!
As of December 17, 2009 approximately 64,200 H-1B cap-subject petitions had been filed.USCIS has approved sufficient H-1B petitions for aliens with advanced degrees to meet the exemption of 20,000 from the fiscal year 2010 cap. Any H-1B petitions filed on behalf of an alien with an advanced degree will now count toward the general H-1B cap of 65,000. USCIS will continue to accept both cap-subject petitions and advanced degree petitions until a sufficient number of H-1B petitions have been received to reach the statutory limits, taking into account the fact that some of these petitions may be denied, revoked, or withdrawn.
Please contact our office immediately to initiate any new H-1B cap filings you may have.
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Managing Partner Lakshmi Challa Received LeadershIp Award
Individuals and organizations that have helped foster Asian-American-owned businesses and entrepreneurs in Virginia were honored on December 4th 2009 at the Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce's first Asian Business Gala.
The event at The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond also featured sights and sounds of Asian culture, including a replica of a Terracotta Army warrior statue from Xi'an, one of the four greatest capitals of ancient China.
The chamber presented 10 awards and three scholarships of $500 to Virginia students. Two of the awards were for entrepreneurship excellence.
The chamber also gave four awards for outstanding service to small Asian businesses in Virginia. The chamber presented four honorary awards: The Asian Leadership Inspiration Award went to Lakshmi Challa, principal of the Challa law firm in Henrico County. |
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Challa Law Team Will be in India in January/February 2010 Giving Seminars on " Immigration Strategies and Immigration Compliance"
The Challa Law team will be traveling to India and present seminars in Hyderabad, Vizag, Bangalore and Chennai. The objective of these seminars is to provide an overview of USA immigration strategies and educate on advanced immigration issues related to government processing Aden compliance. Please watch for further updated on dates and venues. All the seminars are free and will benefit new and experienced HR professionals, VPs in Global Rerouting, Senior Managers of MNCs, etc. |
USCIS Planning to Add Self-Check System to E-Verify Program USCIS is planning to add a new, self-checking system to its E-Verify employee screening program. The new self-checking system will allow persons to pre-screen themselves with the E-Verify system, prior to their employer's check of their immigration status. Over 170,000 employers currently have signed up to use the E-Verify system to verify the employment eligibility of new hires. Nearly all new hires are automatically approved by the system; those that aren't are allowed to contest their non-confirmation by E-Verify.
The new program, according to federal officials, will cut down on the number of individuals that need to contest their non-confirmed status. "[E-Verify] protects employees from exploitive employers," said Alejandro Mayorkas, the director of USCIS. "It enables employers to ensure the lawfulness of their work force, and therefore comply with the law."
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Idaho Company Receives Approval from USCIS to become EB-5 Regional Center for Foreign Investment
An Idaho-based company has just been approved by USCIS to be a new regional center for foreign investment. Invest Idaho LLC is one of 70 centers throughout the U.S. that is authorized by the federal government to provide funds from qualified foreign investors, in the U.S. under the EB-5 immigrant investor program, to local companies and organizations.
Invest Idaho's goal is to generate up to $50 million in funds from foreign investors in its initial stage. These funds will then be used to subsidize various projects located in the state of Idaho.
The EB-5 program, which was just extended by recent legislation, provides permanent residency status to foreign nationals who invest either $500,000 or $1 million in the U.S. and, through their investment, create a minimum of 10 jobs within a two-year period. |
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Disclaimer
This newsletter has been prepared for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No information included herein shall create an attorney/client relationship or constitute an invitation for such a relationship. This newsletter is not intended to be an advertisement. You should always seek professional, independent legal consultation before taking or refraining from any action. | |
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Sincerely,
Lakshmi Challa
Challa Law Offices
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Our New and Enhanced Website
You can now do the following on our improved website:
Schedule an appointment
Make a payment for your legal fees
Some features that have not changed include:
Our online case management systems, where employees and employers can check the status of a case online 24/7
Additionally, employers can still generate reports which facilitate tracking high-volume case status and progress, and provide an additional safeguard to ensure critical deadlines are met
Check out our website at www.challalaw.com |
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Don't Get Caught Off Guard by a DOL Audit
Challa Law Offices Offers Training: Employer's Obligations Under the H-1B Regulations. The four-part training session is offered to employers. Special features of the training include determining the "Required Wage Rate"; parameters of the LCA, ongoing employer obligations, maintaining public access and other records, and finally DOL enforcement and penalties. Contact us if you would like to learn more about the training sessions. | |
