H-1B application process to begin from April 2; premium processing suspended
Wednesday, 21/03/2018
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/diaspora/h-1b-application-process-to-begin-from-april-2-premium-processing-suspended/561253.html
Washington : Petitions for H-1B visas, popular among Indian IT professionals, will be accepted from April 2, a federal agency announced on Wednesday.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) also announced the suspension of premium processing of all H-1B petitions which are subject to the annual caps.
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.
The H-1B petition filing is for the fiscal year 2019 beginning October 1, 2018.
The suspension of premium processing of all H-1B petitions which are subject to the annual caps is expected to last until September 10, 2018. During this time, the USCIS said it will continue to accept premium processing requests for H-1B petitions that are not subject to the fiscal 2019 cap.
"We will notify the public before resuming premium processing for cap-subject H-1B petitions or making any other premium processing updates," it said.
At the same time, the USCIS said while premium processing is suspended, a petitioner may submit a request to expedite an FY 2019 cap-subject H-1B petition if it meets the expedited criteria.
The USCIS said that the temporary suspension of premium processing will help it reduce overall H-1B processing time.
By temporarily suspending premium processing, the USCIS said it will be able to process long-pending petitions, which it has currently been unable to process due to the high volume of incoming petitions and the significant surge in premium processing requests over the past few years; and prioritise adjudication of H-1B extension of status cases that are nearing the 240-day mark.
As an H-1B non-immigrant, the applicant may be admitted for a period of up to three years. The time period may be extended, but generally cannot go beyond a total of six years. However, there are some exceptions to it.
The H1-B visa has an annual numerical limit cap of 65,000 visas each fiscal year as mandated by the Congress. The first 20,000 petitions filed on behalf of beneficiaries with a US master's degree or higher are exempt from the cap.
Additionally, H1-B workers who are petitioned for or employed at an institution of higher education or its affiliated or related nonprofit entities or a nonprofit research organisation or a government research organisation are not subject to this numerical cap.
According to the USCIS, between 2007 and 2017, it received the maximum number of 2.2 million H-1B petitions from high-skilled Indians. India was followed by China with 301,000 H-1B petitions during the same period.
Punjab Politics News
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Best move at this stage, say Cong leaders on Sonia return
Monday, 12/08/2019
http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
NEWDELHI: Several Congress leaders including veterans Captain Amarinder Singh and Ashok Gehlot welcomed Sonia Gandhi’s return to the helm of the party on Sunday, a day after the Congress Working Committee picked her as the interim chief following Rahul Gandhi’s resignation over poor Lok Sabha election results. -
DEMOLITION OF RAVIDAS TEMPLE – AMARINDER SEEKS PM’S INTERVENTION, TALKS TO HARDEEP PURI TO RESOLVE TENSION
Monday, 12/08/2019
https://www.brightpunjabexpress.com/index.php/2019/08/11/demolition-of-ravidas-temple-amarinder-seeks-pms-intervention-talks-to-hardeep-puri-to-resolve-tension/
Chandigarh : Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to personally intervene to resolve the tension triggered among the Ravidas community as a result of the recent demolition of the Sri Guru Ravidas Temple and Samadhi, located in Village Tughlakabad, Delhi, on the orders of the Supreme Court. -
CAPT AMARINDER URGES PAKISTAN NOT TO BACK DOWN FROM KARTARPUR COMMITMENT
Sunday, 11/08/2019
https://www.brightpunjabexpress.com/index.php/2019/08/11/capt-amarinder-urges-pakistan-not-to-back-down-from-kartarpur-commitment/
Chandigarh : Expressing concern over reports of a `discernible slowdown’ in Pakistan’s activities for the Kartarpur Corridor development, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday urged the neighbouring country not to back out from their commitment on this vital project, which was of supreme religious importance to the Sikh community. -
Just a political stunt, Say Punjab ministers on Phoolka’s resignation from assembly over Bargari
Sunday, 11/08/2019
https://www.brightpunjabexpress.com/index.php/2019/08/11/just-a-political-stunt-say-punjab-ministers-on-phoolkas-resignation-from-assembly-over-bargari/
Chandigarh : Questioning the former AAP leader’s motives in instigating legislators to quit over the Bargari issue, several Punjab Ministers have ridiculed the resignation drama of HS Phoolka as a stunt aimed at hogging public limelight amidst his dwindling political presence in the state. -
CM GREETS PEOPLE ON EID-UL-ZUHA
Sunday, 11/08/2019
https://www.brightpunjabexpress.com/index.php/2019/08/11/cm-greets-people-on-eid-ul-zuha/
Chandigarh : Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday greeted the people of Punjab, especially Muslims, on the eve of Eid-ul-Zuha (Bakrid). -
PUNJAB LAUNCHES ‘ROTAVIRUS VACCINE’ TO IMMUNIZE YOUNG CHILDREN
Thursday, 08/08/2019
https://www.brightpunjabexpress.com/index.php/2019/08/07/punjab-launches-rotavirus-vaccine-to-immunize-young-children/
Chandigarh : The Punjab Government today launched the ‘Rotavirus Vaccine’ under Routine Immunization Programme to control the diarrhoea cases among young children.
Punjab General News
RANA GURJIT SINGH INAUGURATES MARKFED SALES BOOTH AT LOHIAN
Thursday, 01/08/2019
https://www.brightpunjabexpress.com/index.php/2019/07/31/rana-gurjit-singh-inaugurates-markfed-sales-booth-at-lohian/
Jalandhar : In a major step to boost the rural economy besides providing employment to youth in villages, MARKFED has launched a sale booth in Lohian, which would, provides more than 100 eatable items.
NRI NEWS
Indian-Americans urge Trump to ‘fully support’ India on Kashmir
Sunday, 04/08/2019
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/diaspora/indian-americans-urge-trump-to-fully-support-india-on-kashmir/813832.html
Washington : The Indian-American community in the US has urged the Trump administration to “fully support” India’s decision to revoke the constitutional provision that accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir and to continue to exert pressure on Pakistan to end its support to cross-border terrorism.