 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
H-1B
Usage for Fiscal Year 2005
Foreign Pharmacists, Care
Plan Coordinators, Occupational Therapists, Physical
Therapists, Medical Technicians, Speech Therapists
and IT Professionals are eligible for a
professional visa to work in the US, referred to as an
H-1B1. This visa, with extensions, is valid for a period
of up to six (6) years. This visa is in high demand for
professionals as it is efficient, well tested and, with
premium processing can result in a decision within fifteen
(15) days. While in H
status, these professionals are allowed to start the
resident alien (green card) application
process.
As
you may be
aware, there is now
an annual cap of 65,000 H visas issued by the US
Department of Homeland Security. The cap
begins on
October 1,
2004, the beginning of the
federal fiscal year. Already
there have been approximately 30,000 H-1B visas
counted against this cap. This means that in only
a four month
period almost
50% of the H visas available for an entire year
have been utilized.
If the H visas continue to be requested and issued
at this same rate, then the FY 2005 cap can be reached as early as
November 2004.
In order to avoid missing out on obtaining
an H visa for your vital employee and to avoid an
interruption in business, we advise all clients to file as
early as possible to avoid missing these
visas.
For more information and questions about
filing a non-immigrant H-1B petition, please call our
US office at
603-228-1277.
New 'Passport Style' Photo
Standards
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
is in the process of transitioning from a 3/4 to
the full-frontal ('passport style') standard with respect
to photo requirements. They are currently still accepting
both photo standards.
September 1st the USCIS will begin
rejecting photos which are not 'passport
style'.
To
review the new USCIS photo specifications, please refer to
the 'Online Resources' section of this
newsletter.
CGFNS Statement on Visa
Assist Program Inc.
June 21, 2004: CGFNS has recently become aware that an
organization calling itself Visa Assist Program Inc., of
Largo, FL ("VAPI"), is
claiming that it has:
"filed all the required forms and
documentation (I-905) with the DHS and is providing
Certified Visa Certificates for not only nurses, but other
healthcare professionals as well. As of July 26, 2004 the
Certified Visa Certificate is mandatory for all foreign
healthcare providers who wish to enter, work or remain
employed legally in the United
States. The purpose of
this letter is to inform you that our certificate and
certification will be equivalent to that of CGFNS/ICHP for
licensure within all States."
This claim falsely implies that VAPI has
been authorized by the Department of Homeland Security
(DHS) to issue VisaScreen or similar certificates to
foreign healthcare workers. In fact, VAPI has not
been authorized by DHS to evaluate the credentials of, or
issue certificates to, foreign healthcare
workers. CGFNS reported this false and misleading
claim to the Department of Homeland Security on June 16,
2004, when DHS confirmed that the only authorized
credentialing organizations at present are NBCOT, FCCPT
and CGFNS/ICHP.
In the months leading up to VAPI's claim to
authorized status, CGFNS discovered that VAPI had copied
and used CGFNS' copyrighted materials on VAPI's website,
falsely implying that VAPI was affiliated with CGFNS or
authorized by CGFNS to use the copyrighted materials.
CGFNS contacted VAPI and requested that VAPI cease and
desist from copying and using CGFNS' materials. VAPI
recently removed CGFNS' copyrighted materials from the
VAPI website.
CGFNS wants all healthcare professionals and
all healthcare organizations to understand that it has no
relationship whatever with VAPI; that it has not
authorized VAPI to use CGFNS' forms or its website; and
that DHS has confirmed that VAPI has not been authorized
to issue certificates to foreign healthcare workers under
the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Did
you know?
If you were born in the United
States, in most cases, including Puerto Rico, Guam and
the US Virgin Islands, you are an American citizen at
birth (unless you were born to a foreign diplomat). Your
Birth certificate is proof of your US
citizenship. |
|
|
Take me out to the ball
game...
Goff and Wilson
has celebrated summer this year with NH Fisher Cats.
Our entire office and family
members attended last night’s
baseball game and had dinner in the den at Gill
Stadium in Manchester, NH.
Go Fisher
Cats! | |
|
 |
|
