Here’s some news and information of special interest to Filipinos. Please read this free information before emailing questions!
- Nurses and other workers in the EB-3 category – some of you were sponsored long ago for U.S. nursing and other jobs, then the recession happened and employers stopped hiring. There’s been a big demand for EB-3 visas recently which has caused “retrogression” – as of June 1, 2015, your priority date must be before 1, 2005 – that’s 10 years ago. It’s expected this will not improve until at least October 2015 when the new U.S. government fiscal year begins. At that point dates may move forward significantly, even to 2014, to give you some hope, but it all depends on demand for these visas.
- H-1B workers – U.S. employers hire a relatively low number of Filipinos on H-1B visas, about 4,300 in a recent year. Many are in health-related fields such as medical technologist. To get an H-1B visa, a U.S. employer has to sponsor you by offering a job and filing an immigration petition for you. This is not a visa leading to a green card; it’s a non-immigrant visa which means there’s a time limit on it, normally 3 years. This can be extended and the employer may also apply for a separate green card for you once you’re working for them in the U.S. That’s another lengthy process. There’s an H-1B quota each year, and it’s already been reached this year so new applications can’t be filed until April 1, 2016 by for-profit institutions. Some research and other not-for-profit institutions are exempt from the quota and these employers can apply at any time during the year.
- H-4 dependent spouses – some can now get work permits! As of May 26, some spouses of H-1B workers in the U.S. can apply for EADs – Employment Authorization Documents or work permits. There are strict requirements (of course)! Your spouse must be on her/his way to getting a green card through an approved I-140 petition or has been approved under AC21 to work and remain in the U.S. beyond the six-year H-1B time limit. Up to now, it’s been a real problem because spouses haven’t been allowed to work, which creates boredom, financial issues, and stress. This opens up a whole new world to these families of highly-skilled workers who America wants to retain.
- Fiance/e visas – there’s no quota for fiancé/e visas but only U.S. citizens can apply for their fiancé/e. A green card holder in the U.S. cannot apply for their fiancé/e. A reader recently asked me if there’s an easy way to get a fiancé/e visa and the answer is no, everyone’s got to go through the same steps no matter how much you love each other and no matter if you’re rich or poor! Manila has the largest number of fiancé/e or K-1 visa applications each year – 5,000! – and the embassy is very familiar with the requirements. You need to be too. You can see all the steps explained in our blog post from February – “How to Get Your Fiance/e Visa (in Many Many Steps)! at https://idakeirlaw.com/fiancee-visa/ PLEASE READ THIS POST BEFORE SENDING QUESTIONS. If you read it and then have questions or would like to find out more on how I can help you apply, you can schedule an initial consultation for $100 by emailing ida@idakeirlaw.com . The embassy also has good information at http://manila.usembassy.gov/kvisas.html
