• Home
  • About Us
    • Stacy E. Cozart Martin
    • Michael M. Jolic
    • Scott Bratton
    • Staff
  • Services
    • Non-Immigrant Visas
      • E-1/E-2 Visas
      • H-1B Visas
      • H-1B visas for Physicians
      • H-2B Visas
      • J-1 Visa Waivers
      • L-1A and L-1B Non-immigrant Visas
      • O-1 Visa
      • The TN for Professionals
    • Immigrant Visas
      • EB-11 Alien of Extraordinary Ability
      • EB-12 Outstanding Professors or Researchers
      • Multi-National Executive or Manager Category
      • Immigrant Investors/Employment Creation Visas
      • Immigration Issues for Physicians
      • National Interest Waivers (NIW)
      • National Interest Waiver for Physicians Working in Medically Underserved Areas
      • Permanent Residency based on Labor Certification (PERM)
      • I-9 Services
    • Asylum, Deportation, Removal and Crimmigration
      • Asylum
      • Removal Proceedings
      • Crimmigration
      • Bond
      • Appeals – Board of Immigration Appeals
      • Federal Appeals
      • Federal Litigation in District Courts
      • I-601A/I-212
      • Motion to Reopen
  • Consultation
  • News
  • Contact

Mobile Menu

Schedule A Consultation Now!

Give us a call to speak with an immigration attorney.

Se habla español.

(216) 328-9878

  • Menu
  • Skip to left header navigation
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

Speak with an Immigration Attorney  (216) 328-9878   Se habla español

MJB Immigration

Immigration Attorneys

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Services
    • Non-Immigrant Visas
      • E-1/E-2 Visas
      • H-1B Visas
      • H-1B Visas for Physicians
      • H-2B Visas
      • J-1 Visa Waivers
      • L-1A and L-1B Visas
      • O-1 Visas
      • The TN for Professionals
    • Immigrant Visas
      • EB-11 Visas
      • EB-12 Visas
      • Multi-National Executive or Manager Category
      • Immigrant Investors/Employment Creation Visas
      • Immigration Issues for Physicians
      • National Interest Waivers (NIW)
      • National Interest Waiver for Physicians Working in Medically Underserved Areas
      • Permanent Residency based on Labor Certification (PERM)
      • I-9 Services
    • Asylum, Deportation, Removal and Crimmigration
      • Asylum
      • Removal Proceedings
      • Crimmigration
      • Bond
      • Appeals – Board of Immigration Appeals
      • Federal Appeals
      • Federal Litigation in District Courts
      • I-601A/I-212
      • Motion to Reopen
  • Consultation
  • News
  • Contact

Article: Corporate Corner: H-1B and L-1A/B Visas Are Getting Harder To Obtain By Wolfsdorf Rosenthal

August 22, 2019

<div itemscope itemtype=”http://schema.org/Article”>
<h3 itemprop=”name”>
<!–ARTICLE TITLE START–>
Corporate Corner: H-1B and L-1A/B Visas Are Getting Harder To Obtain
<!–END ARTICLE TITLE–>
</h3><h4><i>by <a href=”http://discuss.ilw.com/articles/articles/391486-article-corporate-corner-h-1b-and-l-1a-b-visas-are-getting-harder-to-obtain-by-wolfsdorf-rosenthal#bio”>
<span itemprop=”author” itemscope itemtype=”http://schema.org/Person”>
<span itemprop=”name”>
<!–AUTHOR NAME START–>
Wolfsdorf Rosenthal
<!–END AUTHOR NAME–>
</span></span>
</a></i></h4><br/>

<div class=”post-content”>
<p><span style=”color: #000000;”>As many in the field have observed, obtaining an H-1B or L-1B/A visa, along with other visa types, has become more difficult in the wake of President Trump’s “Buy American and Hire American” executive order. Most notable has been an increase in denials and requests for evidence (RFEs), which are serving as an end-run around the usual pathway to change through law, regulation, and policy. The ultimate outcome is that admissions of highly skilled foreign-born scientists, engineers, and other professionals are being curtailed.</span></p>
<p><span style=”color: #000000;”>New U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) statistics confirm this phenomenon. In FY 2015, 95.7 percent of H-1B specialty occupation petitions for a nonimmigrant worker (Form I-129) were approved, and the approved petitions with an RFE were at 83.2 percent. By FY 2018, approvals had dropped to 84.5 percent, with approved petitions with an RFE at 62.4 percent. So far in FY 2019, approvals are at 83.9 percent, with approved petitions with an RFE at 62.7 percent.</span></p>
<p><span style=”color: #000000;”>Also, in FY 2015, for intracompany transferees (L-1A and B), 83.7 percent were approved, with the approved petitions with an RFE at 53.5 percent. In FY 2018, the approval rate had dropped to 77.8 percent, with approved petitions with an RFE at 52.9 percent. So far in FY 2019, approvals are at 72.0 percent, with approved petitions with an RFE at 50.7 percent.</span></p>
<p><span style=”color: #000000;”>Some creative workarounds have been reported. For example, because Canadian blanket L visas cannot be renewed at the border with the United States now, some Canadians sent to various consulates in Europe have obtained L visas there. And in <em>RELX, Inc. v. Baran</em>, a district court recently granted summary judgment in favor of LexisNexis and a data analyst who sued after an H-1B petition on her behalf was denied.</span></p>
<p><span style=”color: #000000;”>A table summarizing key data points follows:</span></p>
<table style=”height: 240px;” width=”814″>
<thead>
<tr>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”60″><span style=”color: #000000;”><strong>Fiscal Year</strong></span></td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”135″><span style=”color: #000000;”><strong>H-1B Initial Approvals</strong></span></td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″><span style=”color: #000000;”><strong>H-1B Completions with RFE</strong></span></td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″><span style=”color: #000000;”><strong>H-1B Approvals After RFE</strong></span></td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″><span style=”color: #000000;”><strong>L-1A/B Initial Approvals</strong></span></td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″><span style=”color: #000000;”><strong>L-1A/B Completions with RFE</strong></span></td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″><span style=”color: #000000;”><strong>L-1A/B Approvals After RFE</strong></span></td>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”60″><span style=”color: #000000;”><strong>2015</strong></span></td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”135″><span style=”color: #000000;”>95.7%</span></td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″><span style=”color: #000000;”>22.3%</span></td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″><span style=”color: #000000;”>83.2%</span></td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″><span style=”color: #000000;”>83.7%</span></td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″><span style=”color: #000000;”>34.3%</span></td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″><span style=”color: #000000;”>53.5%</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”60″><span style=”color: #000000;”><strong>2018</strong></span></td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”135″><span style=”color: #000000;”>84.5%</span></td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″><span style=”color: #000000;”>38.0%</span></td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″><span style=”color: #000000;”>62.4%</span></td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″><span style=”color: #000000;”>77.8%</span></td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″><span style=”color: #000000;”>45.6%</span></td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″><span style=”color: #000000;”>52.9%</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”60″><span style=”color: #000000;”><strong>2019 (Q1-3)</strong></span></td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”135″><span style=”color: #000000;”>83.9%</span></td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″><span style=”color: #000000;”>39.6%</span></td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″><span style=”color: #000000;”>62.7%</span></td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″><span style=”color: #000000;”>72.0%</span></td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″><span style=”color: #000000;”>53.7%</span></td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″><span style=”color: #000000;”>50.7%</span></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style=”color: #000000;”><strong>More Information</strong></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style=”color: #0000ff;”><a style=”color: #0000ff;” href=”https://bit.ly/2Zfgvf2″>USCIS statistics</a></span></li>
<li><span style=”color: #0000ff;”><a style=”color: #0000ff;” href=”https://casetext.com/case/relx-inc-v-baran”><em>RELX, Inc. v. Baran</em> case text</a></span></li>
<li><span style=”color: #0000ff;”><a style=”color: #0000ff;” href=”https://nfap.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/H-1B-Denial-and-RFE-Increase.NFAP-Policy-Brief.July-2018.pdf”>National Foundation for American Policy Brief</a></span></li>
</ul>
</div>

<p>This post originally appeared on <a href=”https://wolfsdorf.com/blog/2019/08/12/corporate-corner-h-1b-and-l-1a-b-visas-are-getting-harder-to-obtain/” target=”_blank”>Wolfsdorf Rosenthal</a>. Reprinted with permission.</p>
</span>

<hr/><h4>
<a name=”bio”></a>
About The Author<br/>
</h4>

<!–AUTHOR BIO START–>

<p>
<b>Wolfsdorf Rosenthal</b> is established in 1986, Wolfsdorf Rosenthal LLP is a full-service, top-rated immigration law firm providing exceptional immigration and visa services. With over 30 years of experience and offices in Los Angeles, New York, Oakland, San Francisco, Santa Monica, and Shanghai, the firm specializes in providing global immigration solutions for investors, multinational corporations, small businesses, academic and research institutions, artists and individuals.
Wolfsdorf Rosenthal attorneys are experts in their field and are featured contributors and speakers at local, national and global immigration forums and publications. They are also consistently recognized for their work and honored by the most prestigious awards on a national and global level.
</p>
<!–END AUTHOR BIO–>
<p><hr/>
<div class=”ilwFinePrint”>The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinion of <span itemprop=”publisher” itemscope itemtype=”http://schema.org/Organization”>
<span itemprop=”name”>ILW.COM</span></span>.</div></p>
</div>
{$inline_image

Filed Under: Uncategorised

You May Also Be Interested In:

Legal Alert Title

May 11 – Permanent Residency, House Bill

Article: Obtaining I-551 Stamp as Evidence of Conditional Lawful Permanent Residency during COVID-19 By Wolfsdorf Rosenthal LLP

Article: Stuck Abroad And Unable To Return To The U.S. Within 180 Days? By David H. Nachman, Esq., Michael Phulwani, Esq. and Ludka Zimovcak, Esq.

May 8 – Travel Restrictions, COVID-19

May 7 – Top Articles And News For April 2020

Article: Recommendations for U.S.C.I.S. Reopening Offices during Covid-19 By Alan Lee, Esq.

Article: COVID-19 Exacerbates Form I-829 Processing Pain for EB-5 Investors, Mandamus Lawsuits Growing in Popularity By Matt Galati

May 6 – Healthcare Immigration Now

Previous Post: « Aug 21 – RSS Feed Fixed
Next Post: Aug 22 – H-1B and L-1A/B Visas, Public Charge Rule »

Primary Sidebar

Have a Quick Question?

Send us a message and one of our immigration attorneys will respond to you within 24 hours.

Newsletter

Sign up to get free resources, tips, and directory of our firm.

Not a real newsletter

Footer

Follow us on social media

Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Instagram

Martin Jolic and Bratton LLC (formerly known as Sharon & Kálnoki LLC) is a full service Cleveland-based immigration law practice. We offer representation for almost all immigrant and nonimmigrant processes to clients worldwide.

Phone: (216) 328-9878
Fax: (216) 328-9879
Email: info@mjbimmigration.com

6050 Oak Tree Blvd., Suite 250
Independence, Ohio 44131

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Services
  • Consultation
  • News
  • Contact

Site Footer

Attorney advertising. This website is informational only. Information provided herein does not address any specific set of individual facts. Each immigration case is unique and nothing on this or associated pages, documents, forms, comments, e-mails, articles or other communication constitutes legal advice for any individual case or situation. Information provided on this site is not intended as a substitute for legal advice directed to a particular set of circumstances. Legal advice on specific, individual cases should be obtained from an experienced immigration attorney. In exchange for using this site to gather information, you agree not to hold any person involved in the preparation and presentation of this site responsible or liable, either directly or indirectly, for any damages whatsoever that may arise from the use, misuse, and/or reliance on anything contained within this site. Viewing or using information presented on this website is not privileged and does not create an attorney-client relationship. An attorney-client relationship will be created only upon the express agreement of the parties.

Copyright © 2022