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

<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>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”>


<!–AUTHOR NAME START–>
Wolfsdorf Rosenthal
<!–END AUTHOR NAME–>

</a></h4>

<div class=”post-content”>
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.
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.
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.
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 RELX, Inc. v. Baran, 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.
A table summarizing key data points follows:
<table style=”height: 240px;” width=”814″>
<thead>
<tr>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”60″>Fiscal Year</td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”135″>H-1B Initial Approvals</td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″>H-1B Completions with RFE</td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″>H-1B Approvals After RFE</td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″>L-1A/B Initial Approvals</td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″>L-1A/B Completions with RFE</td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″>L-1A/B Approvals After RFE</td>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”60″>2015</td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”135″>95.7%</td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″>22.3%</td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″>83.2%</td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″>83.7%</td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″>34.3%</td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″>53.5%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”60″>2018</td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”135″>84.5%</td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″>38.0%</td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″>62.4%</td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″>77.8%</td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″>45.6%</td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″>52.9%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”60″>2019 (Q1-3)</td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”135″>83.9%</td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″>39.6%</td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″>62.7%</td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″>72.0%</td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″>53.7%</td>
<td style=”text-align: center;” width=”97″>50.7%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
 
More Information
<ul>
<li><a style=”color: #0000ff;” href=”https://bit.ly/2Zfgvf2″>USCIS statistics</a></li>
<li><a style=”color: #0000ff;” href=”https://casetext.com/case/relx-inc-v-baran”>RELX, Inc. v. Baran case text</a></li>
<li><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></li>
</ul>
</div>

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.

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

<!–AUTHOR BIO START–>

Wolfsdorf Rosenthal 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.

<!–END AUTHOR BIO–>
<hr/>
<div class=”ilwFinePrint”>The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinion of 
ILW.COM.</div>
</div>
{$inline_image

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

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

You May Also Be Interested In:

Footer