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Corporate Corner: H-1B and L-1A/B Visas Are Getting Harder To Obtain
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</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”>
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Wolfsdorf Rosenthal
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<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>
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<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>
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<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>
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<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>
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<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>
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<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>
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About The Author<br/>
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<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.
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