Hi [FORMATTED_FIRST_NAME GOES HERE],
Happy Wednesday. ✨
Soundarya here, founder of unshackled.club. :)
It's been another intense week of working on the upcoming "Unshackled Book Tour", starting on April 2nd at the University of Pennsylvania. It will go on until April 23rd and end at SJSU. On that note, two updates:
- Law firm partner for UMass Amherst? Good news! We've finalized our law firm partners for all universities, except UMass Amherst, MA. If you know of a good law firm in the Massachusettes area, hit reply and let me know.
- RSVP for free today: The spots are filling up fast. Find your university and sign up for the Unshackled Campus Tour over here, for FREE. We're meticulously planning out the evening to it'll be a night to remember for you. :)
Now, onto the newsletter.
You're receiving this email as part of the Unshackled weekly newsletter. Immigration is a complex world. So every Wednesday, I simplify that by sharing breaking news, free webinar invites, & latest trends. If you find value in reading it, forward this to a lucky friend. If this was forwarded to you, get your own here! Read all the past editions here. 💃 |
This week's TL;DR
📌 UNfold: Breaking news
The recent changes in the H-1B visa application process in the United States have resulted in a substantial decrease in registrations, with the number dropping by half compared to previous years. USCIS expects around 350,000 applications this year, a stark contrast to the 758,994 applications received last year. USCIS has adjusted the registration process to address fraud concerns, implementing changes such as basing selections on unique beneficiaries rather than registrations as a whole. Furthermore, starting in 2025, USCIS will require valid passport or travel document information for each beneficiary registering for the H-1B lottery.
US lawmakers, including prominent figures like Congressman Ro Khanna and Congressman Eric Swalwell, address the Green Card backlog and H-1B visa issues at a Tech Immigration Summit. Calls are made to remove the 7% country quota for Green Cards, emphasizing the economic contributions of immigrants and the need for fair immigration policies.y system, prompting calls for a reevaluation of H-1B slot allocations.
Good news: the final action dates for EB-1 move forward by 5 months for Indian nationals from October 1st, 2020 to March 1st, 2021. The EB-1 dates for Chinese nationals also moved forward by 1.5 months to September 2022. For all other countries, EB-1 remains current. Even the EB-2 and EB-3 categories move by a month for Indian nationals.
🎁 UNlock: Webinar invites & resources
Are you an EB-1A aspirant from a tech field? Join Sameer Khedekar (immigration lawyer) and Siddharth Krishnan (EB-1A recipient) for a free AMA session this Sunday. They will discuss new and unique strategies you can use to effectively highlight the EB-1A worthiness of tech applicants!
Are you a student on F-1 visa hoping to apply for a green card? Check out this free guide by Phil Kuck, an immigration lawyer. Phil covers all of your options for working in the U.S. as well as obtaining a green card, along with common FAQs. Check it out!
On Jan. 30, 2024, USCIS announced a final rule to adjust certain immigration and naturalization benefit request fees for the first time since 2016. Unlike many other federal agencies, USCIS is almost entirely fee-funded. Approximately 96% of their funding is from filing fees, and only about 4% is from congressional appropriations. Given the fee increase is going into effect in a few weeks, check out the FAQs to stay on top of things!
💫 UNcover: Latest trends
🪄 UNveil: This week’s partners
Are you a student founder or an aspiring entrepreneur? Book a FREE, 30-minute consult with Charles Gillman, an accomplished immigration lawyer with three decades of experience. Charles is a Partner at Gonzalez Olivieri LLC, a well-regarded law firm based in Houston, Texas. Charles will take you through the available options to build your company on an H-1B, O-1, IEP, and more. This is a limited-time offer, so be sure to make good use of it!
Ready to ditch the confusion and take charge of your immigration journey? Connect with Poonam Gupta, a strategic immigration lawyer! Have a compassionate legal counsel by your side – one who understands not just the legalities, but the human story behind them. Poonam will help you create a tailored roadmap for your American dream, no matter what path you want to take. Book a free strategy session with Poonam.
👉 Want to put yourself in front of 11,000+ high-skilled immigrants? Just hit reply to start a conversation.
Until next week, stay lovely.
Yours truly,
Soundarya 💚
💡 None of the information shared in this newsletter is meant to be legal advice. If you're looking for legal advice, speak to a lawyer, or hit reply and let me know so I can connect you with one.