USCIS Begins to Reverse Course on H-1B Petitions

Employers and employees are beginning to see a shift from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Companies (USCIS) on illegal restrictions of the H-1B specialty occupation visa class.

Over the previous 9 months, USCIS rescinded three coverage memoranda after federal courts discovered the company’s positions to be opposite to the legislation and laws. Two had been rescinded in June 2020, and the third in February 2021. On March 12, USCIS introduced a process by which a number of the H-1B petitions denied primarily based on any of those coverage memos could also be reviewed and authorised.

Jobs within the H-1B visa class require the noncitizen to have extremely specialised data acquired by way of a bachelor’s or increased diploma in a “particular specialty” or equal on the entry stage.

An appellate courtroom rejects USCIS’ determination that laptop programmer shouldn’t be a specialty occupation

In December 2020, the Ninth Circuit U.S. Courtroom of Appeals concluded that USCIS unlawfully denied a pc programmer H-1B petition.

In its denial, USCIS claimed that primarily based on the Division of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) entry, laptop programmers usually are not usually required to have a bachelor’s diploma. The OOH gives profiles of tons of of occupations that characterize most jobs in the US.

USCIS ignored the OOH’s statements that “[m]ost laptop programmers have a bachelor’s diploma in laptop science or a associated topic; nonetheless some employers rent employees with an affiliate’s diploma . . .” and {that a} bachelor’s diploma is the “typical” training stage “most employees want” to enter the occupation.

As a substitute, USCIS severely misinterpret the OOH as offering that “most” laptop programmers get hold of “both” a bachelor’s or an affiliate’s diploma. The courtroom stated:

[USCIS’ interpretation of the OOH was] past saving. There isn’t a “rational connection” between the one supply USCIS cited [the OOH], which indicated most laptop programmers have a bachelor’s diploma and {that a} bachelor’s diploma shouldn’t be usually required.

In response to the Ninth Circuit determination, USCIS rescinded its 2017 laptop programmers coverage memo on February 3, 2021. The company acknowledged that its interpretation within the 2017 memorandum was the identical because the interpretation the courtroom rejected.

USCIS might reopen or rethink some H-1B petitions denied primarily based on the illegal insurance policies

On March 12, USCIS issued a discover that provides some firms an opportunity to beat H-1B petition denials primarily based on the rescinded laptop programmer coverage memo or both of the coverage memos rescinded in June 2020 (about figuring out the H-1B employer-employee relationship and about proof of contracts and itineraries).

However there are strings hooked up. First, an organization should file a movement, for which USCIS prices a $675 submitting payment. Second, the H-1B petition that USCIS denied should have time remaining wherein the international nationwide might work for the corporate if USCIS granted the movement and authorised the petition. Whereas these limitations doubtless will end in fewer firms receiving favorable choices than the quantity truly harmed by the sooner denials, the discover is a optimistic signal that USCIS is extending reduction to firms that had not filed lawsuits.

Challenges proceed

Regardless of this optimistic signaling on H-1B petitions, challenges stay.

Seven firms just lately challenged USCIS’ rejection of their H-1B petitions, filed after October 1, for together with an supposed employment begin date after October 1. No legislation, regulation or type directions require an employer to specify solely an October 1 begin date. Because it has with earlier insurance policies, USCIS ought to reverse course and permit these plaintiffs and different firms that acquired rejections to re-file.

FILED UNDER: H-1B, USCIS