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Jan 25 2003
Special Registration Expanded & Extended

Jan 17 2003
Experiences with Special Registration

Jan 13 2003
Special Registration in Effect for Saudi and Pakistani Males

Nov 17 2002
INS Announces Special Call-In for Some Nonimmigrant Aliens

Nov 11 2002
President Bush Signs Into Law New Provisions for H-1B Visa Extensions

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President Bush Signs Into Law New Provisions for H-1B Visa Extensions

In early November, the 21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act was signed into law by President Bush. Provisions of this new law increase state quotas for J-1 visa waivers from 20 to 30, and provide additional provisions for EB-5 Entrepreneur visa holders.

However, the most important facet of this new law is the provision enabling 7th year extensions for H-1B visa holders. While 7th year extensions were previously allowed, enacted in an October 2000 law, these extensions were hard to receive and extremely restrictive. In the October 2000 law, candidates were required to file I-140 petitions in addition to labor certification applications filed one year earlier.

This new law, however, enables H-1B visa holders to extend their status past the six year point in increments of one year, as long as one year or more has passed since the filing of any labor certification or I-140 petition. This new provision loosens the restrictive control of the previous law and enables a more realistic, and reachable, possibility for extension for H-1B visa holders.