Miller Mayer immigration attorneys Steve Yale-Loehr and Kristal Ozmun wrote an article titled “Visa Options for Employees Who Lose the H-1B Lottery,” published on the Best Lawyers website on January 11, 2017. The article discusses the popularity of the H-1B visa category, its limited annual cap, and the consequential low percentage of foreign nationals who receive a lottery number. Steve and Kristal explain 11 other immigration options for employees who lose the H-1B lottery.
Miller Mayer immigration attorney Steve Yale-Loehr was quoted by various news outlets:
“Trump Says Mexico Should Reimburse U.S. for Border Wall.,” published in Yahoo News on January 7, 2017. Mr. Yale-Loehr said that to obtain money for building the wall once Donald Trump becomes President, he could reallocate current fiscal year funding at the Department of Homeland Security. If he wanted to raise visa and border crossing costs, Mr. Yale-Loehr said, the relevant U.S. agencies would need to publish regulations to this effect. Also, “he would need Congress to pass a funding bill to pay for the wall,” Mr. Yale-Loehr noted.
“Trump Faces Hurdles Turning Immigration Pledges Into Reality,” published by CNN.com on January 4, 2017. He agreed that Trump would be able to have meaningful impact during the first year of his presidency, but not to the extent suggested during the campaign. “On the campaign trail things are not nuanced. They’re black and white. It takes a while to turn the battleship of bureaucracy around.”
“Senators Reintroduce Legislation to Save ‘Dreamers’,” published by Bloomberg BNA on January 13, 2017. Commenting on companion legislation in the House of Representative to the Senate bill introduced in December, the “Bar Removal of Individuals who Dream and Grow our Economy (BRIDGE) Act,” Mr. Yale-Loehr said the bills would provide a legislative basis to give the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program permanent footing. He noted that there is growing activity by DACA recipients but that the BRIDGE Act’s prospects seem “dim given the Republican-controlled Congress.” DACA, which was established by executive order, covers more than 750,000 individuals.
“Trump, Tech Tycoons Talk Overhaul of H-1B Visas,” published by Reuters on January 12, 2017. He noted that although President-elect Donald Trump could initiate some changes to the visa program with executive actions once he becomes President, any significant shifts would likely need to go through a lengthy formal rulemaking process, and major changes could be subject to court challenges. Other reforms, like changing the H-1B visa cap or offering more green cards to high-tech workers, could require Congressional action, he noted.