US H-1B Extension Delays Spark Concern for Tech Giants
Immigration experts are sounding the alarm over delays in processing H-1B extensions for employees of major tech companies like Microsoft, Cognizant, and Infosys.
The attorneys, Rahul Reddy and Emily Neumann, expressed concern that the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is not honoring premium processing timelines. According to Reddy, these companies employ a large number of Indians, while Neumann pointed out that there has been no clarification or statement from the departments on this issue.
The USCIS requires employers to file Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, requesting an extension of the worker's H-1B status. Employers can also file Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service, which currently requires USCIS to take action within 15 business days after receiving the request and fee.
Recently, the Department of Labor suspended new Green Card PERM filings for Cognizant due to a federal fraud investigation, but this has nothing to do with H-1B extension cases. A new rule introduced by the Trump administration in September requires H-1B sponsoring employers to be scanned for their layoff history and may result in denied petitions if they have fired Americans to hire foreigners.