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Applying for an H-1b visa? See what’s new

February 25th, 2019

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    Dear friends,

    As every year, we would like to remind you that it is the time to start prepare your H-1b visa application that has to be filed by April 1st.

    Recently, USCIS announced a new rule that affects the lottery process. As you know, the number of H1b visas available every fiscal year is 85,000:

    • 65,000 – (“regular cap” for professionals with a bachelors’ degree) and,
    • 20,000 (“advanced degree exemption” for advanced degree professionals—master, phd, doctorate, etc.)
    • There are certain H-1b visas not subject to the yearly cap, available for employees of universities, government agencies and non-profit research organizations.

    On April 1st, USCIS will start accepting H1b visa applications, and will likely accept applications for 4 to 5 business days. Generally USCIS receives over 200,000 applications during the initial filing period.  To determine which applications will be processed, USCIS assigns a number to each application and categorizes them as “regular cap” or “advanced degree exemption”. Before the new rule, the lottery for “advanced degree exemption”  happened first until 20,000 applications were selected. All the applications not selected were moved to the second phase, the general pool, along with the other applications for professionals with bachelors (“regular cap”) until they reach a total of  65,000.

    The new rule has altered this process. Now all the applications go first to the general pool, (bachelor’s and advanced degree) until 65,000 applications are picked and then, all the “advanced degree exemption” applications not selected, are moved to the second phase where only the advanced degree professionals participate until 20,000 are selected.

    This change in the process means that now, those applicants with a master’s degree or higher have more chances to be picked in the lottery. Actually, USCIS estimates the increase of advanced degree workers by approximately  16% (5,340 workers).

    If the application gets selected, the officer will first review if the application meets all the requirements and those applications with “administrative” errors are immediately rejected (missing the filing fees, incomplete forms, missing signatures, etc.). It is therefore, very important to have an immigration lawyer with experience with H1-b non immigrant visas, to review the case and documentation, and to file your case properly.  Our H1b lawyers at FitzGerald Law Company have efficiently helped many individuals as well as businesses with their H1-b visa applications for years and we are ready to help you.  Call: (617) 303-2600 (ext. 0) to schedule an appointment with one of our Boston immigration attorneys.

    Respectfully,

    The FitzGerald Law Company Team

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    The information contained in this Web site is general in nature and subject to change at any point in time. As such, it may not necessarily apply to all situations. Therefore, under no circumstance it should be construed as legal advice. Please ensure that you consult with an attorney regarding your specific situation before starting a legal process. By providing us your email address and phone number you authorize us to communicate with you using these methods, including text messages.

    Client Reviews and Testimonials

    See all reviews or organize them by website!

    I really like that they speak so many languages and can help anyone!

    FitzGerald Law Company recently handled my immigration case for me and everything turned out great! The staff is excellent all the way from the secretary and assistant all the way up to the attorney. My attorney was Desmond Fitzgerald himself and he was excellent.

    Swarsatie R.

    They have been very supportive and professional

    My family and I have had an excellent experience with Desmond and his team at FitzGerald Law Company. They have been very supportive and professional, addressing our every concern. I feel fortunate to have found them and worked with them on my son's immigration case.

    Yoseph A.

    Highly recommend their services

    My husband and I reached out to FitzGerald Law Company, and we can only speak very highly of them. Very professional & reliable. I want to say big thanks to Desmond and Zrinka, who helped us throughout my immigration process. Highly recommend their services!

    Natasha A.

    They are on top of everything

    The Fitzgerald team is great and ready to help. They provide accurate information and never give a false picture of one's situation. They are on top of everything and work with you. The team are very thorough at what they do. I would highly recommend their legal services.

    Patricia M.

    The service was efficient, professional and precise

    I highly recommend Fitzgerald law company. The service was efficient, professional and precise. My lawyer, Juan Congote, helped me get through the green card process. I had zero problems and it was very fast. Juan was very meticulous with the documents until the very end. I really liked that!

    Valerio B.

    A very well organized firm, experienced and professional.

    My experience was exceptionally great. A very well organized firm, experienced and professional. Customer service was excellent and the lawyer that handled my case, Desmond Fitzgerald was the best. He was very thorough and very experienced. He knows what he's talking about. All in all, I had a positive experience and I highly recommend this company, especially Desmond Fitzgerald, he's awesome.

    Mike A.

    They helped me with a personal injury case

    Highly recommend Mr Desmond Fitzgerald and his team. They helped me with a personal injury case. He was realistic about outcomes and professional and came through for me.

    Garo M.

    Experienced, professional, and caring

    It was a great pleasure to have Mr. FitzGerald as my attorney. He was always there when I needed him. He is experienced, professional, and caring. I would recommend his services to anyone. I greatly appreciate what he did for me and would like to take the chance to express my gratitude to his hard work. Thank you very much Mr. FitzGerald. You'r the best...

    Ahmed B.

    I really like that they speak so many languages and can help anyone!

    FitzGerald Law Company recently handled my immigration case for me and everything turned out great! The staff is excellent all the way from the secretary and assistant all the way up to the attorney. My attorney was Desmond Fitzgerald himself and he was excellent.

    Swarsatie R.

    They have been very supportive and professional

    My family and I have had an excellent experience with Desmond and his team at FitzGerald Law Company. They have been very supportive and professional, addressing our every concern. I feel fortunate to have found them and worked with them on my son's immigration case.

    Yoseph A.

    Highly recommend their services

    My husband and I reached out to FitzGerald Law Company, and we can only speak very highly of them. Very professional & reliable. I want to say big thanks to Desmond and Zrinka, who helped us throughout my immigration process. Highly recommend their services!

    Natasha A.

    They are on top of everything

    The Fitzgerald team is great and ready to help. They provide accurate information and never give a false picture of one's situation. They are on top of everything and work with you. The team are very thorough at what they do. I would highly recommend their legal services.

    Patricia M.

    The service was efficient, professional and precise

    I highly recommend Fitzgerald law company. The service was efficient, professional and precise. My lawyer, Juan Congote, helped me get through the green card process. I had zero problems and it was very fast. Juan was very meticulous with the documents until the very end. I really liked that!

    Valerio B.

    A very well organized firm, experienced and professional.

    My experience was exceptionally great. A very well organized firm, experienced and professional. Customer service was excellent and the lawyer that handled my case, Desmond Fitzgerald was the best. He was very thorough and very experienced. He knows what he's talking about. All in all, I had a positive experience and I highly recommend this company, especially Desmond Fitzgerald, he's awesome.

    Mike A.

    They helped me with a personal injury case

    Highly recommend Mr Desmond Fitzgerald and his team. They helped me with a personal injury case. He was realistic about outcomes and professional and came through for me.

    Garo M.

    Experienced, professional, and caring

    It was a great pleasure to have Mr. FitzGerald as my attorney. He was always there when I needed him. He is experienced, professional, and caring. I would recommend his services to anyone. I greatly appreciate what he did for me and would like to take the chance to express my gratitude to his hard work. Thank you very much Mr. FitzGerald. You'r the best...

    Ahmed B.

    Very professional and dedicated a lot of time to my case

    Very professional and dedicated a lot of time to my case...kept me in the know throughout the whole process. I definitely recommend FitzGerald Law Company to anyone looking for representation in a court case. Thank you Desmond and the entire team.

    James K.

    He explained things in a way that was easily understandable and things went smoothly

    Mr Desmond and his team did a remarkable job in immigration for my family and I. He explained things in a way that was easily understandable and things went smoothly. Highly recommended

    Gassim F.

    They made the process very smooth and pleasant

    Desmond and his team did a great job during my husband’s green card application. Very diligent, reliable and knowledgeable. They made the process very smooth and pleasant. Highly recommended!

    Karol S.

    The team is wonderful, efficient and very helpful/ professional

    The best lawfirm in Massachusetts. The team is wonderful, efficient and very helpful/ professional.

    Zulia O.

    Very professional and dedicated a lot of time to my case

    Very professional and dedicated a lot of time to my case...kept me in the know throughout the whole process. I definitely recommend FitzGerald Law Company to anyone looking for representation in a court case. Thank you Desmond and the entire team.

    James K.

    He explained things in a way that was easily understandable and things went smoothly

    Mr Desmond and his team did a remarkable job in immigration for my family and I. He explained things in a way that was easily understandable and things went smoothly. Highly recommended

    Gassim F.

    They made the process very smooth and pleasant

    Desmond and his team did a great job during my husband’s green card application. Very diligent, reliable and knowledgeable. They made the process very smooth and pleasant. Highly recommended!

    Karol S.

    The team is wonderful, efficient and very helpful/ professional

    The best lawfirm in Massachusetts. The team is wonderful, efficient and very helpful/ professional.

    Zulia O.

    They make the process as simple as possible

    Our experience with the FitzGerald Law Company is beyond positive. They make the process as simple as possible and are there to help and support the entire time. Everyone we've been in touch from their office was nice and helpful. We won the case and we would definitely use their services again. Thank you Juan & the team!

    Anonymous for Firm

    They put in a lot of time into my case all the while keeping me informed of any and all developments

    A very professional and committed team...They put in a lot of time into my case all the while keeping me informed of any and all developments. I definitely recommend FitzGerald Law Company to anyone seeking legal representation. Thank you Desmond and the entire team.

    Anonymous for Firm

    Highly recommend their services

    My husband and I reached out to FitzGerald Law Company, and we can only speak very highly of them. Very professional & reliable. I want to say big thanks to Desmond and Zrinka, who helped us throughout my immigration process. Highly recommend their services!

    Anonymous for Firm

    They are on top of everything

    The Fitzgerald team is great and ready to help. They provide accurate information and never give a false picture of one's situation. They are on top of everything and work with you. The team are very thorough at what they do. I would highly recommend their legal services.

    Anonymous for Firm

    I was very happy working with them and will be happy to work with them again

    The lawyer did an excellent job, it was really wonderful and inspiring to have him as a lawyer, he truly handled my case and everything went as expected. They always call or sent me an email to inform me the progress of my case, I am always feel welcomed when I meet with them. I was very happy working with them and will be happy to work with them again in the future.

    Anonymous for Firm

    I would definitely recommend Desmond and FitzGerald & Company to anyone looking for a professional, trustful immigration lawyer

    Desmond FitzGerald and his staff handles the daunting immigration legal paperwork with the utmost professionalism but always keeping the experience personal and realistic. I always felt that that I mattered. FitzGerald & Company has many payment options and they work with you to set up a payment plan which is affordable. {para}I would definitely recommend Desmond and FitzGerald & Company to anyone looking for a professional, trustful immigration lawyer.

    Anonymous for Firm

    They make the process as simple as possible

    Our experience with the FitzGerald Law Company is beyond positive. They make the process as simple as possible and are there to help and support the entire time. Everyone we've been in touch from their office was nice and helpful. We won the case and we would definitely use their services again. Thank you Juan & the team!

    Anonymous for Firm

    They put in a lot of time into my case all the while keeping me informed of any and all developments

    A very professional and committed team...They put in a lot of time into my case all the while keeping me informed of any and all developments. I definitely recommend FitzGerald Law Company to anyone seeking legal representation. Thank you Desmond and the entire team.

    Anonymous for Firm

    Highly recommend their services

    My husband and I reached out to FitzGerald Law Company, and we can only speak very highly of them. Very professional & reliable. I want to say big thanks to Desmond and Zrinka, who helped us throughout my immigration process. Highly recommend their services!

    Anonymous for Firm

    They are on top of everything

    The Fitzgerald team is great and ready to help. They provide accurate information and never give a false picture of one's situation. They are on top of everything and work with you. The team are very thorough at what they do. I would highly recommend their legal services.

    Anonymous for Firm

    I was very happy working with them and will be happy to work with them again

    The lawyer did an excellent job, it was really wonderful and inspiring to have him as a lawyer, he truly handled my case and everything went as expected. They always call or sent me an email to inform me the progress of my case, I am always feel welcomed when I meet with them. I was very happy working with them and will be happy to work with them again in the future.

    Anonymous for Firm

    I would definitely recommend Desmond and FitzGerald & Company to anyone looking for a professional, trustful immigration lawyer

    Desmond FitzGerald and his staff handles the daunting immigration legal paperwork with the utmost professionalism but always keeping the experience personal and realistic. I always felt that that I mattered. FitzGerald & Company has many payment options and they work with you to set up a payment plan which is affordable. {para}I would definitely recommend Desmond and FitzGerald & Company to anyone looking for a professional, trustful immigration lawyer.

    Anonymous for Firm

    I really like that they speak so many languages and can help anyone!

    FitzGerald Law Company recently handled my immigration case for me and everything turned out great! The staff is excellent all the way from the secretary and assistant all the way up to the attorney. My attorney was Desmond Fitzgerald himself and he was excellent.

    Swarsatie R.

    They have been very supportive and professional

    My family and I have had an excellent experience with Desmond and his team at FitzGerald Law Company. They have been very supportive and professional, addressing our every concern. I feel fortunate to have found them and worked with them on my son's immigration case.

    Yoseph A.

    Highly recommend their services

    My husband and I reached out to FitzGerald Law Company, and we can only speak very highly of them. Very professional & reliable. I want to say big thanks to Desmond and Zrinka, who helped us throughout my immigration process. Highly recommend their services!

    Natasha A.

    They are on top of everything

    The Fitzgerald team is great and ready to help. They provide accurate information and never give a false picture of one's situation. They are on top of everything and work with you. The team are very thorough at what they do. I would highly recommend their legal services.

    Patricia M.

    The service was efficient, professional and precise

    I highly recommend Fitzgerald law company. The service was efficient, professional and precise. My lawyer, Juan Congote, helped me get through the green card process. I had zero problems and it was very fast. Juan was very meticulous with the documents until the very end. I really liked that!

    Valerio B.

    A very well organized firm, experienced and professional.

    My experience was exceptionally great. A very well organized firm, experienced and professional. Customer service was excellent and the lawyer that handled my case, Desmond Fitzgerald was the best. He was very thorough and very experienced. He knows what he's talking about. All in all, I had a positive experience and I highly recommend this company, especially Desmond Fitzgerald, he's awesome.

    Mike A.

    They helped me with a personal injury case

    Highly recommend Mr Desmond Fitzgerald and his team. They helped me with a personal injury case. He was realistic about outcomes and professional and came through for me.

    Garo M.

    Experienced, professional, and caring

    It was a great pleasure to have Mr. FitzGerald as my attorney. He was always there when I needed him. He is experienced, professional, and caring. I would recommend his services to anyone. I greatly appreciate what he did for me and would like to take the chance to express my gratitude to his hard work. Thank you very much Mr. FitzGerald. You'r the best...

    Ahmed B.

    Very professional and dedicated a lot of time to my case

    Very professional and dedicated a lot of time to my case...kept me in the know throughout the whole process. I definitely recommend FitzGerald Law Company to anyone looking for representation in a court case. Thank you Desmond and the entire team.

    James K.

    He explained things in a way that was easily understandable and things went smoothly

    Mr Desmond and his team did a remarkable job in immigration for my family and I. He explained things in a way that was easily understandable and things went smoothly. Highly recommended

    Gassim F.

    They made the process very smooth and pleasant

    Desmond and his team did a great job during my husband’s green card application. Very diligent, reliable and knowledgeable. They made the process very smooth and pleasant. Highly recommended!

    Karol S.

    The team is wonderful, efficient and very helpful/ professional

    The best lawfirm in Massachusetts. The team is wonderful, efficient and very helpful/ professional.

    Zulia O.

    They make the process as simple as possible

    Our experience with the FitzGerald Law Company is beyond positive. They make the process as simple as possible and are there to help and support the entire time. Everyone we've been in touch from their office was nice and helpful. We won the case and we would definitely use their services again. Thank you Juan & the team!

    Anonymous for Firm

    They put in a lot of time into my case all the while keeping me informed of any and all developments

    A very professional and committed team...They put in a lot of time into my case all the while keeping me informed of any and all developments. I definitely recommend FitzGerald Law Company to anyone seeking legal representation. Thank you Desmond and the entire team.

    Anonymous for Firm

    Highly recommend their services

    My husband and I reached out to FitzGerald Law Company, and we can only speak very highly of them. Very professional & reliable. I want to say big thanks to Desmond and Zrinka, who helped us throughout my immigration process. Highly recommend their services!

    Anonymous for Firm

    They are on top of everything

    The Fitzgerald team is great and ready to help. They provide accurate information and never give a false picture of one's situation. They are on top of everything and work with you. The team are very thorough at what they do. I would highly recommend their legal services.

    Anonymous for Firm

    I was very happy working with them and will be happy to work with them again

    The lawyer did an excellent job, it was really wonderful and inspiring to have him as a lawyer, he truly handled my case and everything went as expected. They always call or sent me an email to inform me the progress of my case, I am always feel welcomed when I meet with them. I was very happy working with them and will be happy to work with them again in the future.

    Anonymous for Firm

    I would definitely recommend Desmond and FitzGerald & Company to anyone looking for a professional, trustful immigration lawyer

    Desmond FitzGerald and his staff handles the daunting immigration legal paperwork with the utmost professionalism but always keeping the experience personal and realistic. I always felt that that I mattered. FitzGerald & Company has many payment options and they work with you to set up a payment plan which is affordable. {para}I would definitely recommend Desmond and FitzGerald & Company to anyone looking for a professional, trustful immigration lawyer.

    Anonymous for Firm

    I really like that they speak so many languages and can help anyone!

    FitzGerald Law Company recently handled my immigration case for me and everything turned out great! The staff is excellent all the way from the secretary and assistant all the way up to the attorney. My attorney was Desmond Fitzgerald himself and he was excellent.

    Swarsatie R.

    They have been very supportive and professional

    My family and I have had an excellent experience with Desmond and his team at FitzGerald Law Company. They have been very supportive and professional, addressing our every concern. I feel fortunate to have found them and worked with them on my son's immigration case.

    Yoseph A.

    Highly recommend their services

    My husband and I reached out to FitzGerald Law Company, and we can only speak very highly of them. Very professional & reliable. I want to say big thanks to Desmond and Zrinka, who helped us throughout my immigration process. Highly recommend their services!

    Natasha A.

    They are on top of everything

    The Fitzgerald team is great and ready to help. They provide accurate information and never give a false picture of one's situation. They are on top of everything and work with you. The team are very thorough at what they do. I would highly recommend their legal services.

    Patricia M.

    The service was efficient, professional and precise

    I highly recommend Fitzgerald law company. The service was efficient, professional and precise. My lawyer, Juan Congote, helped me get through the green card process. I had zero problems and it was very fast. Juan was very meticulous with the documents until the very end. I really liked that!

    Valerio B.

    A very well organized firm, experienced and professional.

    My experience was exceptionally great. A very well organized firm, experienced and professional. Customer service was excellent and the lawyer that handled my case, Desmond Fitzgerald was the best. He was very thorough and very experienced. He knows what he's talking about. All in all, I had a positive experience and I highly recommend this company, especially Desmond Fitzgerald, he's awesome.

    Mike A.

    They helped me with a personal injury case

    Highly recommend Mr Desmond Fitzgerald and his team. They helped me with a personal injury case. He was realistic about outcomes and professional and came through for me.

    Garo M.

    Experienced, professional, and caring

    It was a great pleasure to have Mr. FitzGerald as my attorney. He was always there when I needed him. He is experienced, professional, and caring. I would recommend his services to anyone. I greatly appreciate what he did for me and would like to take the chance to express my gratitude to his hard work. Thank you very much Mr. FitzGerald. You'r the best...

    Ahmed B.

    Very professional and dedicated a lot of time to my case

    Very professional and dedicated a lot of time to my case...kept me in the know throughout the whole process. I definitely recommend FitzGerald Law Company to anyone looking for representation in a court case. Thank you Desmond and the entire team.

    James K.

    He explained things in a way that was easily understandable and things went smoothly

    Mr Desmond and his team did a remarkable job in immigration for my family and I. He explained things in a way that was easily understandable and things went smoothly. Highly recommended

    Gassim F.

    They made the process very smooth and pleasant

    Desmond and his team did a great job during my husband’s green card application. Very diligent, reliable and knowledgeable. They made the process very smooth and pleasant. Highly recommended!

    Karol S.

    The team is wonderful, efficient and very helpful/ professional

    The best lawfirm in Massachusetts. The team is wonderful, efficient and very helpful/ professional.

    Zulia O.

    They make the process as simple as possible

    Our experience with the FitzGerald Law Company is beyond positive. They make the process as simple as possible and are there to help and support the entire time. Everyone we've been in touch from their office was nice and helpful. We won the case and we would definitely use their services again. Thank you Juan & the team!

    Anonymous for Firm

    They put in a lot of time into my case all the while keeping me informed of any and all developments

    A very professional and committed team...They put in a lot of time into my case all the while keeping me informed of any and all developments. I definitely recommend FitzGerald Law Company to anyone seeking legal representation. Thank you Desmond and the entire team.

    Anonymous for Firm

    Highly recommend their services

    My husband and I reached out to FitzGerald Law Company, and we can only speak very highly of them. Very professional & reliable. I want to say big thanks to Desmond and Zrinka, who helped us throughout my immigration process. Highly recommend their services!

    Anonymous for Firm

    They are on top of everything

    The Fitzgerald team is great and ready to help. They provide accurate information and never give a false picture of one's situation. They are on top of everything and work with you. The team are very thorough at what they do. I would highly recommend their legal services.

    Anonymous for Firm

    I was very happy working with them and will be happy to work with them again

    The lawyer did an excellent job, it was really wonderful and inspiring to have him as a lawyer, he truly handled my case and everything went as expected. They always call or sent me an email to inform me the progress of my case, I am always feel welcomed when I meet with them. I was very happy working with them and will be happy to work with them again in the future.

    Anonymous for Firm

    I would definitely recommend Desmond and FitzGerald & Company to anyone looking for a professional, trustful immigration lawyer

    Desmond FitzGerald and his staff handles the daunting immigration legal paperwork with the utmost professionalism but always keeping the experience personal and realistic. I always felt that that I mattered. FitzGerald & Company has many payment options and they work with you to set up a payment plan which is affordable. {para}I would definitely recommend Desmond and FitzGerald & Company to anyone looking for a professional, trustful immigration lawyer.

    Anonymous for Firm