top of page
Search

USCIS RESTORES POLICY QUALIFYING “COMPUTER PROGRAMMERS” FOR H-1B STATUS

Punhani Law Firm LLC

On February 3, 2021, the USCIS announced in a Policy Memorandum that it would once again consider “Computer Programmer” positions to qualify as a specialty occupation under the H-1B visa program. This February 2021 Memorandum rescinds the March 2017 USCIS Policy Memorandum, which instructed USCIS personnel to carefully examine whether computer programmer positions met the definition of a specialty occupation.


This came right after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals judgment dated December 16, 2020, in the case of Innova Solutions, Inc. v. Baran. This judgment has cleared the way for many companies who highly seek H-1B visas for Computer Programmer positions.


USCIS officers have now been instructed not to apply the March 2017 Policy Memorandum to any pending or new H-1B petitions, motions, or appeals. However, the Memorandum further claimed that entry-level computer programmer positions (i.e., wage level 1) would generally not qualify an individual for H-1B status given that some individuals without a bachelor’s degree may enter the occupation.


As background, prior to the March 2017 Policy Memorandum, USCIS had a long history of considering Computer Programmer positions to be specialty occupations for the purposes of H-1B petition adjudication.


For more information, reach out to our immigration experts at aarushi@punhanilaw.com or +1(973)577-6464, +1(212)457-1153.

6 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

ONLINE FILING FOR FORM I-765

USCIS has recently announced that F-1 students seeking optional practical training (OPT) can now file Form I-765 online. OPT is temporary...

Commenti


© 2023 by Punhani Law Firm LLC

bottom of page