This past year has seen some monumental shifts in education and work-based immigration. As we bring in the New Year, it is important to acknowledge the peculiarities of this year in the world of immigration, and to celebrate the victories we have had in the world of visa approval and immigration reform.
The number of education-based green cards doubled for this year due to the massive amount of unused family-based green cards during COVID-19 shutdowns worldwide. This provided the opportunity for hundreds of thousands of skilled foreign nationals to live and work in the United States and pursue citizenship.
This year, immigration lawyers, H-1B beneficiaries and their sponsors, and other active parties pulled together to block the lottery from being converted into a wage-based system. We fought for fair and legal H-1B visa adjudication in our petitions, RFE responses, and even in court. In result, the RFE rate plummeted and the H-1B visa approval rate rose. This took a massive effort, perseverance, and a healthy dose of creativity, and together we made massive strides.
Much of this year has been damage control from years of targeted attacks on the H-1B program, and from pandemic-based immigration hindrances. At CCI TheDegreePeople.com, we are excited for what 2022 holds, as we build on the momentum of the past year.
Sheila Danzig
Sheila Danzig is the director of CCI TheDegreePeople.com. Sheila specializes in overturning RFEs and Denials for work visas.