U.S. Businesses Resolve Lawsuit Challenging USCIS’ Rejections of H-1B Petitions with a Start Date After October 1

WASHINGTON—On Thursday, seven U.S. businesses dismissed their lawsuit  against U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services after the agency agreed to accept and adjudicate the H-1B nonimmigrant employment-based petitions previously rejected by the agency. The businesses filed suit in March challenging USCIS’ arbitrary rejection of H-1B petitions filed after October 1 solely because the H-1B workers' intended employment start date fell after October 1.   

The American Immigration Council—with co-counsel Mintz Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.; Joseph & Hall P.C.; Meyner and Landis LLP; Driggs Immigration Law; and Barnes & Thornburg LLP— filed the suit in the federal district court for the District of Massachusetts to stop USCIS’ arbitrary and capricious refusal to accept timely and properly filed H-1B petitions, which are subject to the annual statutory cap on H-1B visa numbers allocated each year.  

The H-1B visa category is for employment of highly educated foreign professionals in “specialty occupations” that require at least a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent in a specific specialty. 

“Arbitrary rejections restrict business immigration in the United States. The resolution of this case showcases the importance of litigating to challenge unlawful agency actions and advance a fair process for employment-based immigration,” said Leslie K. Dellon, senior attorney (business immigration) at the American Immigration Council.  

“We dismissed the lawsuit because USCIS promptly corrected its error. All of our clients’ applications have now been accepted by USCIS. It is unfortunate that legal action was required. But we thank USCIS for doing the right thing,” Mintz members and co-counsel for the plaintiffs Douglas Hauer and Laurence A. Schoen.  

### 

For more information, contact: 

Maria Frausto, American Immigration Council, [email protected], 202-507-7526.