26 May

Sticky

Department of Labor issued final rules for new overtime changes

in News

Last week, the Department of Labor issued final rules that will increase more than double the current minimum salary required for employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act. If the proposed changes are published as anticipated, you may have to act within 60 days in order to comply. For tips about compliance with new rules please visit http://sbshrs.adpinfo.com/flsa ...

16 May

0 Comments

Sticky

USCIS will increase citizenship application fees

Posted by Metin Caglar

in News

This week United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has announced that it will propose a fee increase for U.S. Citizenship application to $725. Currently, thesefees are $680 that includes $85 bio metrics fee for each person....

30 April

0 Comments

Sticky

The U.S. Department of Labor is expected to release a new overtime rule in May.

Posted by Metin Caglar

in News

In the beginning of March, the Department of Labor submitted a final proposal for a revision to the FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) that would require overtime pay for all employees making less than $50,440 per year. Currently, salaried employees who make more than $23,660 are exempt from overtime requirements. This will be the second threshold that’s only been raised since 1975. The pending FLSA will raise the annual salary for overtime-exempt, salaried employees from $23,660 to $48,000 or above (the final figure is expected in May). What does it mean? That means companies with salaries employees will have to make two choice:...

08 April

0 Comments

Sticky

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reached the congressionally mandated H-1B cap for fiscal year (FY) 2017

Posted by Metin Caglar

in News

H-1B visas that allow certain foreign individuals to work and live in the United States has reached its annual cap limits as of April 7, 2016. USCIS received more than the limit of 20,000 H-1B petitions filed under the U.S. advanced degree exemption however, USCIS will continue to accept and process petitions that are otherwise exempt from the cap....

01 April

0 Comments

Sticky

New STEM OPT rule has been published effective May 10, 2016

Posted by Metin Caglar

in News

The new rule pertaining to optional practical training (OPT) for certain students with degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) was published in the Federal Register on Friday, March 11, 2016. The OPT extension period for STEM OPT students is increased from 17 months to 24 months for applications adjudicated on and after the May 10, 2016. The 24-month extension, when combined with the period of standard post-completion OPT that must precede an application for STEM OPT, allows qualifying STEM students up to 36 months of post-completion optional practical training....

23 March

0 Comments

Sticky

Last Call For H-1B Work Visas for the Fiscal Year 2017

Posted by Metin Caglar

in News

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin accepting H-1B petitions on April 1st, 2016. The cap on H-1B nonimmigrant work visas for 2016-2017 is 65,000. The first 20,000 H-1B petitions filed for individuals with a U.S. Master's Degree or higher are exempt from the 65,000 cap.If more visas than the amount specified are submitted then a "lottery" is conducted. We believe that the cap will be filled for the first week of April, 2016 and then the lottery is conducted as last year....

09 March

0 Comments

Sticky

Florida revised its death penalty laws

Posted by Metin Caglar

in News

Recently, Florida legislature passed a new bill requiring at least 10 out of 12 jurors recommend death penalty for it be carried out. Florida previously required that a majority of jurors recommend death sentences. In January 2016, however, Florida U.S. Supreme Court found that Florida's current law unconstitutional reasoning that it allowed judges to reach a different decision than juries, which has only advisory role in recommending the death penalty for the convicted. Also, this new law prohibits judges from imposing the death penalty if the jury doesn’t recommend it. Death penalty still remains a controversial issue in the US. In February one of US Court of Appeals...

02 March

0 Comments

Sticky

New York judge ruled against the U.S. government that government can’t force Apple to unlock an iPhone to investigate a drug dealer.

Posted by Metin Caglar

in News

On Monday, NY federal Judge sided with Apple in a separate drug case indicating that a 18th-century law, called the All Writ’s Act, doesn’t give the government a power to force Apple to derive data from a locked phone. All writ's act was part of the 1789 U.S. Judiciary Act. The "Writ " means "Formal Order" that gives a federal judge to compel an individual to do necessary and proper things within the boundaries of law. Recently, however, a California judge in San Bernardino case sided with government saying that Apple should help government in unlocking a cellphone used by a shooter. The heart of the legal contention in California case was that whether the government can use...

26 February

0 Comments

Sticky

Federal judge approves nearly $1 billion settlement between US government and Native American tribes

Posted by Metin Caglar

in News

A federal judge has approved a nearly $1 billion settlement between the Obama administration and Native American tribes over claims the government shorted tribes on contract costs to manage education, law enforcement and other federal services even as far back as the 1970's. It is expected that nearly 700 tribes or tribal agencies will claim this approved compensation....

24 February

0 Comments

Sticky

Johnson & johnson lost the law suit and ordered to pay 72M over cancer death

Posted by Metin Caglar

in News

New Jersey based health care giant Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay $72 million in damages to the family of an Alabama woman who died from ovarian cancer allegedly caused by using the company’s Baby Powder. A St. Louis jury reached the verdict Monday night, awarding the family of Jackie Fox, $10 million in actual damages and $62 million in punitive damages....