On March 9, 2016, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released an advance copy of the final rule pertaining to optional practical training (OPT) for certain students with degrees in science, technology, engineering, or...more
Congressional standoff over immigration plays out through debate on DHS funding bill -
A chess match continues to be fought in Congress over the fate of President Obama’s executive action on immigration. The standoff...more
The filing period for “new” H-1B petitions to be counted against the annual H-1B quota (the “H-1B cap”) for FY 2016 will begin on Wednesday, April 1, 2015. Cap-subject H-1B petitions will have an employment start date of...more
As predicted in the August/September 2014 issue of the Immigration eAuthority, the U.S. Department of State’s (DOS) Visa Bulletin for November 2014 indicates that the priority date for the employment-based second preference...more
The filing period for “new” H-1B petitions to be counted against the annual H-1B quota (the “H-1B cap”) for FY 2015 begins on Tuesday, April 1, 2014. Note that petitions need to be mailed on March 31 to ensure receipt by the...more
“E-Verify” is an internet-based system, operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA). Used in conjunction with Form I-9, Employment Eligibility...more
At the federal level, E-Verify is mandatory only for certain federal contractors and subcontractors who must use E-Verify to confirm that particular employees are authorized to work in the United States. At the state level,...more
The U.S. Department of State’s (DOS) Visa Bulletin sets out per country priority dates that regulate when an individual can begin the final phase of the “green card” process, either through adjustment of status or consular...more
An important issue for many employers that use electronic I-9 systems is the pre-population of employee information in Section 1 of the I-9 form by electronic I-9 programs. Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, is...more
A recent interim policy memorandum, released by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), clarifies the degree completion requirements for the 17-month extension of Optional Practical Training (OPT) available to...more
Earlier this year, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) introduced a revised Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, the form that must be completed by all employers to verify the employment...more
Since the creation of the L visa category in 1970, the L-1 statutory provisions have been modified several times. In recent years, L-1 cases have been subject to heightened scrutiny both by the U.S. Citizenship and...more
On March 1, 2013, the Budget Control Act, including sections mandating across-the-board budget cuts to federal agencies (known as “sequestration”), went into effect. The sequester is likely to negatively impact immigration...more
According to a final regulation, published on January 3, 2013, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has established a new process for certain individuals to apply for provisional unlawful presence waivers...more
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that, beginning February 1, 2013, the agency will collect a $165 Immigrant Visa Department of Homeland Security Domestic Processing Fee (USCIS Immigrant Fee)...more