The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced new efforts to “combat exploitative child labor,” which is largely the result of “an influx in migrant children from...more
On February 13, 2023, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced that U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh and Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker had signed a...more
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently announced that it is expanding a pilot program to eliminate admission stamps in passports. The record being eliminated is the ink stamp and not the “visa stamp” that a U.S....more
As of December 20, 2018, media reports indicate that President Trump does not intend to sign the stopgap funding bill that the U.S. Senate recently passed. If it is left unsigned, the risk of a partial government shutdown...more
On November 16, 2018, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director L. Francis Cissna suggested that USCIS will discontinue its policy of denying certain pending I-131, Application for Travel Document...more
U.S. employers that hire and place foreign workers with H-1B visas at third-party worksites may be faced with additional burdens in the H-1B petition process. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has released proposed changes...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that nationals of Honduras who wish to extend their temporary protected status (TPS) through the January 5, 2020, termination date must reregister during the...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that nationals of Nepal who wish to extend their temporary protected status (TPS) through the June 24, 2019, termination date must reregister during the...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) launched a modernized version of E-Verify on April 23, 2018. The changes are a result of feedback from E-Verify users and are intended to enhance the employment eligibility...more
There are unofficial reports that indicate that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is preparing to make an announcement regarding the end of temporary protected status (TPS) for approximately 9,000 Nepali...more
The extension of the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program for international students with degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) allows eligible students to apply to extend their...more
According to a recent announcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will be implementing a new pilot program, beginning April 30, 2018, purportedly “ to facilitate the adjudication and admission process of...more
According to a recent U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announcement, “USCIS has reached the congressionally-mandated 65,000 H-1B visa cap for fiscal year 2019.” The fiscal year (FY) 2019) H-1B cap filing...more
Since President Trump first issued his executive order suspending travel to the United States by certain foreign nationals, a flood of generalized reports regarding changes to U.S. port-of-entry inspection operations emerged....more
On December 27, 2016, the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) —the appellate body for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)—announced a new standard for National Interest Waiver visa petitions in a precedent...more
On October 20, 2016, the Department of Homeland Security issued a final rule requiring travelers holding People’s Republic of China (PRC) passports with B-1, B-2, or 10-year B-1/B-2 visas to enroll in the Electronic Visa...more
As the 2016 presidential election approaches, election reminders abound encouraging everyone to get out and vote on November 8th. Largely focused on the importance of participation, these messages do not typically distinguish...more
On October 24, 2016, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a final rule increasing filing fees associated with a significant number of immigration applications. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)...more
Over the summer, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published an updated edition of Form I-129S, Nonimmigrant Petition Based on Blanket L Petition. The new edition is dated “6/2/16.” Blanket L visa...more
The H-1B “cap season” has become an annual event for U.S. employers seeking work authorization for highly skilled foreign professionals. Working months in advance, employers and their attorneys prepare and submit H-1B...more
Companies must balance countervailing mandates under immigration law: verifying employment eligibility while not discriminating unlawfully. With the recent implementation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)...more