Beginning February 19, 2019, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will resume premium processing for all categories of H-1B petitions that were filed on or before December 21, 2018. USCIS has been gradually...more
On January 31, 2019, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published its H-1B registration rule in the Federal Register, formalizing changes to the H-1B selection process. The new regulation, which will take effect on...more
Recently, we have seen several news stories discussing a rumored government proposal to eliminate H-1B extensions beyond the standard six-year limit. No such action has yet been taken, and to date H-1B visa holders may...more
On October 3, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will begin accepting premium processing requests for all categories of H-1B petitions. In March 2017, USCIS had suspended the premium...more
On January 27, 2017, President Trump issued Executive Order 13769, entitled “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States,” (EO1), which went into effect immediately. In EO1, the president invoked...more
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Immigrant and Employee Rights Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division (DOJ-IER) issued statements signaling their cooperation with...more
In the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Tuesday, December 8, 2015, to tighten security measures and impose new restrictions on the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). The VWP...more
As of August 19, 2015, full enforcement of a recent Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) decision in Matter of Simeio Solutions, LLC, 26 I&N Dec. 542 (AAO 2015) will commence.
On April 9, 2015, the AAO—the appellate body...more
Executive Action on Immigration Halted -
On February 16, 2015, Judge Andrew S. Hanen of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas ordered a temporary injunction to halt key portions of President...more
As part of a broader, ongoing effort to forge closer relations with Cuba, the Obama administration has enacted a new set of regulations intended to facilitate certain forms of authorized travel to Cuba. The regulations, which...more
1/28/2015
/ Amended Regulation ,
Banking Sector ,
Barack Obama ,
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
Cuba ,
Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR) ,
Embargo ,
Executive Orders ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Export Controls ,
Exports ,
Foreign Relations ,
Imports ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Sanctions ,
Telecommunications ,
Trade Relations ,
Travel Permits ,
U.S. Commerce Department ,
U.S. Treasury
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
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 Monday, March 31, 2014. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will accept cap-subject...more
On June 26, 2013, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a decision in United States v. Windsor. The Court ruled that a provision of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which had denied federal benefits to...more
7/8/2013
/ Barack Obama ,
Civil Unions ,
DOMA ,
Domestic Partnership ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Mandates ,
Immigration Reform ,
Marriage ,
Marriage Equality ,
Same-Sex Marriage ,
SCOTUS ,
US Department of State ,
US v Windsor ,
USCIS ,
Visas
On June 26, 2013, the Supreme Court of the United States struck down a provision of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) that denied federal benefits to same-sex partners....more
The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and Ogletree Deakins have received reports of a telephone scam that is targeted at foreign nationals and designed to fraudulently elicit money and personal information....more
The filing period for “new” H-1B petitions to be counted against the annual H-1B quota (the “H-1B cap”) for FY 2014 begins on Friday, March 29, 2013. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will accept cap-subject...more
As we reported in the October/November 2012 issue of the Immigration eAuthority, in September 2012, a new visa processing system aimed at streamlining and standardizing visa application procedures for all applicants, was...more
Under the terms of an agreement simplifying the U.S.-Russia bilateral visa program, American and Russian travelers for business or tourism are now eligible to receive three-year, multiple-entry visas authorizing stays for up...more
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has indicated that it will further expand its use of “integrity” measures in the permanent labor certification program. These measures include the conduct of audit investigations and...more
The application period for the Department of State’s (DOS) Diversity Visa (DV) (“green card”) lottery for Fiscal Year 2014 began on October 2, 2012. Interested persons have until 12:00 noon Eastern Daylight Time on November...more
On June 23, 2011, North Carolina’s E-Verify legislation (HB 36) was signed into law. The law requires all cities, counties, and private employers with 25 or more employees in North Carolina to verify the employment...more
The U.S. Embassy in India announced, on September 5, 2012, that it is implementing a new visa processing system at all U.S. consular posts in India. The new system will streamline and standardize the visa application...more