Where are we next month? The United States Immigration and Citizenship Services (USCIS) has announced that for the September 2024 Visa Bulletin, applicants must use the Final Action Dates chart for employment-based preference...more
In light of prolonged Department of Labor (DOL) processing times and recent regulatory settlements involving the DOL and Department of Justice, employers are reevaluating their approaches to securing permanent residence...more
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently updated guidance in its policy manual regarding international students within F and M student classifications. This new guidance consolidates and provides greater...more
The increasing need for talented workers in the United States has more and more employers considering eliminating bachelor’s degree requirements from job descriptions. A recognition of the value of skills and experience over...more
On September 30, 2023, President Joe Biden signed into law stopgap funding legislation that temporarily averted a government shutdown. The legislation, which passed the U.S. Congress with bipartisan support and extended...more
This is the second of the two-part series Navigating Changes to a Job Post-PERM Certification, which evaluates the impact a job change may have on an approved, certified PERM and during a foreign national’s green card...more
Employers in the automotive industry should be aware of the impact the United Auto Workers strike could have on its employees with immigration considerations. A federal government shutdown is also likely, which could impact...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: If Congress cannot resolve funding issues by 11:59 pm EST on September 30, 2023, resulting in a federal government shutdown, it will have a ripple effect on employers, both large and small, with an impact...more
Annually, at the outset of the federal fiscal year, the U.S. Congress must reach an agreement to fund the federal government. If Congress cannot agree and pass the necessary appropriations bill, a partial government shutdown...more
Information regarding priority date retrogression, CBP stampless entry and increased DOL processing times are included in this month’s edition of Immigration Insider....more
As we move deeper into the new year, the U.S. government continues to try to resolve the challenges facing the immigration system due to the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting processing backlogs. These...more
Employers know that U.S. immigration laws are complex, and the Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) long processing delays – coupled with recent layoffs in the tech industry – have further complicated matters by adding new fact...more
Businesses across industries are reducing their workforces and implementing hiring freezes amid increasing labor costs and fears of slower economic growth. In fact, reports suggest that tens of thousands of workers could be...more
The U.S. Department of State publishes a Visa Bulletin in the middle of each month that contains information related to current immigrant visa availability (i.e., ability to apply for the final step of the Permanent Residency...more
October 1, 2023 marked the start of the federal government’s fiscal year 2023 (FY 2023), with the Department of State (DOS) October Visa Bulletin taking effect the same day. What is sure to be disappointing to many is the...more
With hundreds of immigration forms to track— and more appearing under new legislation consistently— a case management system (CMS) is a software that can help organizations ensure quick and hassle-free immigration compliance...more
In July 2022, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services will use the Final Action chart. China EB-2 Final Action cutoff dates will advance by one month and India EB-2 Final Action cutoff dates will advance by three months....more
The country dodged a government shutdown at the end of September, but we may be faced with the same problem on December 3, 2021, when Congress will again have to fund the government. Because we often come close to a shutdown...more
On July 20, 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit held that the Immigration and Nationality Act (“INA”) precludes court review of a decision by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) to revoke a...more
In February, we outlined some immediate and anticipated changes in the business immigration environment after the Biden Administration took office. Now that several months have passed and the Administration has had time to...more
After federal courts blocked their first attempt in December, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) recently published a new final rule seeking to again increase the minimum wage paid to foreign workers when sponsored for an...more
On December 1, 2020, a U.S. Federal District Court in California set aside the two Interim Final Rules announced in October by the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) and the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”). ...more
The US District Court for the Northern District of California on Tuesday set aside two Interim Final Rules (IFRs) that sought to restrict severely eligibility for the H-1B Specialty Occupation nonimmigrant category....more
After much anticipation and unprecedented delay, the U.S. Department of State has announced the per-country priority date cut-offs for the November 2020 Visa Bulletin. The monthly visa bulletins indicate who may file an...more
In June, President Trump issued a proclamation that suspended the issuance of certain nonimmigrant visas and required the Secretaries of Labor and Homeland Security to provide recommendations on measures to protect the U.S....more