This is the sixth edition of Plugged-In, our monthly EV newsletter. In the last six months, we have covered multiple topics such as the United States’ decoupling agenda from China (and how that may not work in the...more
On July 1, 2020, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) entered into force and replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that governed continental trade for more than two and a half decades....more
The new and much anticipated United States, Mexico and Canada Agreement (USMCA) replacing and modernizing the 25 year old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has been in the headlines for a couple of years. The USMCA...more
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump signed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) Implementation Act, which ratifies the trade agreement that will soon replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)....more
This week House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives reached an agreement with the administration to proceed with a modified version of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement...more
Despite rumors that the TN visa category would be eliminated when the North America Free Trade Agreement (“NAFTA”) was replaced, the new US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (“USMCA”) appears to preserve the status quo. Consensus over...more
The United States has reached a new trade deal with Canada and Mexico, replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The new deal is largely focused on...more
Earlier this week, the U.S., Canada and Mexico reached agreement on a new trilateral trade pact to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The agreement will be known as the United States-Mexico-Canada...more
As the legal landscape of marijuana use shifts in both the United States and Canada, new questions arise as to the impact of drug use on admission to the United States. Currently, under both U.S. and Canadian federal law,...more
It has been reported that the Trump administration is working toward limiting the number of TN visas. Based on the precepts of the Buy American, Hire American executive order, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has started returning H-1B petitions to employers whose cases were not selected in the recent H-1B lottery selection process. The USCIS reported that a total of 195,000 H-1B...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memorandum effective November 20, 2017, that narrows the scope of occupations that are eligible for TN status in the Economist category. TN work authorization,...more
On November 20, 2017, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memorandum clarifying that the TN definition of “economists.” Background - On December 17, 1992, the presidents of the...more
The H-1B visa program allows companies in the United States to temporarily employ foreign workers in “specialty occupations.” In recent months, several changes to the program have either been announced or proposed, with...more
On December 18, 2018, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) issued a news release announcing “clarifying policy guidance” on eligibility standards for qualifying as a TN “Economist” under the North American Free...more
USCIS Permits Certain EAD Applicants to apply for a Social Security Number on Form I-765 - Based on a new information-sharing partnership between U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Social Security...more
President Trump Notifies Congress of Intent to Renegotiate NAFTA - On May 18, 2017, President Trump officially notified Congress of the administration’s intention to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement...more
The White House formally notified Congress on Thursday of the Trump administration’s intent to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The notification letter from U.S. Trade Representative Robert...more
The Trump Administration announced this week its intention to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Canada and Mexico. After some speculation of the administration's intent to withdraw entirely from...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
NOW is the time to identify employees who may need H-1B status to continue working in the United States and begin preparations to file an H-1B petition on April 1st. U.S. businesses use the H-1B program to employ foreign...more
With the inauguration just days away, what will the immigration landscape look like in the first 100 days of the Trump Administration? We can expect a lot of talk about enforcement, about the repeal of various executive...more
With the announcement of President-elect Trump's plan for his first 100 days in office and his selection for Secretary of Department of Homeland Security, it appears the new administration will focus not only on illegal...more
Immigration changes are widely expected to be a key focal point in President-elect Donald Trump’s administration. Although we do not yet have details on how specific policies and programs will be affected, below is a summary...more
More than 10 days have passed since the election results were revealed, and the United States now has a businessman as its president-elect ready to take office on January 20, 2017. However, despite his business background, it...more