October brings seasonal reminders for employees who are starting employment pursuant to H-1B status as well as some current changes to employment-based permanent resident applicants. In addition, the White House has issued...more
On October 3, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the suspension of premium processing which started on April 3, 2017, for all H-1B petitions will now resume for all H-1B cases.
In this...more
On September 24, 2017, President Trump issued Travel Ban 3.0 restricting travel to the United States from eight countries, including five that were subject to the previous travel ban. This new travel ban was issued as the...more
On September 18, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that premium processing will resume for a limited type of H-1B petition. USCIS will resume premium processing for all H-1B petitions subject...more
Over the summer of 2017, several significant immigration changes have taken place, including the announcement on September 5 rescinding Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), new requirements for in-person interviews...more
Summer travel is in full swing as we approach the Fourth of July holiday weekend. This year foreign nationals need to be prepared for stricter scrutiny, longer wait times at consulates, and delays at airports and borders....more
On June 26, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court granted the United States’ petitions for certiorari partially stayed lower courts’ injunctions in cases consolidated under the name Trump v. International Refugee Assistance Project...more
6/27/2017
/ Bona Fide Relationship Test ,
Certiorari ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Refugees ,
SCOTUS ,
Travel Ban ,
Trump Administration ,
Trump v Hawaii ,
Trump v International Refugee Assistance Project
On Friday, June 23, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that premium processing for H-1B petitions — which the agency suspended for all such petitions beginning April 3, 2017 — will be brought...more
The H-1B work visa is in a state of transition. Companies and workers who rely on H-1B visas should be aware of several important changes this spring on the H-1B category, including an update on the H-1B lottery conducted by...more
On March 6, 2017, the White House issued a new version of the Presidential Executive Order on Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States (Travel Ban 2.0) and revoked the January 27, 2017...more
On March 3, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the suspension of premium processing for all H-1B petitions. This suspension starts April 3, 2017, and affects all types of H-1B cases. As outlined...more
April 1, 2017 is the first day U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will accept H-1B cap-subject petitions for the FY 2018 allotment of visas for foreign national professionals in specialty occupations....more
Changes coming from the White House, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and the State Department (DOS) on travel and related issues are challenging companies...more
2/13/2017
/ Customs and Border Protection ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Foreign Workers ,
Iran ,
Iraq ,
Libya ,
Refugees ,
Somalia ,
Sudan ,
Syria ,
Travel Ban ,
Trump Administration ,
USCIS ,
Visas ,
Yemen
Starting January 17, 2017, the long-awaited regulations for high-skilled workers incorporating provisions of the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century Act of 2000 (AC21) and the American Competitiveness and...more
August ushers in a host of immigration-related news and updates, ranging from fine increases to wait times for visa appointments. Stay up-to-date with some quick notes on these issues.
DOJ Fines Increase as of August 1,...more
The long-awaited final rule on the F-1 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education) Optional Practical Training (OPT) Extension, authorizing a new 24-month STEM extension for qualified foreign students, took...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on April 12, 2016, that more than 236,000 cap subject H-1B petitions were received between April 1 and April 7 — about 3,000 more petitions for FY 2017 were filed...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced April 7, 2016, that between April 1, 2016, and April 7, 2016, it received more than 65,000 cap-subject H-1B petitions and more than 20,000 H-1B petitions for...more
April 1, 2016, is the first day U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will accept H-1B cap-subject petitions for next year's allotment of visas for foreign national professionals in specialty occupations....more
On March 3, 2016, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched a pilot program intended to streamline the employment-based immigration process in certain visa categories. The program will modify the process U.S....more
3/8/2016
/ Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
E-12 ,
E-13 ,
Federal Pilot Programs ,
H-1B ,
Hiring & Firing ,
L-1A ,
L-1B ,
NAFTA ,
USCIS ,
Visas ,
Work Visas
On January 23, 2016, Judge Huvelle of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia granted a motion to extend the current stay of her prior order which will allow the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to utilize...more
The long-awaited proposed rule — “Retention of EB-1, EB-2 and EB-3 Immigrant Workers and Program Improvements Affecting High-Skilled Nonimmigrant Workers” (aka I-140/AC21/EAD Proposed Rule) — was published in the Federal...more
1/20/2016
/ Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
EB-1 ,
EB-2 ,
EB-3 ,
Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) ,
Federal Register ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
I-140 ,
Popular ,
USCIS ,
Work Visas
April 1 is the first day U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will accept H-1B cap-subject petitions for the 2016 allotment of visas for foreign national professionals in specialty occupations. Cap-subject H-1B...more
The long-awaited proposed rule on F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT) was published in the Federal Register on October 19, 2015, by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The proposed rule is titled “Improving and...more
10/30/2015
/ CIP ,
Colleges ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
E-Verify ,
Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) ,
Form F-1 ,
OPT ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Rulemaking Process ,
STEM ,
Universities ,
USCIS ,
Visas
As previously reported in our legal update from September 10, 2015, the Department of State (DOS) made a major change to the Visa Bulletin in early September. Then, on September 25, 2015, that Visa Bulletin was rescinded and...more