The Department of Homeland Security recently published a Final Rule in the Federal Register establishing a filing fee increase that will go into effect on April 1, 2024. The new fee schedule significantly increases several...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services recently announced it will increase the filing fee for Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing. The fee change will go into effect for all Premium Processing requests received on...more
On December 21, 2023, the Department of State announced that it will be launching a pilot program to resume renewals of H-1B nonimmigrant visas in the United States for certain qualified foreign nationals. Prior to the...more
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has issued updated guidance on the adjudication of National Interest Waivers (“NIW”) for petitioners holding advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering...more
On March 15, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced it is updating its guidance on how the agency interprets the regulatory requirement that U.S. employers must demonstrate their ability to pay prospective...more
On February 14, 2023, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services announced it is updating the method by which the agency calculates a child’s age under the Child Status Protection Act for children charged to the...more
All applicants for lawful permanent residency in the United States are required to submit to a medical examination to ensure that they are not carrying any communicable diseases of public health significance, and that they...more
On Feb. 5, 2021, USCIS announced that the H-1B cap registration process for this year will open on March 9, 2021 and close on March 25, 2021. USCIS will notify selected registrants by March 31 that they have been selected,...more
The global pandemic has had a significant adverse impact on United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (“USCIS”) operations. We previously reported on the impact of COVID-related office closures on U.S. consular...more
On Monday, June 22, 2020, President Donald Trump signed a “Proclamation Suspending Entry of Aliens Who Present a Risk to the U.S. Labor Market Following the Coronavirus Outbreak.” The Proclamation imposes significant...more
6/23/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
H-2B ,
H-4 ,
Immigration ,
Immigration Procedures ,
J-1 Visas ,
L-1 Visas ,
L-2 Visas ,
Presidential Proclamations ,
Trump Administration
Employers of H-1B workers are subject to U.S. Department of Labor regulations designed to protect the jobs of U.S. workers. Those regulations require that the H-1B worker perform his or her duties at one or more specific...more
It’s strikingly apparent that the current global pandemic of COVID-19 is impacting travel and visa/immigration processes worldwide. As of right now, all USCIS processing centers for visa petitions remain open and...more
Escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran are significantly impacting the ability of Iranian nationals to immigrate to, or remain in, the United States. Most recently, on January 23, 2020, USCIS announced via notice in...more
1/24/2020
/ E-1 ,
E-2 ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Foreign Relations ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Iran ,
Travel Ban ,
Trump Administration ,
USCIS ,
Visas
Immigration attorneys in states where marijuana is legal for recreational purposes have recently reported that their clients are now being questioned at their permanent residency interviews about whether they have ever used...more
On November 14, 2019 the Trump Administration proposed increasing the cost of filing many types of non-immigrant and immigrant visa applications. The proposed rule to implement these fees increases is currently open for...more
12/30/2019
/ 485 ,
Comment Period ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Fees ,
Green Cards ,
H-1B ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
L-1 Visas ,
Non-Immigrant Visas ,
Proposed Rules ,
Trump Administration ,
USCIS ,
Visas
On November 8, 2019, USCIS published a Final Rule in the Federal Register implementing a new registration fee requirement for those employers who seek to file cap-subject H-1B petitions. Under the new rule, which is effective...more
12/12/2019
/ Electronic Reporting ,
Foreign Nationals ,
H-1B ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Job Applicants ,
Registration Fees ,
Registration Requirement ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
USCIS ,
Visa Caps ,
Visas
In 2018, marijuana was legalized for recreational use nationwide in Canada. New York state is also in the process of legalizing marijuana for recreational use; however, it remains illegal under federal law. As noted...more
4/8/2019
/ Canada ,
Controlled Substances ,
Criminal Convictions ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Deportation ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Foreign Workers ,
Immigration and Nationality Act ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Marijuana ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Recreational Use ,
Trump Administration ,
Visas
In this series, Partner Danielle Rizzo explores how several small changes to student visa policy by the Trump Administration are having a major impact on the international student population in the United States. These...more
1/23/2019
/ Adjustment of Status ,
Colleges ,
Deportation ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
F-1 Visa ,
Foreign Students ,
H-1B ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
OPT ,
Resident Status ,
STEM ,
Students ,
Trump Administration ,
Universities ,
Unlawful Presence Waivers ,
USCIS ,
Work Visas