Without a formal news release, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) started prioritizing pending requests for employment authorization (Form I-765) by adjustment of status (“AOS”) applicants (often referred to...more
On August 20, 2020, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced that due to Covid-19 and because of its long delays in producing Employment Authorization Documents, Form I-766 (“EAD”) cards, that...more
Labor Condition Applications must be filed under the new DOL’S FLAG System -
As part of the U.S. Department of Labor’s (“USDOL”) technology modernization initiative, the FLAG System (Foreign Labor Application Gateway) was...more
On January 31, 2019, the USCIS published its final rule amending H-1B regulations which operate to change two important aspects of filing cap-subject H-1B visa petitions, effective April 1, 2019. ...more
January 2 marked the end of the public comment period on the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) published on December 3, 2018 by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regarding a radical change in the annual H-1B...more
On October 10, 2018, the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) posted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NPRM”) in the Federal Register related to the public charge grounds of inadmissibility under the Immigration and...more
Certain news reports have hinted that the pursuant to President Trump’s “Buy America, Hire America” Executive Order of April, 2017, the Trump Administration is considering changes to the H Visa Program. ...more
1/10/2018
/ Buy America ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Domestic Hiring Policy ,
Employment Eligibility Verification ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
H-4 Spouses ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
STEM ,
Trump Administration ,
USCIS ,
Visas
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
10/18/2017
/ Buy America ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Domestic Hiring Policy ,
Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Foreign Workers ,
Form I-765 ,
H-1B ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Reform ,
L-Visas ,
Legal Representatives ,
NAFTA ,
Popular ,
Ports ,
TN-Visas ,
Trump Administration ,
USCIS ,
Visas
With the recent change by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to mandate in-person interviews for employment based adjustment cases along with changes to require the review of social media and to what...more
10/10/2017
/ Employment Eligibility Verification ,
Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) ,
Hiring & Firing ,
I-140 ,
I-485 Applications ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration and Nationality Act ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Interviews ,
Ombudsman ,
Social Media ,
USCIS ,
Visa Applications ,
Visas
On September 5, 2017, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued the unfortunate Memo to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program (Memo). DHS Acting Secretary, Elaine C. Duke, noted that...more
9/7/2017
/ DACA ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Deportation ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) ,
Executive Orders ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
Obama Administration ,
Path To Citizenship ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Trump Administration ,
USCIS
On August 28, 2017, the USCIS announced that beginning October 1st, the USCIS will begin to phase-in “in-person” interviews for Employment-Based, Adjustment of Status applicants (Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent...more
On July 17, 2017 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the availability of a new version of the Form I-9. The new version has a revision date of 07/17/17....more
In connection with the Trump Administration’s desire to crack-down on its perceived misuse of the H-1B visa category, various U.S. government agencies have announced a coordinated effort in re-interpreting regulations as well...more
4/17/2017
/ Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
Labor Condition Applications ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Trump Administration ,
USCIS ,
Visas
The USCIS announced on March 3, 2017 that beginning April 3, 2017, it will temporarily suspend premium processing for all H-1B petitions. According to the USCIS, the suspension may last up to 6 months. While H-1B premium...more
3/9/2017
/ F-1 Visa ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
Lottery ,
USCIS ,
Visa Caps ,
Visas
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) published new regulations effective January 17, 2017 which modernize and improve aspects of certain employment-based nonimmigrant and immigrant visa programs. The...more
12/27/2016
/ Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) ,
Employment Eligibility Verification ,
Extensions ,
H-1B ,
H-4 Spouses ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Non-Immigrant Visas ,
Popular ,
USCIS
On November 14, 2016, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a revised version of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification (“Form I-9”). Employers can continue to use the most recent version dated...more
The U.S. government never gives without getting something in return, and the same is true with the new STEM 24-month, Optional Practical Training (OPT) Program. On March 11, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published...more
Multinational companies wishing to transfer foreign national employees to the U.S. under the L-1B program will have to show the employee’s “specialized knowledge” by a “preponderance of evidence” under new guidance published...more
On April 9, 2015, the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a binding, precedential ruling that all U.S. employers must file an amended petition with the agency...more