On October 25, 2021, the Biden Administration issued a proclamation ending various travel bans that restricted the entry of nonimmigrants into the U.S. who within 14 days prior to seeking entry into the U.S. had been in...more
On September 14, 2021, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that, effective October 1, 2021, applicants subject to the immigration medical examination must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19...more
On August 2, 2021, Illinois added a provision to the Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA) making it “a civil rights violation for employers, employment agencies, and labor organizations to discriminate against an employee or job...more
On July 6, 2021, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) posted guidance that confirms National Interest Exceptions (NIE) issued in the last 12 months are being automatically extended for 12 months from the date of approval, as...more
On April 27, 2021, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual instructing USCIS officers to give deference to prior determinations when adjudicating petition...more
On January 25th, President Biden withdrew a proposal that would have rescinded employment authorization for certain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants. The proposed rule, ‘Removing H-4 Dependent Spouses from the...more
On December 31, 2020, President Trump extended previously issued Proclamations 10014 and 10052, which suspended the entry of certain immigrants and nonimmigrants into the U.S., subject to certain exceptions. Citing the...more
1/11/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
H-2B ,
Immigration Procedures ,
J-1 Visas ,
L-1 Visas ,
Non-Immigrant Visas ,
Presidential Proclamations ,
Trump Administration ,
Visas
On October 6, 2020, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued a new rule entitled “Strengthening Wage Protections for the Temporary and Permanent Employment of Certain Aliens in the United States,” amending the regulations...more
On July 29, 2020, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) in State of New York, et al. v. DHS, et al. and Make the Road NY et al. v. Cuccinelli, et al. enjoined the Department of Homeland Security...more
On July 31, 2020, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a final rule adjusting the filing fees associated with various immigration case types. In its announcement, the USCIS explained that it is a...more
On June 22, 2020, citing the COVID-19 pandemic, President Trump issued an Executive Order suspending the entry of various foreign workers into the U.S. through the end of the year. Specifically, the Executive Order states,...more
7/7/2020
/ Executive Orders ,
Foreign Nationals ,
H-1B ,
H-2B ,
J-1 Visas ,
L-Visas ,
Non-Immigrant Visas ,
Travel Ban ,
Travel Restrictions ,
Trump Administration ,
Visas
On May 29, 2020, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced it would resume premium processing for certain Form I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker, and Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien...more
On April 22, 2020, President Trump signed a Proclamation suspending and limiting “the entry into the United States of aliens as immigrants” for 60 days effective April 23, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. (ET)....more
On January 30, 2020, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced it would be implementing the Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds final rule (Final Rule) on February 24, 2020. This implementation...more
Earlier this year, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced that it would be resuming the process of issuing Employer Correction Request Notices (commonly known as “no-match letters”) to employers. In a letter to...more
In a press release issued on October 16, 2019, Ken Cuccinelli, the acting director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), announced USCIS’ preliminary Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 statistics, accomplishments and...more
Effective October 1, 2020, individuals who wish to board commercial aircrafts or enter federal facilities will need to present a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license, ID card or acceptable alternative such as a U.S. passport....more
Earlier this year, on January 31, 2019, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) amended its H-1B regulations governing petitions filed under the H-1B CAP visa lottery, to now require employers filing H-1B CAP petitions...more
On August 7, 2019, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed multiple federal criminal search warrants at several agricultural processing plants across Mississippi as...more
The Trump Administration recently announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will be conducting raids targeting undocumented immigrants in ten major U.S. cities, including Chicago. Employers should be aware that...more
According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), worksite enforcement activities by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents and auditors surged in fiscal year (FY) 2018 compared to FY 2017....more
The Social Security Administration (SSA) recently announced that it would be resuming the process of issuing Employer Correction Request Notices (commonly known as “no-match letters”) to employers....more
On March 12th, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) resumed the premium processing service for all H-1B petitions filed with USCIS. Additionally, Petitioners who received a Request for Evidence (RFE) for a...more
On January 30, 2019, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a final rule amending the way the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) conducts the annual H-1B cap lottery. This rule reverses the order...more