On October 23, 2023, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued its long-anticipated notice of proposed rulemaking on modernizing the H-1B program. The purpose is to amend regulations governing H–1B specialty occupation...more
10/25/2023
/ Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Final Rules ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Specialty Occupations ,
USCIS ,
Visa Caps ,
Visas
Seyfarth Synopsis: If Congress cannot resolve funding issues by 11:59 pm EST on September 30, 2023, resulting in a federal government shutdown, it will have a ripple effect on employers, both large and small, with an impact...more
9/27/2023
/ Customs and Border Protection ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
E-Verify ,
Employment Eligibility Verification ,
Federal Funding ,
Foreign Workers ,
Government Shutdown ,
H-1B ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Labor Condition Applications ,
OFLC ,
PERM ,
Popular ,
US Department of State ,
USCIS ,
Visas
Seyfarth Synopsis: Employers should identify as soon as possible any current employees and employment candidates who may require H-1B work permit sponsorship before October 1, 2021, given that it is anticipated USCIS will...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: COVID-19 has upended the world. Governments and businesses are racing to respond. The US legal immigration system for sponsoring and employing noncitizens is no exception. American employers must plan...more
3/16/2020
/ Best Practices ,
Business Continuity Plans ,
China ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Crisis Management ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Health and Safety ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Public Health ,
Risk Management ,
Workplace Safety
Seyfarth Synopsis: Within the last few days, the Trump Administration has expanded an existing travel ban and initiated a new one related to the Coronavirus; similarly other countries have added entry restrictions to try to...more
2/6/2020
/ China ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Executive Orders ,
Failure to Comply ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Information Sharing ,
International Travel ,
Iran ,
Myanmar ,
Nigeria ,
Non-Immigrant Visas ,
North Korea ,
Public Health ,
Public Safety ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
Somalia ,
Sudan ,
Syria ,
Tanzania ,
Travel Ban ,
Trump Administration ,
Venezuela ,
Verification Requirements ,
Visas ,
Yemen
Seyfarth Synopsis: Employers should identify as soon as possible any current employees and employment candidates who may require H-1B work permit sponsorship before October 1, 2021, given that it is anticipated USCIS will...more
12/12/2019
/ Conditional Job Offers ,
Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) ,
Filing Fees ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
Job Applicants ,
Lottery ,
NAFTA ,
OPT ,
Registration Requirement ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Trump Administration ,
USCIS ,
Vetting ,
Visa Caps ,
Visas ,
Work Permits
Seyfarth Synopsis: On January 31, 2019 DHS published the final rule for the electronic pre-registration of H-1B cap petitions and changed the order of selection of filings. ...more
2/1/2019
/ Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Final Rules ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
Registration Requirement ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
USCIS ,
Visas
Seyfarth Synopsis: Effective September 11, 2018, USCIS will suspend Premium Processing for all H-1B petitions filed at the Vermont and California Service Centers until February 19, 2019 (excluding filings by cap-exempt...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: USCIS recently announced that the agency will temporarily suspend premium processing for all H-1B petitions subject to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 cap beginning on April 2, 2018. ...more
3/22/2018
/ Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
Lottery ,
USCIS ,
Visa Caps ,
Visas
Seyfarth Synopsis: Federal judges in Hawaii and Maryland have issued orders blocking major portions of President Trump’s September 24, 2017 Presidential Proclamation....more
10/20/2017
/ Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Foreign Workers ,
Green Cards ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
National Security ,
Refugees ,
Terrorist Threats ,
Travel Ban ,
Trump Administration ,
Visas
Seyfarth Synopsis: On September 18, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that effective immediately it would resume premium processing for H-1B petitions filed subject to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018...more
9/19/2017
/ F-1 Visa ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
OPT ,
USCIS ,
Visa Caps ,
Visas
Seyfarth Synopsis: The United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) has reversed its longstanding practice and will begin to deny Advance Parole (AP) applications if a green card applicant travels internationally...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on the Travel Ban in their next term.
Shortly before its summer recess, the United States Supreme Court agreed to hear oral arguments on the Trump...more
6/27/2017
/ Bona Fide Relationship Test ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Foreign Workers ,
Green Cards ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
National Security ,
Refugees ,
Terrorist Threats ,
Travel Ban ,
Trump Administration ,
Trump v International Refugee Assistance Project ,
Visas
Seyfarth Synopsis: The U.S. Department of State has recently issued a new supplemental questionnaire that will enable officers at U.S. Consulates and Embassies to carry out enhanced and burdensome screenings of certain...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: On May 25, 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit ruled that President Trump’s travel ban should remain on hold, upholding a preliminary injunction issued in March 2017 by a lower court....more
6/8/2017
/ Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Foreign Workers ,
Green Cards ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
Refugees ,
Terrorist Threats ,
Travel Ban ,
Trump Administration ,
Visas
Seyfarth Synopsis: USCIS completes the lottery process and receives 199,000 H-1B cap petitions.
On April 17, 2017, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it received 199,000 H-1B...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: USCIS announced today that it has reached the FY 2018 H-1B Cap.
On April 7, 2017, United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it received sufficient H-1B petitions to meet...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Federal judges from Hawaii and Maryland have issued nationwide Temporary Restraining Orders (TROs) effectively blocking the implementation of the Trump administration’s revised travel ban, which was...more
3/17/2017
/ Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Green Cards ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
International Travel ,
Refugees ,
Terrorist Threats ,
Travel Ban ,
TRO ,
Trump Administration ,
Vetting ,
Visa Interview Waiver Program (VIWP) ,
Visas
The following alert is directed to organizations with a presence in Canada or who anticipate the need to place talent at a Canadian work site.
1. Beginning December 1, 2016, Mexican Citizens Will Not Need a Visa for...more