In an effort to reduce fraud in the H-1B Visa Lottery program, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is implementing a new process targeted at selecting unique beneficiaries rather than registrations. This will give...more
Commencing January 29, 2024, and expected to run through April 1, 2024, DOS will launch a pilot program for certain eligible foreign nationals from Canada and India to renew their H-1B Visas stateside without having to travel...more
The Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) announced a new program that U.S. employers could use to hire up to 30,000 workers each month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, dwarfing programs that employers currently...more
The Department of Homeland Security announced that, effective May 4, 2022, the government was temporarily extending the automatic extension period for certain I-765 Employment Authorization Documents (EADs).
Currently,...more
On March 3, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that Ukraine was designated for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). TPS may be provided to a country where there is: (1) ongoing armed conflict; (2)...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“CIS”) is once again requiring employers that want to sponsor a worker for an H-1B visa - which is awarded to employees who possess highly specialized knowledge and a bachelor’s or...more
In May, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) notified Congress that the agency predicted a budget shortfall for the remainder of 2020, reportedly due to a lower volume of filings received during the COVID-19...more
Due to the COVID-19 crisis, many states have closed their license bureaus and people are experiencing challenges renewing their state issued driver’s licenses and identity cards - which most job applicants and employees use...more
On March 24, the Department of Labor issued guidance regarding the FFCRA. With that, we wanted to provide an update with some frequently asked questions (and answers).
When does the FFCRA take effect? April 1, 2020....more
Physical Presence Requirement -
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and effective March 20, 2020, the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) is permitting employers to defer the requirement to physically inspect...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“CIS”) is now requiring that employers register on myaccount.uscis.gov and pay a one-time ten (10) dollar registration fee in order to participate in the Fiscal Year 2021 H-1B Visa...more
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) recently updated its 2009 directive pertaining to border searches of electronic devices. The Supreme Court of the United States has deemed warrantless searches by CBP legal and...more
With President Trump’s focus on immigration enforcement, employers are seeing an uptick in the workplace audits being conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customers Enforcement (“ICE”). Employers can avoid big fines by...more