Effective February 18, 2025, the Department of State has changed the categories of applicants that are eligible to waive the in-person non-immigrant visa interview appointment when applying for a non-immigrant visa stamp for...more
It is that time of the year again – H-1B CAP registration is right around the corner. With the continued beneficiary-centric selection process, and the new H-1B modernization rule which impacts H-1B CAP filings, employers...more
2/17/2025
/ Compliance ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) ,
Final Rules ,
Foreign Nationals ,
H-1B ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Modernization ,
USCIS ,
Visa Caps ,
Visas
On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order Declaring a National Emergency at the Southern Border of the United States. This executive order allows for the use of federal funding for border security and the...more
2/11/2025
/ Audits ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
E-Verify ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Form I-9 ,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ,
Immigration Enforcement ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Raids
UPDATE: Employers should be advised that USCIS has extended the H-1B CAP registration period for FY2025. The registration period was initially set to close at 12:00 pm EST on March 22, 2024, but has now been extended to 12:00...more
Employers with candidates who require initial H-1B employment authorization should plan to submit a registration for those candidates when the H-1B electronic registration period opens on March 6, 2024. The electronic...more
The Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) published a final rule adjusting the fees to file certain immigration applications with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”). The new fees go into effect on April 1,...more
The Department of State “DOS” has published guidance and FAQs advising eligible H-1B visa applicants on how they can participate in its pilot program for domestic H-1B visa renewals, which will begin on January 29, 2024. ...more
The Department of State (“DOS”)’s pilot program for domestic H-1B visa renewals will begin on January 29, 2024, and run through April 1, 2024. As H-1B visa applicants accepted into the pilot program will no longer need to...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has received enough petitions to reach the 65,000 H-1B visa regular cap and the 20,000 H-1B visa U.S. advanced degree master’s cap and has completed the H-1B selection process...more
Employers in the automotive industry should be aware of the impact the United Auto Workers strike could have on its employees with immigration considerations. A federal government shutdown is also likely, which could impact...more
10/2/2023
/ Automotive Industry ,
Canada ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
F-1 Visa ,
Government Shutdown ,
H-1B ,
Immigration Procedures ,
L-1 Visas ,
Labor Condition Applications ,
Mexico ,
PERM ,
Strike ,
TN-Visas ,
UAW ,
USCIS ,
Visas
On July 21, 2023, the Department of Homeland Security ("DHS") announced a new, alternative procedure that will allow certain employers to virtually inspect the identity and employment authorization documents presented by an...more
Employers seeking to sponsor candidates for initial H-1B sponsorship (commonly known as "H-1B CAP") should begin preparing for the H-1B electronic registration process. Although the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services...more
Employers seeking to sponsor candidates for initial H-1B sponsorship should note that the H-1B electronic registration dates have been announced by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). USCIS has announced that...more
2/14/2022
/ Electronic Filing ,
Filing Deadlines ,
H-1B ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Labor Condition Applications ,
OPT ,
Registration Requirement ,
USCIS ,
Visa Caps ,
Visas
The Department of State, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, has authorized consular officers to waive the in-person interview requirement for certain non-immigrant visa applicants with approved...more
1/19/2022
/ Consulate ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Electronic Travel Authorization Program (eTA) ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Non-Immigrant Visas ,
U.S. Embassies ,
US State Departments ,
USCIS ,
Visas ,
Waivers
Employers seeking to sponsor candidates for initial H-1B sponsorship (commonly known as "H-1B CAP") should begin preparing for the H-1B electronic registration process. Although the U.S. Citizenship and Immigrations Services...more
Employers preparing for return to in-person work should review any Form I-9 completed during COVID-19. The temporary policies for Form I-9 compliance in effect since March 20, 2020, will expire on August 31. (Temporary...more
6/23/2021
/ Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Deadlines ,
E-Verify ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Eligibility Verification ,
Form I-9 ,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ,
Immigration Procedures ,
NLRB ,
Relief Measures ,
Temporary Regulations ,
USCIS
In Chamber of Commerce, et al., v. DHS, et al., the U.S. District Court in California has set aside an interim final rule significantly altering prevailing wages to be paid to certain temporary and permanent foreign workers...more
12/4/2020
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Good Cause ,
H-1B ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Injunctions ,
Interim Final Rules (IFR) ,
Notice and Comment ,
Prevailing Wages ,
Trump Administration ,
Wage and Hour
On September 24, 2020, the Department of State published the October Visa Bulletin, the first of the new government fiscal year (FY 2021). USCIS announced on the same day that it would utilize the "Dates for Filing of...more
President Trump issued a new executive order on June 22, 2020, which suspends the entry of foreign nationals on certain employment-based nonimmigrant visas (H-1B, H-2B, J, and L) into the United States. This executive order...more
In the late evening of April 22, 2020, President Trump signed an executive order restricting certain categories of immigrants from entering the United States. This order is effective at 11:59 p.m. EDT on April 23, 2020, and...more
U.S. - Canada Border Closure -
On March 18, 2020, the United States and Canada announced that all non-essential travel between the U.S. and Canada will be temporarily suspended....more
3/20/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cross-Border ,
Cross-Border Transactions ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Immigration Procedures ,
International Travel ,
Operators of Essential Services ,
State of Emergency ,
Travel Ban ,
Travel Restrictions ,
Visas
U.S. Embassy and Consulate posts throughout India announced today that in light of the global COVID-19 pandemic, all immigrant and nonimmigrant visa appointments scheduled on Monday, March 16, 2020, onward have been...more
On January 31, 2019, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a final rule making significant changes to the H-1B CAP lottery process. This rule added an electronic registration requirement for employers...more
1/17/2020
/ Electronic Filing ,
Filing Deadlines ,
Filing Fees ,
H-1B ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Labor Condition Applications ,
Lottery ,
OPT ,
Registration Requirement ,
USCIS ,
Visa Caps ,
Visas
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced that on June 10, the agency will begin Premium Processing Service for all remaining FY 2020 H-1B cap-subject petitions (containing either a Change of Status or Consular...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it has completed data entry for all 2019 (Fiscal Year 2020) H-1B cap-subject petitions that were selected in the lottery process.
USCIS sends receipt...more