The Optional Practical Training (OPT) program allows F-1 students to work for 12 months after graduation (in most situations). F-1 students with U.S. degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM degrees) may...more
2/18/2020
/ Certification Requirements ,
Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) ,
F-1 Visa ,
Foreign Students ,
Form I-9 ,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ,
OPT ,
Required Forms ,
Site Visit Program ,
STEM ,
USCIS
Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) sent a message dated February 14, 2020 (but released in advance) to advise employers on how to prepare for its site visits to assure compliance with the STEM optional practical training...more
If you have applied for an immigration benefit lately (temporary visa, permanent residence), you know the indignities of the process - especially in recent times. Slower decisions, outlandish requests for evidence, and no...more
Last seen in large numbers in the George W. Bush Administration, the Social Security Administration (SSA) began mailing Employer Correction Request (EDCOR) Notices (aka “no match” letters) in March 2019. The notices are...more
With immigration in the news now more than ever, and a national shift in enforcement strategy by the Trump Administration, it is important to prepare your staff for a visit by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)...more
Employers complying with the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) by filing Form 1095-C increasingly face another question: Are they in compliance with their I-9 obligations?
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires employers with...more
7/27/2016
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Duty to Investigate ,
E-Verify ,
Form 1095 ,
Form I-9 ,
Health Insurance ,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ,
IRS ,
Penalties ,
Reasonable Cause Defense ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Social Security Numbers
Both F-1 students and employers have been following the litigation over the F-1 OPT (optional practical training) program. The government was sued by tech workers in Washington, D.C. regarding a part of this program, the...more
4/15/2016
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
E-Verify ,
Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) ,
Foreign Students ,
Form F-1 ,
H-1B ,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ,
OPT ,
Popular ,
Reporting Requirements ,
STEM ,
Training Requirements ,
USCIS
In our view, yes. But in the federal government world, only parts of the immigration process are considered “essential” enough to proceed despite the lack of an approved budget. Even so, many immigration services continue to...more
The time audit your I-9 practices is now.
OK, we’ll let you finish your summer vacation. But right after that, you really need to dig into the I-9 rules and make sure that your company is in compliance....more
Another recent I-9 case shows how the preference for small employers works in the OCAHO (Office of Chief Administrative Hearing Officer) context*.
...more
In a recent decision*, OCAHO (Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer) rejected the argument that ICE has too much discretion in determining what is a “technical” violation (which can be corrected with no fine) and...more
Documents produced by Immigration Customs & Enforcement (ICE) obtained by ACLU of North Carolina prove what has long been claimed: ICE has deportation quotas and, when not meeting them, has been directed to channel all...more