More than 78 days into the Biden Administration, less dust than expected or hoped has settled on the landscape for business and family immigration to the U.S. This article briefly assesses the state of play concerning...more
4/8/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
F-1 Visa ,
H-1B ,
H-4 Spouses ,
Immigration ,
Presidential Proclamations ,
Travel Restrictions ,
USCIS ,
Visas
USCIS has finalized a new regulation that would allocate new cap-subject H-1B petitions to the highest paid workers. It seems likely that President-Elect Biden will extend the effective date from early March by 60 more days,...more
New rules published by the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Department of Homeland Security (specifically, USCIS) are intended to severely restrict the use of the H-1B and related H-1B1 and E-3 visa classifications for...more
President Trump has issued a new Proclamation that immediately extends to December 31, 2020 its April 22 suspension of certain immigrant visas (family categories other than spouse and children of citizens; employment...more
President Trump has issued a new Proclamation that immediately extends to December 31, 2020 its April 22 suspension of certain immigrant visas (family categories other than spouse and children of citizens; employment...more
As governments around the world react with increasing vigor to flatten coronavirus curves, employers must urgently re-evaluate travel plans and immigration maintenance....more
It is time for employers to prepare H-1B filings for workers who have not held H-1B status before and are subject to the annual cap on visa numbers. The filings need to be submitted on April 1 to USCIS with full documentation...more
On November 19, 2018, the Department of Labor (DOL) implemented amendments to its attestation-based Labor Condition Application Form ETA 9035/9035E, which is a prerequisite filing by employers sponsoring workers in the H-1B,...more
Possibilities are brewing for a partial U.S. Government shutdown starting December 22 over the issue of funding "The Wall" after a very public contentious White House meeting yesterday. What is the potential immigration...more
On March 3, 2017 USCIS announced that it will not honor any requests for premium processing for ANY H-1B petitions filed starting April 3 until further notice. That includes capped and cap-exempt petitions, and petitions for...more
USCIS has published a final rule, to take effect January 17, 2017, ensconcing in regulations most of the policies it had long ago worked out in memorandums implementing provisions of 1998 and 2001 laws intended to bridge some...more
On March 11, 2016, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published its final rule on enhancements to the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program for F-1 international students in science, technology, engineering...more
The Attorney General has designated as "precedent" a decision of the USCIS Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) ruling that the change of a job's location outside the area covered by the original approved labor condition...more
On November 20, 2014, President Obama announced a bold series of measures to change removal priorities, temporarily legalize and grant work authorization to millions of undocumented persons, and make some other changes to...more