October brings seasonal reminders for employees who are starting employment pursuant to H-1B status as well as some current changes to employment-based permanent resident applicants. In addition, the White House has issued...more
On October 3, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the suspension of premium processing which started on April 3, 2017, for all H-1B petitions will now resume for all H-1B cases.
In this...more
On September 18, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that premium processing will resume for a limited type of H-1B petition. USCIS will resume premium processing for all H-1B petitions subject...more
Over the summer of 2017, several significant immigration changes have taken place, including the announcement on September 5 rescinding Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), new requirements for in-person interviews...more
On July 17, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a new version of the Form I-9. Employers will be required to use the new version starting September 18, 2017, and using earlier versions of the form...more
The H-1B work visa is in a state of transition. Companies and workers who rely on H-1B visas should be aware of several important changes this spring on the H-1B category, including an update on the H-1B lottery conducted by...more
Starting January 17, 2017, the long-awaited regulations for high-skilled workers incorporating provisions of the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century Act of 2000 (AC21) and the American Competitiveness and...more
A week ahead of schedule, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released the new version of the Form I-9 today. Employers will be required to use the new version starting January 22, 2017, and using earlier...more
Any immigration applications or petitions to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) postmarked or filed on or after December 23, 2016, must include applicable increased fees or face rejection. Fee hikes average 21...more
August ushers in a host of immigration-related news and updates, ranging from fine increases to wait times for visa appointments. Stay up-to-date with some quick notes on these issues.
DOJ Fines Increase as of August 1,...more
The long-awaited final rule on the F-1 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education) Optional Practical Training (OPT) Extension, authorizing a new 24-month STEM extension for qualified foreign students, took...more
On January 23, 2016, Judge Huvelle of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia granted a motion to extend the current stay of her prior order which will allow the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to utilize...more
April 1 is the first day U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will accept H-1B cap-subject petitions for the 2016 allotment of visas for foreign national professionals in specialty occupations. Cap-subject H-1B...more
As previously reported in our legal update from September 10, 2015, the Department of State (DOS) made a major change to the Visa Bulletin in early September. Then, on September 25, 2015, that Visa Bulletin was rescinded and...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released a much-anticipated proposed policy memorandum on adjudication of the L-1B “specialized knowledge” nonimmigrant visa category. USCIS Director León Rodríguez said...more
The long-awaited final rule on H-4 work authorization has now been introduced by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). USCIS Director León Rodríguez has announced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)...more
In May 2014, DHS issued a proposed rule to amend current immigration regulations to allow for the employment authorization of certain H-4 dependent spouses. DHS accepted comments on the proposed rule until mid-July. ...more
The August 2014 Visa Bulletin was recently released by the U.S. Department of State (DOS). As outlined in our June 10, 2014, legal update on this issue, the EB-2 category for foreign nationals from India pursuing the...more