Updates to Kramer Levin’s Immigration Tracker System Two-Factor Authentication for Tracker Beginning on Monday, May 20, 2024, Tracker will require “two-factor authentication” in order to access our immigration system. We are...more
In anticipation of the upcoming U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) H-1B electronic registration process (see our prior client alert for details), we want to call your attention to an update that will affect all...more
Recently, USCIS published a final rule increasing certain government filing fees effective April 1, 2024. In addition, it announced a final rule that will increase the premium processing fees effective Feb. 26, 2024....more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will hold the H-1B electronic registration process for the fiscal year 2025 H-1B cap (from which the annual H-1B lottery will be run). Registration begins at...more
In recognition of the hardships associated with visa processing abroad, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) recently announced a pilot program for the domestic visa renewal (“renewal in the U.S.”) for certain H-1B holders....more
Today, USCIS announced that it will be making additional selections from the FY24 H-1B registrations it received in order to reach the FY24 numerical allocation....more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will hold the H-1B electronic registration process for the fiscal year 2024 H-1B cap (from which the annual H-1B lottery will be run). Registration begins at...more
In a long overdue development, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced it is finally taking action in tackling its massive backlogs — a major problem that has plagued the agency for several years...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will hold the H-1B electronic registration process for the fiscal year 2023 H-1B cap (from which the annual H-1B lottery will be run). Registration begins at...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will hold the H-1B electronic registration process for the fiscal year 2022 H-1B cap (from which the annual H-1B lottery will be run). Registration begins at...more
2/9/2021
/ Corporate Counsel ,
E-3 ,
F-1 Visa ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
J-1 Visas ,
L-1 Visas ,
TN-Visas ,
USCIS ,
Visa Caps ,
Visas
We anticipate that in March 2021, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will open the electronic registration process for the fiscal year 2022 H-1B cap for professional positions. Please review your employment...more
1/14/2021
/ Foreign Workers ,
Green Cards ,
H-1B ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
International Travel ,
Registration Requirement ,
Travel Restrictions ,
USCIS ,
Visa Caps ,
Visas
On Jan. 8, the Department of Homeland Security published a final rule, effective March 9, changing the way the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will select H-1B cap-subject registrations. Instead of using a...more
On Dec. 1, the United States District Court in the Northern District of California set aside two Interim Final Rules affecting the H-1B program, holding that the Rules were promulgated in violation of the Administrative...more
12/4/2020
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Domestic Hiring Policy ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
Motion to Set Aside the Verdict ,
Prevailing Wages ,
Trump Administration ,
USCIS ,
Visas
Without notice or the opportunity for public comment, as required by federal law, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued a regulation that will significantly raise the minimum required wages for H-1B, H-1B1, E-3 and PERM labor...more
10/9/2020
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Domestic Hiring Policy ,
E-3 ,
H-1B ,
H-1B1 ,
Immigration Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
Minimum Wage ,
PERM ,
Prevailing Wages ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Trump Administration ,
Visas ,
Wage and Hour
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently provided additional guidance for the H-1B electronic registration process for the fiscal year 2021 H-1B cap, which begins at noon Eastern standard time on March 1,...more
2/20/2020
/ Conditional Job Offers ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Electronic Filing ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
Job Applicants ,
New Guidance ,
Registration Requirement ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
USCIS ,
Visa Caps ,
Visas
Last week, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that an H-1B cap registration system (from which the annual H-1B lottery will be run) will be implemented for the upcoming fiscal year 2021 H-1B cap...more
12/16/2019
/ Conditional Job Offers ,
E-3 ,
F-1 Visa ,
Filing Fees ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
J-1 Visas ,
Job Applicants ,
L-1A ,
L-1B ,
Lottery ,
OPT ,
Registration Requirement ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
TN-Visas ,
Trump Administration ,
USCIS ,
Vetting ,
Visa Caps ,
Visas ,
Work Permits
Earlier this month the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act (H.R. 1044), an act that would radically change the way employment-based immigrant visas are allocated by eliminating...more
7/26/2019
/ Administrative Backlogs ,
Country of Origin ,
EB-5 ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Foreign Workers ,
Green Cards ,
H-1B ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
Labor Condition Applications ,
Legislative Agendas ,
New Regulations ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Quotas ,
USCIS ,
Visas
Consulates Now Requesting Social Media Information From Visa Applicants A new State Department policy requires all U.S. visa applicants to submit information about social media accounts (such as Facebook, Twitter or...more
6/5/2019
/ China ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Eligibility Verification ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Foreign Workers ,
Form I-9 ,
H-1B ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
No-Match Letters ,
Personal Data ,
Social Media Policy ,
Social Security Administration (SSA) ,
Social Security Numbers ,
Trump Administration ,
Visa Applications ,
Visas
USCIS to Implement a Registration System for H-1B Cap Filings On Monday, Dec. 3, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a proposed regulatory rule to establish an electronic registration program for...more
12/5/2018
/ Comment Period ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
L-1 Visas ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Registration Requirement ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
USCIS ,
Visa Caps ,
Visas
On April 1, 2019, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin accepting new H-1B petitions for professional positions. We note that these petitions will have a start date of Oct. 1, 2019....more
USCIS Extends and Expands Suspension of H-1B Premium Processing -
Earlier this week, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will extend the suspension of Premium Processing for all pending FY...more
8/30/2018
/ F-1 Visa ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
OPT ,
STEM ,
Trump Administration ,
USCIS ,
Visas
As explained below, we advise that a company may not have STEM OPT individuals at its work site unless it is a direct employer that is part of the e-Verify program. ...more
On March 20, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) did an about-face and announced that beginning on April 2 it will suspend Premium Processing of all fiscal year (FY) 2019 H-1B cap filings. This comes after prior...more
3/22/2018
/ Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
Lottery ,
USCIS ,
Visa Caps ,
Visas
Here is what we know so far about how this past weekend’s federal government “shutdown” will affect immigration adjudications and other related matters. As U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) operations are...more
1/22/2018
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
E-Verify ,
EB-5 ,
EB-5 Regional Centers ,
Employment Eligibility Verification ,
Federal Budget ,
Foreign Workers ,
Form I-9 ,
Government Shutdown ,
H-1B ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Labor Condition Applications ,
Passports ,
PERM ,
Trump Administration ,
US Department of State ,
USCIS ,
Visas
On April 2, 2018, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin accepting new H-1B petitions for professional positions. We note that these petitions will have a start date of Oct. 1, 2018....more
1/17/2018
/ E-3 ,
F-1 Visa ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
J-1 Visas ,
L-1 Visas ,
TN-Visas ,
USCIS ,
Visa Caps ,
Visas