Employers are reportedly urging the Biden Administration to delay the current August 30 deadline for in person re-inspections of I-9 documents that were submitted virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic....more
As expected, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced last week that the COVID-19 temporary flexibilities for Form I-9, which allowed for virtual inspections, will not be extended and will end on July 31. ...more
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, agencies involved in the implementation and enforcement of immigration law have relaxed certain filing and other requirements.
The federal government intends to...more
Effective 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, most air travelers from the People’s Republic of China coming to the United States (directly or indirectly) will have to present proof of a negative test for COVID-19 before...more
I-9 flexibility for remote workers is being extended again – through July 31, 2023 – but, it appears, only for safety precautions due to COVID-19.
The U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and Department of Homeland...more
The Social Security Administration has discontinued its COVID-19 extended timetable for employees to take action to resolve Social Security mismatches. The changes apply to anyone whose E-Verify case was referred to the SSA...more
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, agencies involved in the implementation and enforcement of immigration law have relaxed certain filing and other requirements.
The U.S. Citizenship and...more
As a result of a new Order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, international air passengers to the United States will no longer have to be tested for COVID-19 or show documentation of recovery from COVID...more
Before the change, individuals applying for nonimmigrant visas had to be interviewed at a U.S. embassy or consulate. However, the operations of U.S. embassies and consulates were curtailed as a result of COVID-19, including...more
In March 2020, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement relaxed some of the I-9 compliance requirements because of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of these “flexibilities” ended this...more
5/3/2022
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Eligibility Verification ,
Foreign Workers ,
Form I-9 ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigrants ,
Inspections ,
Remote Working ,
Time Extensions ,
USCIS
In 2020, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security relaxed some of the I-9 compliance requirements because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, the DHS announced that one of these I-9 compliance flexibilities would end on April...more
President Joe Biden has rescinded COVID-19-related travel restrictions that were imposed in late November on eight African nations. The rescission, which took effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on December 31, was recommended...more
In response to the Omicron variant of COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has shortened the timeline for required COVID testing before foreign nationals depart for the United States. Previously, the COVID...more
Just a few weeks ago, President Biden rescinded the regional COVID-19 travel restrictions that applied to 33 countries. These restrictions were replaced with a new requirement that included that all foreign nationals be fully...more
The White House has announced that, effective early November, regional COVID-19 travel restrictions will be rescinded. The current restrictions will be replaced with a new requirement that all foreign nationals be fully...more
Effective October 1, COVID-19 vaccination will be included in the list of vaccines that are required as part of the medical examination that is an integral part of applying for a “green card.” The Centers for Disease Control...more
We recently commented that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has been making changes that were consistent with the Biden Administration’s plans to make the operation of the immigration system more efficient and...more
More than one-third of new global cases of COVID-19 have occurred in India, and the numbers are increasing.
As a result, President Biden has added the Republic of India to the list of countries whose nationals and...more
5/6/2021
/ American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Foreign Nationals ,
India ,
Joe Biden ,
Lawful Permanent Residents ,
National Interest Waiver ,
Non-Citizens ,
Presidential Proclamations ,
Travel Ban ,
US Department of State ,
Virus Testing
The U.S. State Department recently issued new guidance on the National Interest Exceptions for international travelers to the United States. The guidance applies to inbound travelers from Ireland, the Schengen Area, and the...more
4/2/2021
/ Business Interruption ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Foreign Nationals ,
International Travel ,
Ireland ,
Joe Biden ,
National Interest Waiver ,
New Guidance ,
UK ,
US Department of State
For the last year, the fate of the Public Charge Rule, which expanded the ability of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to deny green cards to lower-income foreign nationals, has been uncertain. In addition to the...more
3/17/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Dismissals ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Green Cards ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Interim Guidance ,
Joe Biden ,
Low-Income Issues ,
Medicaid ,
Permanent Residence Cards ,
Public Charge ,
Request for Evidence (RFEs) ,
SCOTUS ,
SNAP Program ,
USCIS
Last March, almost from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States put into place restrictions on admission of international travelers. The restrictions applied to most individuals who were physically present...more
Thursday, the Trump Administration published in the Federal Register two new Interim Final Rules designed to reduce significantly the number of H-1B workers in the United States. They are-
•A rule from the U.S. Department...more
10/12/2020
/ Comment Period ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Federal Register ,
Green Cards ,
H-1B ,
Interim Final Rules (IFR) ,
Prevailing Wages ,
Software Developers ,
Trump Administration ,
USCIS
Concerns about the spread of COVID-19 led U.S. and Canadian officials to agree that non-essential travel across the land ports of entry along the border should be temporarily suspended. These restrictions have since been...more
In March, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security allowed more flexibility for employers seeking to verify documentation for I-9 forms. The DHS has now extended that flexibility for...more
The U.S. Department of State has issued some preliminary guidance on the application of the national interest waiver to foreign nationals from countries that are subject to a COVID-19-related travel ban.
Since late...more
7/28/2020
/ Child Care ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Foreign Policy ,
H-1B ,
Homeland Security Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) ,
Immigration ,
Internships ,
J-1 Visas ,
L-1 Visas ,
Secretary of Labor ,
Secretary of State ,
Travel Ban ,
Travel Restrictions ,
US Department of State ,
Waivers