Corporate Law Report: Workplace Romances, FMLA Changes, California Tax News, and More
The H-1B visa is among the most popular working visas in the U.S. for individuals filling professional positions. Most H-1B visas are subject to an annual quota or “cap.” Because demand exceeds the number of available visas,...more
The H-1B Lottery for FY 2026 opens at 12:00 pm EST on March 7, 2025. The registration period will run for eighteen (18) calendar days beginning March 7 and closing at 12:00 pm EST on March 24, 2025. The fee for submitting an...more
Each year, the United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) conducts an H-1B registration selection process for foreign nationals who have not previously held H-1B status. The H-1B cap registration period for...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that the fiscal year (FY) 2026 H-1B cap registration period will open at noon ET on Friday, March 7, 2025, and will remain open until noon ET on Monday, March...more
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently updated its Occupational Information Network (O*NET), resulting in readjustments to the “Job Zones”—five articulated categories correlated with the levels of education, training,...more
Previously published in Healthcare News and Healthcare Michigan. A recent commentary offers a stark glimpse into future healthcare demands (Harris & Marshall, 2024). During the first two years of the pandemic, the U.S....more
Missing out on the H-1B visa lottery can be disheartening, but it’s not necessarily the end of the road. If you employ foreign nationals, the good news is that you can explore certain short-term, long-term, and even some...more
On April 1, 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began requiring certain I-129 petitions, historically filed at service centers, to instead be filed at its various lockbox facilities. USCIS confirmed on...more
Employers that employ foreign nationals have various notification requirements. Immigration cases that require LCA (Labor Condition Application) filings with the Department of Labor (DOL) before submitting petitions to USCIS...more
On September 30, 2023, President Joe Biden signed into law stopgap funding legislation that temporarily averted a government shutdown. The legislation, which passed the U.S. Congress with bipartisan support and extended...more
If Congress does not pass appropriations legislation or a stopgap spending bill by September 30, 2023, the federal government will experience a shutdown on October 1, 2023. A federal government shutdown will disrupt certain...more
Unintended new job locations have always presented issues for employers with H-1B, H-1B1, and E-3 workers. However, the issues are even more common today, given employers’ remote work policies and continued changes thereto. ...more
On March 27, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the FY2024 H-1B cap lottery was complete. The results: a historically low selection rate—with many multinational companies reporting that...more
As many Employers and Foreign Nationals are likely aware, the H-1B CAP Season for USCIS 2024 Fiscal Year rapidly approaches. On Friday USICS announced it will open H-1B CAP registration at noon (12PM ET) on March 1, 2023, and...more
Employers know that U.S. immigration laws are complex, and the Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) long processing delays – coupled with recent layoffs in the tech industry – have further complicated matters by adding new fact...more
In December 2018, I got an unpleasant surprise: My first – and only – H-1B petition denial in my over 20+ years of practicing immigration law. The petition was on behalf of an operations research analyst. I had done the...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has just closed its annual H-1B registration, and employers are anxiously awaiting news on whether USCIS has selected...more
On December 1, 2020, a U.S. Federal District Court in California set aside the two Interim Final Rules announced in October by the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) and the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”). ...more
The US District Court for the Northern District of California on Tuesday set aside two Interim Final Rules (IFRs) that sought to restrict severely eligibility for the H-1B Specialty Occupation nonimmigrant category....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
In the last few months, it has been difficult for employers and immigration attorneys to keep up with the flurry of changes released by the Trump Administration, including the suspension on the issuance of H-1B visas at U.S....more
Effective October 8, 2020, the US Department of Labor will determine the prevailing wage for permanent labor certifications and labor condition applications based on a new formula for computing prevailing wage levels,...more
The Trump Administration has announced that it will publish two Interim Final Rules on Thursday, October 8, 2020 that will substantially alter the H-1B visa program for temporary professionals working in a specialty...more
USCIS Will Increase Filing Fees as of October 2, 2020 - On July 31, 2020, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (“USCIS”) announced it will increase filing fees effective October 2, 2020. The fee increases will...more
Hiring the best talent can maximize the success of your company. Sometimes that means hiring a foreign national on a work visa. We prepared this booklet to help you navigate the complex U.S. employment-based visa options....more