Since September of this year, the number one question I have been hearing from clients is, “What will happen with immigration under the new Trump administration?” Individuals wishing to have access to the U.S. and/or work or...more
On April 10, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a Policy Alert advising that it has adopted the Department of Labor’s (DOL) regulatory definition of “Science or Art” for Schedule A, Group II cases....more
On December 13, 2023, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced that it reached the requisite number of H-1B Cap petitions and stopped making further selections for Fiscal Year 2024. Fiscal...more
With limited immigration options to obtain work authorization in the U.S., intercompany transferee (L-1) work authorization is a strategy used by companies operating throughout Canada and abroad to send key workers to the...more
Employers may find it useful to have an understanding of the H-1B, L-1A, and L-1B maximum periods of stay. As a reminder, H-1B status is granted for certain specialty occupations and fashion models, L-1A status is granted for...more
Executive Summary: USCIS has announced the timeline for the H-1B FY22 Cap Petition Cycle. Similar to last year, USCIS will require H-1B sponsor employers to register H-1B candidates online starting March 9, 2021. USCIS will...more
A new federal rule has created a new electronic registration process for the annual H-1B lottery. The new electronic registration system will significantly change the sequence of the H-1B lottery. There will no longer be a...more
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
As H-1B cap subject petition receipt notices begin to trickle in, and employers are being notified as to whether their foreign employees will obtain an H-1B visa this cap season, it is a necessity to think about other viable...more
It is now time to prepare for the H-1B Cap for Fiscal Year 2020 (FY2020). H-1B petitions filed between April 1, 2019 and April 5, 2019 will be included in the lottery. Demand for the H-1B has steadily increased over the years...more
In April 2017, three months after taking office, President Trump signed the “Buy American and Hire American” Executive Order, which confirmed that his administration would be taking a tough stance on business immigration,...more
Recent actions by the U.S. Department of State (DOS) and Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) indicate that employers seeking to hire foreign workers will likely face a more stringent visa approval process....more
On August 17, 2015, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a policy memorandum aiming to clarify the standard required for L-1B specialized knowledge visas. The memorandum notably begins by reminding...more