Last week, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the initial registration period for the Fiscal Year 2026 H-1B lottery will open at noon EST on March 7, 2025, and run through noon EST on March 24,...more
President Trump’s new administration takes charge this week with a renewed focus on enforcing federal immigration law. In fact, as explained in today’s companion article, one of President Trump’s first action items on...more
With an incoming administration vocal about its stance on immigration enforcement and safeguarding U.S. workers, employers who hire foreign workers on H-1B visas should make certain that they are maintaining compliance with...more
Please join senior attorneys from Gibney’s Immigration Practice Group for a live virtual panel discussion to review the outlook for business immigration in 2025. The panel will highlight potential changes at the executive,...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
Employers in the automotive industry should be aware of the impact the United Auto Workers strike could have on its employees with immigration considerations. A federal government shutdown is also likely, which could impact...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: If Congress cannot resolve funding issues by 11:59 pm EST on September 30, 2023, resulting in a federal government shutdown, it will have a ripple effect on employers, both large and small, with an impact...more
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently affirmed an employer’s duty to comply with the attestations made under the Labor Condition Application (LCA) to pay its foreign national employee during the period of...more
1. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Launched Online Appointment Request Form - On August 21, USCIS launched a new online form for individuals to request in-person appointments at their local field offices....more
Employers seeking to sponsor candidates for initial H-1B sponsorship should note that the H-1B electronic registration dates have been announced by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). USCIS has announced that...more
Employers seeking to sponsor candidates for initial H-1B sponsorship (commonly known as "H-1B CAP") should begin preparing for the H-1B electronic registration process. Although the U.S. Citizenship and Immigrations Services...more
The H-1B “lottery” will soon be upon us. Here are some action steps employers seeking an H-1B visa can take now to prepare. H-1B Lottery Overview - The number of new H-1Bs available for most employers each year is...more
Effective June 30, 2021, 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, resulting...more
As we mentioned in an earlier list of fascinating facts about I-9 compliance and immigration law, it’s a landscape that’s continually shifting – especially on the global front. ...more
On October 8, 2020, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published its interim final rule, “Strengthening the H-1B Nonimmigrant Visa Classification Program,” which will become effective December 7, 2020. This rule...more
In its continuing effort to limit legal immigration, the Trump Administration announced two rule changes last week to radically limit H-1Bs and the most common employment-based permanent residence process. The first rule...more
The U.S. Departments of Labor (DOL) and Homeland Security (DHS) published interim final rules yesterday that amend regulations governing prevailing wage computation and the definition of “specialty occupation” in the H-1B...more
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) have released two new interim final rules affecting immigration. Both rules immediately impact skilled foreign workers in the H-1B 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
There have been many changes to immigration processes and procedures in the United States as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, and, as expected, more extreme measures are being taken by the president and more are likely...more
Employers are facing issues related to their workforce to a degree never experienced before due to COVID-19, and it is critical for employers to protect themselves as they make decisions surrounding continuing business...more
Seyfarth Blog Synopsis: In today’s posting we discuss the impact that COVID-19 related changes in working conditions, furloughs and layoffs have on businesses with employees currently working on H-1B, H-1B1 or E-3 work...more
As employers prepare plans to handle possible alternate employee work arrangements in light of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus outbreak, it is important to keep in mind how these plans and policies—including telework policies—may...more
On January 31, 2019, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a final rule making significant changes to the H-1B CAP lottery process. This rule added an electronic registration requirement for employers...more