With the shortage of U.S. workers in many STEM fields, H-1B workers are an increasingly vital part of the U.S. workforce. This webinar will address the requirements, processing times and validity periods for H-1B status as...more
In welcome news for foreign physicians/international medical graduates, and healthcare facilities in Upstate and Northern New York, the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) has implemented a new J-1 Visa Waiver Program...more
The May 2023 Visa Bulletin recently published by the U.S. Department of State, brought some unwelcome news for U.S. employers seeking to sponsor foreign nationals for permanent residency through the employment-based green...more
While the peak of the COVID pandemic may be behind us, the United States health care industry continues to deal with unprecedented staffing shortages, particularly when it comes to nurses. Even a cursory Google search brings...more
Facing a severe nursing shortage, one option for the United States is immigration.
But even though the federal government has given registered nurses a special designation which streamlines the employment-based permanent...more
In a recent post, this blog covered the more-complicated-than-it-seems issue of how someone can best determine exactly when their lawful immigration status in the United States expires. We discussed the matter of how, in some...more
Our Immigration Blog recently shared several key developments in J-1 waiver options to support International Medical Graduates who wish to complete their training in the United States, but struggle with the two-year home...more
As this blog has touched on from several different perspectives over the years, one perpetual issue facing International Medical Graduates who come to the United States on J-1 exchange visas to engage in residency/fellowship...more
While that question may seem simple enough to answer, in many instances individuals may be mistaken or unaware of when their lawful immigration status in the United States expires. A common answer might be, “When my Visa...more
On January 21, 2022, the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security jointly announced a flurry of new actions and policy changes relating to various visa classifications that open new potential pathways and...more
In a long-awaited effort to address delays and backlogs that have arisen due to consular closures and limited staffing over the last year-and-a-half, on December 23, 2021, the U.S. Department of State announced that it is...more
At a time when health care is critical, physician shortages and other challenges continue to beset the United States. Vacancies and shortages in health care staffing are causing glaring deficiencies in meeting patient needs –...more
At a time when health care is critical, physician shortages and other challenges continue to beset the United States. Vacancies and shortages in health care staffing are causing glaring deficiencies in meeting patient needs...more
12/20/2021
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
H-1B ,
Healthcare ,
Immigrants ,
J-1 Visas ,
Labor Certifications ,
NAFTA ,
O-1 Aliens of Extraordinary Ability ,
PERM ,
Physician National Interest Waiver (PNIW) ,
Visas
As almost anyone in the healthcare industry can attest, the United States has been experiencing a significant shortage of physicians and other healthcare professionals in many disciplines over the last several years. An...more
Concerns for public health and immigration law have been tied together in the United States for over 100 years. Since the Immigration Act of 1891, individuals seeking admission into the U.S. have been subject to potential...more
The Summer season often brings with it an increase in international travel, as people seek to take vacations, visit family, and attend to business around the world. That norm has been significantly disrupted for the last two...more
Last month, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it was withdrawing a 2018 proposal to remove the International Entrepreneur (IE) Parole program from DHS regulations, effectively confirming to the public that...more
6/9/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
E-2 ,
H-1B ,
International Entrepreneur Rule ,
Investment Adviser ,
L-1 Visas ,
O-1 Aliens of Extraordinary Ability ,
Proposed Regulation ,
USCIS ,
Visas
In a welcome reversal of a Trump-era policy decision, on April 27, 2021, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual instructing officers to give...more
On Friday, March 12, 2021, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it may reopen and/or reconsider the denial of previously filed H-1B visa petitions, in cases where the denial was based on one or more...more
In its latest action to reverse Trump-era immigration policies, on February 24, 2021, the Biden Administration rescinded Presidential Proclamation 10014, “Suspension of Entry of Immigrants Who Present a Risk to the United...more
The last seven days, encompassing the transition from the Trump Administration to the Biden Administration, have involved a flurry of executive actions relating to various travel bans and restrictions.
First, on January...more
Since the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic began in early 2020, there have been significant disruptions to certain U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) operations, particularly those involving local field offices...more
On November 17, 2020, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a Policy Alert, informing stakeholders of an update to its existing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual regarding the discretionary factors...more
On December 1, 2020, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued a decision overturning two recent Interim Final Rules promulgated by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and U.S. Department of...more
12/3/2020
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
Interim Final Rules (IFR) ,
Prevailing Wages ,
Specialty Occupations ,
Summary Judgment ,
USCIS ,
Visas
On Oct. 8, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor published a new regulation that significantly raises the required prevailing wage which must be paid to foreign workers in connection with H-1B, H-1B1, and E-3 nonimmigrant visa...more