Seyfarth Synopsis: In light of recent events related to the most recent Executive Order banning travel to the United States for nationals from certain countries, please continue reading for more detailed information regarding...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: On January 25, 2017, President Trump signed two Executive Orders, one focusing on border security and the construction of a physical wall along the southern border and another focusing on improving public...more
1/30/2017
/ Border Agents ,
Border Security ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Deportation ,
Detention ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Grants ,
Immigration and Nationality Act ,
Immigration Reform ,
Penalties ,
Recalcitrant Countries ,
Sanctuary Cities ,
Trump Administration ,
US-Mexico Border Wall
Seyfarth Synopsis: Employers and foreign nationals should take note of critical changes to DHS’ regulations impacting employment-based immigration for highly skilled workers.
On January 17, 2017, the Department of...more
12/5/2016
/ Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
E-1 ,
E-2 ,
E-3 ,
Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) ,
Form I-140 Petitions ,
Grace Period ,
H-1B ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Immigration and Nationality Act ,
L-1 ,
O-1 Aliens of Extraordinary Ability ,
Portability ,
TN-Visas ,
USCIS
Seyfarth Synopsis: Canada to significantly alter the Permanent Residency eligibility requirements under the Express Entry points-based program.
The following alert is relevant to organizations with a presence in...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: USCIS releases new Form I-9, which employers must begin using no later than January 22, 2017.
On November 14, 2016, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a revised Form I-9,...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Beginning November 10, 2016, the Canadian government will require many travelers flying to Canada to first obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA).
The following alert is relevant to...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Effective December 23, 2016, the filing fees for many USCIS nonimmigrant and immigrant petitions and applications will increase.
The filing fees for USCIS nonimmigrant and immigrant petitions and...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: USCIS completes the lottery process and receives more than 236,000 H-1B cap petitions.
On April 12, 2016, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it received more...more
Seyfarth Synopsis in a Second: Visa Waiver Program travelers to the U.S. must now possess an e-Passport.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that effective April 1, 2016, in accordance with the...more
Seyfarth Synopsis in a Second: USCIS announced that the Fiscal Year 2017 H-1B quota has been reached.
On April 7, 2016, United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it received sufficient H-1B...more
This Management Alert is intended to enable employers to identify any current employees and employment candidates who may require H-1B work permit sponsorship before October 1, 2017. We recommend that employers identify any...more
Strict New Penalties for Non-Compliant Employers -
The Government of Canada is increasingly focused on employer compliance and has implemented a number of initiatives since 2014, including the overhaul of the Temporary...more
The Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) and Department of State (“DOS”) announced immediate implementation of the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015. Under the Act, certain...more
On March 15, 2016, The Government of Canada will implement significant new entry requirements for those arriving by air. Currently, citizens of several countries require a Temporary Resident Visa (“TRV”) to enter Canada and...more
In recent weeks, there has been a noticeable increase in visa application processing delays due to Section 221(g), otherwise known as “Administrative Processing.” Ramped up fraud prevention and related security procedures...more
On Monday, October 19, 2015, the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) published its eagerly anticipated STEM Optional Practical Training (“OPT”) rule in the Federal Register for a 30-day comment period ending on November...more
10/22/2015
/ Accreditation ,
Comment Period ,
Department of Education ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
E-Verify ,
Eligibility ,
Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) ,
Foreign Students ,
Form F-1 ,
Mentors ,
OPT ,
Proposed Regulation ,
STEM ,
Time Extensions ,
Training Requirements ,
Visas
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) announced a fundamental process change to be implemented on October 26, 2015, which will directly impact Labour Market Impact Assessment-Exempt work permit applications, including...more
In accordance with significant procedural revisions announced in September and implemented by the Department of State (DOS) with the publication of the revised October 2015 Visa Bulletin, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration...more
In accordance with President Obama’s Executive Actions on Immigration proposed in November 2014, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced a new system for determining immigrant visa availability, establishing bifurcated...more
9/11/2015
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
EB-2 ,
Executive Orders ,
Filing Deadlines ,
I-140 ,
Immigration Reform ,
India ,
Obama Administration ,
PERM ,
US Department of State ,
USCIS ,
Visas ,
Work Visas
In accordance with President Obama’s Executive Actions on Immigration proposed in November 2014, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) is expected to announce a new system for determining immigrant visa availability,...more
9/9/2015
/ China ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Green Cards ,
I-140 ,
Immigration Reform ,
India ,
Obama Administration ,
PERM ,
Popular ,
US Department of State ,
USCIS ,
Visa Bulletins ,
Visas
On June 15, 2015, the Department of State (DOS) announced that the Bureau of Consular Affairs is currently experiencing technical problems with its visa systems, which have resulted in delays in printing visas and the...more
On June 15, 2015, the Department of State (DOS) announced that the Bureau of Consular Affairs was experiencing technical problems with its visa systems, which resulted in delays in printing visas and the possible rescheduling...more