Fiscal Year 2020 H-1B Cap Petition Filings Are Not Eligible for Premium Processing -
On March 12, 2019, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) opened premium processing eligibility for all H-1B petitions...more
On March 11, 2019, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced that it will open premium processing for all H-1B petitions beginning March 12, 2019. As a result of this announcement, even H-1B petitions...more
USCIS Will Reinstate Premium Processing for All H-1B Petitions Filed on December 21, 2018, or Earlier -
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) officially announced that it will resume accepting premium...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has officially announced that as of Monday, January 28, 2019, it will begin accepting premium processing for Fiscal Year 2019 H-1B Cap cases pending adjudication. These H-1B...more
Partial Federal Government Shutdown and How It Applies to an Immigration Workforce -
On December 22, 2018, the United States government began its shutdown based on the inability of the Executive Office and Congress to...more
1/25/2019
/ Customs and Border Protection ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
E-Verify ,
Employment Eligibility Verification ,
Federal Budget ,
Foreign Workers ,
Form I-9 ,
Government Shutdown ,
H-1B ,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Labor Condition Applications ,
PERM ,
US Department of State ,
USCIS ,
Visas
USCIS Proposes New Registration Requirement to File H-1B Cap Petitions for Fiscal Year 2020 and Reverses Order of H-1B Cap Lottery -
On December 3, 2018, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USICS”) proposed new...more
New Version of the Labor Condition Application Must Be Used Starting November 19 -
On November 19, 2018, a new ETA Form 9035, Labor Condition Application for Nonimmigrant Workers (“LCA”), will be fully implemented and “go...more
USCIS Begins Implementing Notices to Appear for Denied Petitions and Applications -
As of October 1, 2018, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has begun issuing Notices to Appear (“NTA”) in accordance with...more
10/4/2018
/ Corporate Counsel ,
F-1 Visa ,
Foreign Nationals ,
H-1B ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Notice to Appear ,
OPT ,
Processing Fees ,
STEM ,
Students ,
USCIS ,
Visas
On August 28, 2018, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced that it would suspend premium processing for most H-1B petitions filed (i.e., petitions that USCIS receives) on or after September 11, 2018,...more
I. USCIS Delays Implementation of New “Notice to Appear” Policy Memo -
On June 28, 2018, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) published a policy memo updating the guidelines to allow USCIS officers to issue...more
U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Travel Ban -
After many lawsuits and appeals, on June 27, 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States upheld the Trump administration’s September 24, 2017, travel ban of nationals from Iran,...more
7/2/2018
/ Constitutional Challenges ,
Establishment Clause ,
Executive Orders ,
First Amendment ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Foreign Students ,
H-1B ,
Immigration and Nationality Act ,
OPT ,
SCOTUS ,
STEM ,
Travel Ban ,
Trump Administration ,
USCIS ,
Visas
On April 12, 2018, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it had completed the computer-generated random selection process for fiscal year 2019 H-1B cap cases. At the same time, USCIS disclosed...more
Today, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that it had (i) reached the congressionally mandated 65,000 H-1B cap for fiscal year 2019...more
On March 20, 2018, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced that it was temporarily suspending premium processing for all H-1B petitions filed in this year’s H-1B cap. This suspension applies to both the...more
With the threat of a federal government shutdown distinctly on the horizon, it is important to consider the implications this may have on the immigration process. As our readers know, there are many federal agencies involved...more
On December 18, 2018, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) issued a news release announcing “clarifying policy guidance” on eligibility standards for qualifying as a TN “Economist” under the North American Free...more
USCIS Anticipates Resuming H-1B Premium Processing on October 3, 2017 -
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has advised the American Immigration Lawyers Association (“AILA”) that it anticipates resuming...more
On September 5, 2017, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) announced that it was rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (“DACA”) program....more
USCIS Releases Revised Version of Form I-9 and Accompanying Form I-9 Handbook for Employers -
On July 17, 2017, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) released a new version of Form I-9. Form I-9 is used...more
7/21/2017
/ Employment Eligibility Verification ,
Executive Orders ,
Form I-9 ,
H-2B ,
International Entrepreneur Rule ,
NAFTA ,
Travel Ban ,
Trump Administration ,
US Department of State ,
USCIS ,
Visa Bulletins ,
Visa Waiver Program
President Trump Notifies Congress of Intent to Renegotiate NAFTA -
On May 18, 2017, President Trump officially notified Congress of the administration’s intention to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement...more
6/2/2017
/ Conrad 30 Waiver ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
F-1 Visa ,
H-1B ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Joint Employers ,
Mobile Devices ,
NAFTA ,
Popular ,
Temporary Protected Status ,
TN-Visas ,
Trump Administration ,
US Department of State ,
USCIS ,
Visas
The 2018 H-1B Cap Has Been Reached -
On April 7, 2017, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced that it had reached the congressionally mandated H-1B cap for fiscal year 2018 (“FY18”). This...more
President Trump Issues Revised Executive Order on Travel -
Today, President Trump issued a revised executive order on travel that becomes effective at 12:01 a.m. EDT on March 16, 2017 (“March 16 EO”). The March 16 EO...more
3/7/2017
/ Delinquency Status ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Enforcement Guidance ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Form I-9 ,
H-1B ,
IRS ,
Travel Ban ,
Trump Administration ,
USCIS
On January 27, 2017, President Donald J. Trump issued an executive order entitled “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States” (“EO”). In pertinent part, the EO...more
2/7/2017
/ Customs and Border Protection ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Dual Citizenship ,
Executive Orders ,
Immigrants ,
New Guidance ,
Refugees ,
Travel Ban ,
TRO ,
Trump Administration ,
US Department of State ,
USCIS
USCIS Updates Fee Schedule for Immigration and Naturalization Benefit Requests -
On October 24, 2016, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced a final rule adjusting the fees required for many...more
12/2/2016
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Class Action ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Disney World ,
Form I-9 ,
Fraud ,
Hiring & Firing ,
New Guidance ,
RICO ,
USCIS ,
Visa Bulletins
Now that the election is over, focus turns to the U.S. immigration policy of President-elect Donald J. Trump’s administration over the next four years. Forecasts of this type are never easy with any new President; the task is...more
11/22/2016
/ Barack Obama ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
DACA ,
DAPA ,
Deportation ,
E-Verify ,
EB-1 ,
EB-2 ,
EB-3 ,
Executive Orders ,
F-1 Visa ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Foreign Students ,
Free Trade Agreements ,
H-1B ,
H-4 Spouses ,
I-140 ,
Immigration Reform ,
Inspections ,
L-1B ,
NAFTA ,
OPT ,
PERM ,
Popular ,
STEM ,
Temporary Protected Status ,
Trump Administration ,
US Department of State ,
USCIS ,
Vacated ,
Work Visas ,
Workplace Investigations