The Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office has announced it will notify 1,000 employers across the country the agency will audit their hiring records to determine compliance with employment eligibility verification laws. These Notices of Inspection (NOIs) often request not only I-9 documentation, but payroll records, copies of immigration filings, copies
Jackson Lewis P.C.
Georgia Governor Signs Sweeping Anti-Immigration Bill
By Jackson Lewis P.C. on
Posted in I-9 and E-Verify, US Immigration
Fulfilling a campaign promise, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal has sign into law a sweeping immigration bill that will affect companies in Georgia that employ more than 10 full-time employees. The law, HB87, requires companies to register with the federal E-Verify program and check the legal status of new hires. It also creates the offense of…
President Obama Addresses Immigration Reform
By Jackson Lewis P.C. on
Posted in US Immigration
In President Obama’s May 10th speech at Chamizal National Memorial, at the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso, on the need for immigration reform in the United States, he included an outline of his proposal for comprehensive immigration reform and a plea for people to voice their support.
His proposal addressed three key employment-related areas. First…
Arizona’s Controversial Immigration Law Takes Hit from 9th Circuit
By Jackson Lewis P.C. on
Posted in US Immigration
Guest Blog by Scott Blaney
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has dealt a blow to Arizona’s controversial Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act (S.B. 1070) on April 11, affirming a lower court’s decision to block key portions of the immigration law from taking effect. The Act requires law enforcement officials to attempt…
House Subcommittee Explores Restrictions on All Forms of Immigration
By Jackson Lewis P.C. on
Posted in US Immigration
The House Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement has conducted a number of hearings in 2011 questioning the value of all forms of immigration. On April 5th, it held a hearing on diversity visas, a program which provides 55,000 green cards annually by lottery to persons from countries that do not currently send many…
USCIS Accepting H-1B Applications for FY 2012
By Jackson Lewis P.C. on
Posted in Temporary (Non-immigrant) Work Visas
It is H-1B season again. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services officially announced today that they are accepting H-1B applications for FY2012. U.S. businesses use the H-1B program to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialized fields, such as scientists, engineers, or computer programmers.
Cases will…
Drastic Change in EB-2 Immigrant Visa Availability Expected
By Jackson Lewis P.C. on
Posted in Temporary (Non-immigrant) Work Visas
At least 12,000 additional numbers will be available for EB-2 (employment-based, second preference) immigrant visa because of a dramatic reduction in the use of EB-1 (employment-based, first preference) immigrant visa, the Chief of Immigrant Visa Control and Reporting Division, U.S. Department of State, Charlie Oppenheim, has announced. He said U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services “ha[s]…
Virginia Mandates E-Verify Use
By Jackson Lewis P.C. on
Posted in I-9 and E-Verify
Becoming the latest state to mandate E-Verify usage, Governor Bob McDonnell announced that Virginia state government agencies will be required to utilize the online system for new hires effective July 1, 2011, in order to determine the employment eligibility of new hires.
Virginia had already passed a law in 2010 (H.B. 737) requiring state executive…
Latest Arizona Immigration Bills Defeated
By Jackson Lewis P.C. on
Posted in US Immigration
Guest Blog by Scott Blaney
The tide of state immigration laws in Arizona appears to have ebbed. On March 17, 2011, the Arizona State Senate voted down five controversial bills aimed at controlling illegal immigration in the state. The Senate’s rejection of the bills came just two days after 50 Chief Executive Officers in Arizona…
Tsunami Relief For Japan And Other Nationals of Pacific
By Jackson Lewis P.C. on
Posted in US Immigration
Immigration-Related Relief Individuals Stranded in U.S. Due to Earthquake and Tsunami Devastation
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service has announced that relief will be provided to certain Japanese and Other Nationals from the Pacific who are stranded in the United States due to the earthquake and tsunami devastation that occurred in March. Individuals who have…