For employers in the life sciences industry, please note our upcoming webinar on December 2, 2020, 1:00-2:00 p.m. EST. A description of the subject matter and registration details can be found here.
Nicola Ai Ling Prall
USCIS Settles H-1B Cases Over Policies, Will Withdraw Onerous Guidance
USCIS has entered into a broad settlement agreement that requires it to withdraw certain H-1B policies.
H-1B denials have skyrocketed since 2017, especially following enactment of the “Buy American, Hire American” Executive Order. In February 2018, USCIS issued further guidance specifically placing additional onerous documentation requirements for H-1B employees working at client sites, disproportionately…
Plans for Additional Restrictions on Immigration
Just before midnight on April 23, 2020, President Donald Trump’s “Proclamation Suspending Entry of Immigrants Who Present Risk to the U.S. Labor Market During the Economic Recovery Following the COVID-19 Outbreak” went into effect. The proclamation’s purpose was to temporarily suspend the entry of new immigrants (green card holders) into the United States for…
COVID-19 Dramatically Delays U.S. Passport Renewals, Disrupts Travel
COVID-19 has changed U.S. passport renewal. In the past, U.S. citizens could renew a passport by mail if their current passport was issued on or after their sixteenth birthday and within the last 15 years, or apply for an initial passport or renew in person at a Passport Acceptance Facility (including many local post offices)…
Changes to Modernize H-2B Visa Process Cut Print Newspaper Requirement
Just as the H-2B visas for the first half of the fiscal year 2020 ran out (with some limited exceptions), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in cooperation with the Department of Labor (DOL), has released a new final rule on H-2B visas that changes and modernizes the recruitment process.
The rule, which becomes effective…
Changes Coming for Travel to Europe
The days of spontaneously traveling to Europe on a whim are coming to an end for U.S. citizens. For many years, U.S. citizens have been able to travel to most European countries with only a valid U.S. passport as a travel document. In 2021, the European Schengen Zone will be requiring a registration similar to…
USCIS Releases Policy Memo on L-1 Visa Work Requirement
USCIS has released a policy memorandum clarifying the “one continuous year out of three years” L-1 requirement refers to the time before the individual’s filing.
Eligibility for L-1 status requires the following:
- The U.S. company has a parent, subsidiary, affiliate, or branch abroad (“qualifying organization”)
- The U.S. company is or will be doing business
…
H-1B Visa Rules Tightening for Outsourcing and Staffing Companies
The Trump Administration’s targeting of outsourcing and staffing firms that use H-1B non-immigrant visas has been a hot topic over the past year and promises to be an area of continued focus in the near future. Please see our full publication on that topic here.
DACA Litigation and Legislation Update
DACA was set to terminate on March 5, 2018, based on President Donald Trump’s September 2017 announcement. To avoid the termination, the President challenged Congress to negotiate a legislative solution for the Dreamers. Negotiations ensued, but so did litigation and the issuance of an injunction. A federal court ordered DHS to continue to accept DACA…
Lawsuits Over Rescission of DACA
On September 6, 2017, the day after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the rescission of DACA, 15 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s DACA rescission. The states included in the lawsuit are Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, North…