Insight, News, and Strategy on Immigration Matters Around the World
With migrant “encounters” at the southern border much in the news, the Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Swanton Sector along the northern border has recorded encounters increasing at a rate never seen before.
The Swanton Sector encompasses 24,000 square miles at the northern border. The sector includes the entire state of Vermont, six upstate…
USCIS has proposed raising its filing fees – and the burden of those increased fees will fall primarily on employers large and small. For example, the filing fee for an H-1B visa would be raised by 70% from $460 to $780. The registration fee for Cap H-1Bs would increase from $10 to $215. On top…
Announcing a new final rule, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is officially reinstating the 2020 asylum rules in light of the court decision that said they were invalid.
In February 2022, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia vacated two 2020 Trump-era rules that for two years had made it more…
Automatic Employment Authorization Document (EAD) extensions are confusing. Before you can figure out whether one of the various extensions applies, you need to identify the EAD category.
Certain EAD applicants are entitled to 180-day automatic extensions if they have pending, timely filed EAD renewal applications. The code on the face of the expired EAD indicates…
As of May 4, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is increasing the automatic extension of work authorization from 180 days to 540 days for certain individuals.
Currently, certain individuals with expiring employment authorization documents (EADs) can continue working for an additional 180 days as long as they have timely submitted for a…
Starting April 25, 2022, the “Uniting for Ukraine” program for Ukrainians seeking to enter the United States will allow Ukrainians who are sponsored by family members or non-governmental agencies to come to the United States and apply for a two-year humanitarian parole.
While humanitarian parole does not offer a direct pathway to long-term residence in…
The United States has joined many European countries that are opening their doors and offering humanitarian assistance to fleeing Ukrainians.
Ireland, Great Britain and Canada have all started private sponsorship programs for Ukrainians. That assistance is not necessarily a one-way street. Easing the way for incoming Ukrainians may help those nations deal with their own…
In December 2021, Congressional Democrats tried to include immigration reforms in the Build Back Better Act (BBBA). Some of the proposals would have helped unauthorized immigrants by providing those eligible with parole and work authorization. The bill also would have reduced green card backlogs and provided some applicants with expedited green cards for a fee.…
Illinois has amended the Illinois Human Rights Act to make “work authorization status” a protected category.
The amendment, Public Act 102-0233, became effective immediately upon the governor’s signing in early-August.
Under the amendment, “work authorization status” is defined as the status of a person born outside of the United States, and not a U.S.…
On his first day in office, President Joe Biden signed a memorandum fortifying the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy. His administration also has granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to more individuals: those from Venezuela and Burma. Building on this, President Biden also proposed broad legislative immigration reform, including a path to citizenship for…
