Insight, News, and Strategy on Immigration Matters Around the World
USCIS may be close to negotiating an agreement that would mean EADs for thousands of foreign nationals with approved applications will finally start to be produced.
Yet, first-time EAD applicants who are in H-4 or L-2 status may still face impediments. In March, when the COVID-19 crisis began and USCIS offices closed, the Application…
ICE has announced it is extending the remote virtual verification option for completion of I-9 employment verification an additional 30 days, until September 19, 2020, due to continued precautions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pursuant to the original guidelines for virtual verification, eligible employers may continue to inspect Section 2 documents without an actual in-person…
The “Aligning Federal Contracting and Hiring Practices With the Interests of American Workers” Executive Order directs federal departments and agencies to conduct audits of federal contracts awarded in Fiscal Years 2018 and 2019 to determine if U.S. job opportunities or the economy have been adversely affected by the use of temporary foreign workers…
The Department of State (DOS) has provided more details to the Consulates on the national interest exemption under President Donald Trump’s June 22, 2020, executive order.
The “Presidential Proclamation Suspending Entry of Aliens Who Present a Risk to the U.S. Labor Market Following the Coronavirus Outbreak” bars holders of certain visas from entering the U.S.…
With a breakdown in talks on the latest COVID-19 stimulus package and with most senators and representatives out of town (though the House has been recalled from vacation to address the U.S. Postal Service crisis), USCIS has not received the $1.2 billion that it wants and says it needs to avoid furloughing two-thirds of its…
There have been rumors floating that USCIS might be selecting more H-1B cap registrations for the FY 2021 cap. Those rumors appear to be true. As of August 14, 2020, registrants have received emails with notifications of further selections. A USCIS spokesperson said, “that full visa petitions for those selected in the second round…
On August 12, 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit limited the nationwide injunction on the Department of Homeland Security’s Public Charge Rule to three states: Connecticut, New York, and Vermont.
Since August 14, 2019, exactly one year ago today, when DHS published the final version of the new Public Charge Rule…
Assuming there is no further stalling or litigation by the government, Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) may finally be on their way to approximately 75,000 foreign nationals who have been waiting for them, in some cases for months, after having approved application notices in hand.
In Subramanya v. USCIS, federal District Judge Algenon L. Marbley issued…
New Yorkers can once again register for Trusted Traveler Programs.
However, registrants should note that, due to COVID-19, Trusted Traveler Enrollment Centers are closed until at least September 8, 2020.
In early February 2020, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) prohibited New Yorkers from registering or re-registering for Trusted Traveler Programs, including Global…
New USCIS filing fees will go into effect on October 2, 2020, under a new final rule published by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the Federal Register on August 3, 2020. This rule raises fees by a weighted average of 20% and changes the current fee structure to impose specific fees per…
