After months of speculation, the Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) “Strengthening Wage Protections for the Temporary and Permanent Employment of Certain Aliens in the United States” rule was finally released to the public. It will be published in the Federal Register on October 8, 2020 and will go into effect immediately upon publication. The rule’s wage
USCIS Premium Processing Fees: Bad News, Good News
Premium processing fees are going up (the bad news), but premium processing will be available for more types of cases (the good news) according to changes included in the recently passed Continuing Resolution (CR) that will fund the government until December 11, 2020. The changes are meant to provide additional funding to USCIS to bolster…
Judge Issues Preliminary Injunction Against Nonimmigrant Ban
Judge Jeffrey S. White has granted the plaintiffs’ request for preliminary injunction preventing the continued enforcement of the Presidential Proclamation suspending the entry of certain individuals in H, L, and J status (Nonimmigrant Ban) in National Association of Manufacturers et al. v. Department of Homeland Security et al.
This ban has been creating uncertainty for…
Proposed Rule Would Replace Duration of Status Policies for International Students
Foreign students soon may find themselves subject to new policies and processes regarding their status in the United States.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has released for comment its proposed rule Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay Procedures for Individuals in F, J and I Status. The…
New Rule Likely Intended to Formalize Onerous H-1B Requirements
The “Strengthening the H-1B Nonimmigrant Visa Classification Program” rule has been submitted to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) for review and could be published by the end of the year – or earlier. Although the text of the rule is still not public, it is generally believed that the proposal will formalize…
Foreign Student Status and Student Work Authorization
Foreign students wishing to study in this country may have whiplash over the Trump Administration’s many moves.
Early in 2020, a federal court blocked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from changing the rules regarding duration of status admission to the United States. Under the Trump Administration’s proposed policy, students might unknowingly accumulate unlawful presence…
Judge to Decide on Administration’s Immigration-Related Restrictions Based on COVID-19 Pandemic
In April and June, numerous Presidential Proclamations suspended entry of thousands of legal immigrants and nonimmigrants least until December 31, 2020, using the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason. This is despite the fact that legal immigration has been proven to bring economic growth.
One proclamation affects family-based, diversity visa, and employment based “Green Card” applicants.…
Federal, DHS Succession Rules Were Not Complied With to Fill Agency’s Top Positions, GAO Reports
A recent non-binding report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found the appointments of Kevin McAleenan and Chad Wolf (both as “acting” DHS Secretaries) and Ken Cuccinelli (senior official performing the duties of the deputy secretary) violated the governing federal and DHS succession rules because they were not eligible for the positions they occupy.…
New Executive Order Takes Aim at Hiring under Federal Contracts
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…
National Interest Exemptions to Visa Restrictions
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.…