On Dec. 18, 2024, USCIS released the Modernizing H-1B Requirements, Providing Flexibility in the F-1 Program, and Program Improvements Affecting Other Nonimmigrant Workers Final Rule. First proposed in October 2023, the Biden Administration has been urged to finalize the rule. The rule codifies certain USCIS guidance by regulation. The regulation is effective Jan. 17
Students / CPT / OPT / STEM
Immigration Hurdles Ahead: What Employers Can Expect from the Second Trump Administration
By Aimee Guthat & Kimberly M. Bennett on
President-Elect Donald Trump is promising sweeping changes to the U.S. immigration system, with a focus on ramping up enforcement and the removal of undocumented immigrants. We can look to his first term, along with his campaign platform, to anticipate upcoming immigration action.
We expect President Trump will take swift action in the following areas through…
DHS Announces Permanent Rule for 540-Day Automatic Extension of Work Authorization Renewals
- They timely filed an EAD renewal application
Travel Ban Fears? Why Foreign National Students Urged to Return to U.S. Before Jan. 20
Some colleges and universities, out of an abundance of caution, are advising their foreign national students and staff who are traveling abroad for winter break to consider returning before President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025.
It is not possible to predict what will happen with any certainty, but President Trump has spoken about…
What Canada’s Sweeping Immigration Reform Means for U.S.
Canada is reducing the number of permanent and temporary residents it will admit over the next couple of years over concerns about housing prices as well as stress on infrastructure and social services due in part to the high levels of immigration.
This may impact U.S. companies and U.S. institutions of higher education most.
For…
Not Too Late: Biden Administration Urged to Make Pro-Business Immigration Moves Now
- Surge resources: Democratic lawmakers asked USCIS to “surge” resources to eliminate the backlog of employment authorization applications (for new arrivals and other non-citizens) using the $34 million that had been set
Navigating State Driver’s License Requirements for Foreign Nationals: A Guide for Employers
- Duration of Stay: The length of the foreign
What Lebanese Nationals Currently in U.S. Should Know About TPS Designation, DED Option
By Michael H. Neifach on
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) designated Lebanon for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months due to the conditions in that country caused by the conflict across the Israeli-Lebanese border. The Oct. 17, 2024, designation will apply to otherwise eligible individuals who have continuously resided in the United States since Oct. 16, 2024.
Instructions…
Will DOL Update Schedule A List to Address Labor Shortages?
The Schedule A list of occupations that do not require the employer to conduct a labor market test (a PERM labor certification) as part of a green card application process has not been updated in at least 20 years. Almost a year ago, in December 2023, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued a Request for…
High-Skilled Immigrants Saw Rise in Approvals for O-1A Visas, National Interest Waivers
In recent years, the landscape for high-skilled immigration to the United States has seen significant changes, particularly with the rise in approvals for O-1A visas and National Interest Waivers (NIW). This rise follows the Biden Administration’s 2022 favorable guidance aimed at welcoming high-skilled science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) talent and reversing the previous administration’s…