The fervor surrounding Arizona’s new immigration statute, Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act (Senate Bill 1070), has grown in the days since Governor Jan Brewer signed the Bill into law on April 23, 2010. The Arizona legislature adjourned on April 29, 2010, which means the Act will become effective 90 days later, July
US Immigration
Arizona Governor Signs Controversial Immigration Bill into Law
By Jeffrey W. Toppel on
Posted in US Immigration
Less than two years after the enactment of the Legal Arizona Workers Act (“LAWA”), Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has signed into law the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act (Senate Bill 1070). The Act requires law enforcement officials to attempt to determine the immigration status of any person that they believe to…
FY 2011 H-1B Petitions Received in First Week: 13,500FY 2011
By Jackson Lewis P.C. on
Posted in US Immigration, USCIS
On April 9, 2010, USCIS announced that in the first week of accepting cap-subject H-1B filings for FY 2011, only 13,500 petitions had been received against the 65,000 regular cap and only 5,600 against the 20,000 master’s cap.
New H-1B visas are generally limited to 65,000 per fiscal year, with an extra 20,000 available to…
Department of Labor to Increase Enforcement Actions
By Minnie Fu on
Posted in US Immigration
On April 1, 2010, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced DOL’s “We Can Help” campaign in Chicago, where she told an audience of union leaders and community members that the DOL “will not allow anyone to be denied his or her rightful pay — especially when so many in our nation are working long, hard and often dangerous hours.”…
Continue Reading Department of Labor to Increase Enforcement Actions
Jackson Lewis Delivers Immigration Insights to Forbes Readers
By Sean G. Hanagan on
Posted in US Immigration
Forbes.com recently explored the pitfalls faced by foreign business visitors attempting to enter the United States on short-term trips. Jackson Lewis’ Global Immigration practice group Partners Davis Bae and Sean Hanagan were quoted extensively.
Continue Reading Jackson Lewis Delivers Immigration Insights to Forbes Readers
A Win for “Extraordinary Ability” Immigrant Visa Applicants
By Jackson Lewis P.C. on
Posted in US Immigration, USCIS
The Extraordinary Ability (EB1) immigrant visa category, as the name suggests, is set aside for immigrants who possess extraordinary ability in their fields. Unlike the case of other visa categories, individuals in this category may submit petitions for themselves. It also avoids the backlogs in other visa categories and is commonly used by artists, entertainers and researchers.
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Bipartisan Bill Supports Job Creation Through Investment in Innovation
By Jackson Lewis P.C. on
Posted in US Immigration
Start-up companies have always been a driving force in the U.S. economy. They are even more important in a down economy, as innovation drives job creation. While there are visa categories for entrepreneurs who invest their own capital, there is a gap in U.S. visa policy when it comes to entrepreneurs with great ideas…
H-1B Filings for Fiscal Year 2011 can be Filed April 1, 2010
By Jackson Lewis P.C. on
Posted in US Immigration
H-1B filing season is upon us again. The most often used work visa for Professional Workers is the H-1B. The H-1B has a limited availability of approximately 58,000 per year. Despite the economy, these visas still are anticipated to be in high demand and become unavailable by the end of 2010.
Continue Reading H-1B Filings for Fiscal Year 2011 can be Filed April 1, 2010
Legislation to Increase I-9 Penalties Introduced in Congress
By Jackson Lewis P.C. on
Posted in US Immigration
New legislation that would expand penalties for employers who knowingly hire unauthorized workers has been introduced in the House of Representatives. The “Criminal Penalties for Unauthorized Employment Act of 2010” (H.R. 4627), introduced by Representative Frank Kratovil (D-Md.), would significantly increase imprisonment terms, criminal fines, and civil fines that can be levied against an employer…
Major Changes in Landscape of H-1B Visa Usage Results from USCIS Memorandum
By Jackson Lewis P.C. on
Posted in US Immigration
The USCIS has mandated sweeping changes in the use of H-1B visas, redefining the employer-employee relationship for third-party worksite placements pursuant to H-1B petitions, among other things. The changes, which have alarmed many employers, came in memorandum from the agency’s Associate Director of Service Center Operations, Donald Neufeld, this past January.
Although the “Neufeld Memo&rdquo…