Insight, News, and Strategy on Immigration Matters Around the World
With President Barack Obama’s inauguration and the start of his second term, the Administration is heralding yet another year of immigration compliance focused on sanctioning employers. In recent remarks, the President stated that any immigration reform measures should contain penalties for companies that purposely hire undocumented workers.
The Administration’s focus on employer audits is not…
In an effort to expedite visa processing for business travelers from Mexico, the U.S. State Department announced this month the expansion of its Business Facilitation Program (“BFP”) to all U.S. Consulates and Embassies in Mexico. To qualify for the program, participating employers in Mexico must meet one of the following requirements:
1) Be a branch,…
Lawmakers return to Washington for the 113th Congress with comprehensive immigration reform once again moving to the front burner. Comments and proposals are being fielded by prominent political figures, including former President George W. Bush http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2012/12/george-w-bush-debate-immigration-policy-with-a-benevolent-spirit.html/ and Senator Marco Rubio http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323442804578235844003050604.html. These and similar calls for Congress to finally address the country’s immigration system,…
The current version of Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 (http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-9.pdf), which all employers must use when on-boarding new hires, expired on 8/31/2012.
USCIS announced a proposed new form for public comment on March 27, 2012 (http://tinyurl.com/aogxuy2), but after receiving thousands of comments and calls from stakeholders to extend the comment period,…
AUTHOR: Melina Villalobos
Employers are well aware that just one work-related accident or illness can result in medical expenses, rehabilitation services, and liability compensation. This can be the case whether the accident or illness involves a legal or illegal worker. A recent Nebraska Supreme Court decision is a reminder that undocumented aliens also may bring…
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that, as of January 4, 2013, it has received 22,769 petitions for temporary workers under the H-2B nonimmigrant visa program. This number counts toward the 33,000 H-2B cap for the first half of FY2013, which ends March 31. Of this number, 18,996 are approved and 3,773…
By the end of 2012, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) efforts in I-9 audits broke previous records: it inspected more than 3,000 businesses for I-9 employment eligibility verification compliance and issued nearly $13 million in fines. To put these numbers into perspective, ICE conducted only 250 workplace compliance audits in 2007; 503 in 2008; 1,444…
AUTHOR: Rob Neale
Two end-of-year legislative efforts point to immigration reform as being front-and-center in the new 2013 legislative session. Republicans wasted no time in addressing immigration following the recent presidential election, in which Latino and other immigrant voters gave more of their support to President Barack Obama.
On November 30, 2012, the House of…
AUTHOR: Harry J. Joe
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services announced on December 12, 2012 that effective February 1, 2013, all foreign nationals who receive an immigrant visa package issued by the United States Consulate or Embassy abroad will be required to pay an “immigrant fee” for the issuance of the new permanent resident…
This time last year, USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas announced a new Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) initiative to create jobs in the U.S. Now, USCIS has launched a new Entrepreneur Pathways website designed to give visa information to foreign entrepreneurs who want to start a new business in the United States. The website offers a Nonimmigrant…
