As we explained on May 4 and March 12, the Department of Homeland Security has relaxed normal in-person verification requirements for Form I-9 during the pandemic.
Continue Reading COVID-19 UPDATE: USCIS Extends Relaxed Requirements for Form I-9
President Halts Certain Nonimmigrant Admissions and Extends Immigrant Admission Ban Through End of Year
UPDATES as of July 1, 2020: Please see our new piece, Entry Ban Update, for additional information that has become available about how the proclamation is being enforced for Canadians, visa renewals, and exceptions.
COVID-19 UPDATE: How Does the Outbreak Affect International Travel?
We last wrote about international travel during COVID-19 in March, with a general overview and a separate article about travel in North America. Since then, many changes have occurred (for example, those traveling to Canada and the United Kingdom must now quarantine for 14 days after arrival), while other elements of travel have remained
The Legal 500 Recognizes HuntonAK Labor and Employment Practice For 2020
We are pleased to announce that the Labor and Employment team at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP has been recognized as practice leaders in Immigration and Labor and Employment Disputes (Including Collective Actions): Defense by The Legal 500. Eleven individual lawyers on HuntonAK’s Labor and Employment and Immigration Team also were acknowledged.
July 2020 Visa Bulletin –Backlogs Persist, but India Advances at a Quicker Pace
The Visa Bulletin is released monthly by the Department of State and is used to determine when a sponsored foreign national can submit the final step of the green card process, or if already pending, when the final step can be adjudicated.
Continue Reading July 2020 Visa Bulletin –Backlogs Persist, but India Advances at a Quicker Pace
COVID-19: Updates on Operational Changes at US Immigration Agencies
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, US immigration agencies have continued offering minor, but welcome, accommodations to individuals affected by COVID-19 who rely on immigration programs. While there are no groundbreaking changes, here is a roundup of the most notable changes in the last two months.
Continue Reading COVID-19: Updates on Operational Changes at US Immigration Agencies
COVID-19 UPDATE: USCIS Premium Processing Returns Beginning June 1, 2020
After suspending all “premium processing” for more than two months during the COVID-19 pandemic, USCIS today announced it will again accept premium fees (currently, $1,440 per form) and requests for expedited adjudication (currently, 15 calendar days) for Forms I-129 (Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker) and I‑140 (Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker).
Continue Reading COVID-19 UPDATE: USCIS Premium Processing Returns Beginning June 1, 2020
COVID-19 UPDATE: Brazil Joins US Prohibited Entry List
On May 24, 2020, the White House added Brazil to the list of countries triggering denial of admission to the US if travelers have been physically present in those countries for the preceding 14 days. The presidential action cited “widespread, ongoing person-to-person transmission of SARS-CoV-2” as the reason for the ban, listing the WHO’s ranking of Brazil with the “third highest number of confirmed cases in the world.”
Continue Reading COVID-19 UPDATE: Brazil Joins US Prohibited Entry List
June 2020 Visa Bulletin –China Continues to March Forward One Month at a Time – India Advances (Very) Slowly
The Visa Bulletin is released monthly by the Department of State and is used to determine when a sponsored foreign national can submit the final step of the green card process, or if already pending, when the final step can be adjudicated.
Continue Reading June 2020 Visa Bulletin –China Continues to March Forward One Month at a Time – India Advances (Very) Slowly
COVID-19 UPDATE: USCIS Relaxes Requirements To Verify Identity on Form I-9
On March 12, we recommended that employers designate authorized representatives to complete and reverify Forms I-9 in person during COVID-19 closures and furloughs. On March 24, we updated our guidance in detail because, in response to COVID-19, USCIS began allowing employers and employees to complete Forms I-9 remotely. The agency has now further relaxed I-9 verification requirements.
Continue Reading COVID-19 UPDATE: USCIS Relaxes Requirements To Verify Identity on Form I-9