COVID travel restrictions may be improving, but the most recent update to the Department of State’s Visa Wait Times confirms that there are still very serious, ongoing visa appointment delays resulting from the pandemic.
Continue Reading Visa Stamp Delays: US Consulates Publish Increased Wait Times to Schedule Appointments
In the newest sequel to the Shergill v. Mayorkas settlement, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has now updated its Policy Manual to address documents that E and L nonimmigrant spouses may show their employers to prove their work eligibility.
Continue Reading USCIS Updates Policy Manual for E/L Spouses’ Work Authorization Documents
Following the settlement of a US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) lawsuit that finally recognizes that dependent L and E spouses are able to work lawfully incident to their status, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) updated its admission system to designate on the I-94 admission records those spouses who are authorized to work without applying for an EAD.
Continue Reading CBP Now Issuing Work-Authorized I-94s for L and E Spouses
As we previously reported, President Biden is rescinding the international travel restrictions that have drastically hindered US business and tourist travel for almost 2 years. Beginning at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday, November 8, 2021, travelers will no longer need a valid National Interest Exception if they have been in China, Iran, the Schengen Area, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, South Africa, or India within the past 14 days. Instead, they – and all air travelers to the US, with some very limited exceptions – will have to prove they are “fully vaccinated” before boarding a US-bound flight.
Continue Reading US Opens Flights to Fully Vaccinated Travelers – What Does It Mean for You and Your Family?
News sources are reporting that, on September 20, Jeff Zients, White House Covid Response Coordinator, announced easing of restrictions on direct entry into the US by fully vaccinated international travelers. Few details are available as of this writing.
Continue Reading The end of NIEs is Nigh – Biden’s Covid Team Announces Travel Restrictions to be Lifted in November
At some point this year, we expect that the United States will lift the travel ban that includes all of the Schengen countries, the United Kingdom, China, and others. While there have been many rumors about when this will happen, the US government remains silent. When the United States lifts the travel ban, US visa holders in the United States will have many questions about whether they can travel abroad, when they can return, and what impediments they may face. The following FAQs address these questions.
Continue Reading International Travel After the US Travel Ban is Lifted – What Visa Holders Can Expect
In the ten days since we reported on presidential Proclamation 10052, certain questions we and other immigration attorneys had about the proclamation have been clarified. The proclamation established a ban on admission to the United States for people in the H, L, and J nonimmigrant visa categories for the rest of calendar year 2020.
As of May 1, 2020, when employers verify identity and employment authorization for their employees, they must use the October 21, 2019, edition of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification.
Continue Reading USCIS Updates M-274 Handbook for Employers for I-9 Verification
Unemployment insurance, as described in a recent blog post by our Labor and Employment colleagues, is a “joint federal-state program, administered separately by each state following guidelines established by federal law.” While the requirements of these programs vary from state to state, eligibility criteria generally exclude nonimmigrants whose work authorization is tied to a specific position with a specific employer (e.g., TN, H-1B, and L-1 workers).
Continue Reading COVID-19: Are Nonimmigrants Eligible for Unemployment Benefits?
President Trump signed the eagerly awaited Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act on March 27, 2020. What does it mean for people who are affected by COVID-19 and living here on work-authorized visas? They, like their colleagues who are US citizens and permanent residents, have also been furloughed without pay, laid off, and affected by university closures. But, unlike their colleagues, nonimmigrant workers are also at risk of involuntarily violating or even losing their US immigration status during COVID-19. To understand why, see our earlier blog, COVID-19: How Do Furloughs Affect Nonimmigrant Workers? Unfortunately, the Act is silent on the fate of these workers. While it provides general relief that may also aid nonimmigrants, their eligibility for that relief is not entirely clear.
Continue Reading COVID-19: CARES Act Offers No Specific Relief to Nonimmigrant Workers, But May Help Them Anyway