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: 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).
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COVID-19 UPDATE: USCIS To Reopen Certain Local Offices on June 4
On March 25, we reported that US Citizenship and Immigration Services had closed all local domestic offices, including asylum offices, field offices, and application support centers, due to COVID-19 contagion risks. Those closures, while initially short term, have been extended several times and remain in effect as of today.
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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.”
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USCIS Updates M-274 Handbook for Employers for I-9 Verification
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.
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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.
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COVID-19: President Halts Immigrant Visa Admissions for Sixty Days
On the night of Monday, April 20, 2020, the President tweeted that he would “protect” American jobs during the COVID-19 crisis by issuing an Executive Order that would “temporarily suspend immigration.” After several uncertain days of conflicting information, reported in the media, about how sweeping the scope of the order would be, it turns out
COVID-19 UPDATE: Travel Still Stymied Between US and Its Neighbors
On March 23, 2020, we wrote about the impact of the global pandemic on travel between the United States and neighboring countries, in COVID-19: How Does the Outbreak Affect Travel Between the United States and Mexico or Canada? We explained that the US, Mexican and Canadian governments had agreed to close their contiguous borders between March 20 and April 20, 2020, and then reassess whether borders should be reopened depending on the progress of the pandemic.
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COVID-19 UPDATE: Visa Waiver Travelers Now Have Another Option if They Cannot Leave on Time
On March 30, 2020, we wrote about “satisfactory departure” in COVID-19: How Does the Outbreak Affect Visa Waiver (ESTA) Travelers? As we explained, visitors to the US who arrive under the Visa Waiver program who cannot depart within 90 days due to the pandemic may request a 30-day “satisfactory departure” period from US Customs &
COVID-19: CARES Act Offers No Specific Relief to Nonimmigrant Workers, But May Help Them Anyway
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