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: 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: Are Nonimmigrants Eligible for Unemployment Benefits?
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).
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COVID-19: How Do Furloughs Affect Nonimmigrant Workers?
Employers nationwide are implementing work reductions, closures and furloughs in order to reduce costs during the COVID-19 economic slowdown in the United States. When employees are put on reduced hours or furloughed, employers face changing legal obligations in multiple areas of labor and employment law. Companies that employ nonimmigrant workers should not overlook the additional legal obligations they have toward these employees, especially those who are on visas that have prevailing wage requirements.
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The Year Ahead: 10 Things to Watch for in US Immigration
In 2019, the large policy and enforcement shifts signposted in 2017 and 2018 continued to play out with stricter immigration enforcement across the board. While we don’t expect to see seismic shifts in the coming year, there are a few issues to watch for in 2020.
(1) H-1B “Specialty Occupation” Definition Change Likely to Stall in Court
USCIS has indicated it will be announcing an official change to the definition of “specialty occupation.” While we have already seen a detrimental shift in the H-1B adjudication process, this would be an official regulatory change. We expect that any attempt to re-interpret the H-1B statute as narrowly as possible will face a lengthy court battle.Continue Reading The Year Ahead: 10 Things to Watch for in US Immigration
DOS Shortens L-1/L-2 and E-1/E-2 Visa Validity for Citizens of France
The Department of State (DOS) has updated its reciprocity schedule with shortened visa validity periods for French citizens. Specifically L-1/L-2 visas are now valid for 17 months and E-1/E-2 visas are now valid for 25 months. Prior to this recent change, both visa categories were eligible for validity periods of 60 months.
Who is eligible
Does USCIS Really Need All of This Documentation?
Are you frustrated with the increasing level of documentation required to support employment-based immigration filings? You are not alone.
Gone are the days when a company letter and organizational chart were enough to support an L-1A manager case or just quoting the Occupational Outlook Handbook was enough to demonstrate specialty occupation status for an H-1B
Our 2019 Forecast in Business Immigration Law, Part 2
Foreign Students Will Face New Threats
DHS’s Fall 2017 regulatory agenda proposed “comprehensive reform” to practical training programs, which allow foreign students to obtain paid work after graduation – a pathway that often leads to H-1B and green card sponsorship by a U.S. employer. Although no final rule has yet been published, ICE is still
Travel Ban FAQs
The President’s Executive Order, commonly called the “travel ban”, has raised many questions. We answer the most frequently asked questions below, and will update them as additional information becomes available.
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DHS Clarifies Policies Affecting Travelers and Applicants, As Details of Possible New Executive Orders Emerge
The fast pace of immigration developments under the new Trump administration continues. The following are some of the issues that are most important to individuals and businesses in the United States:
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