Headlines: 1. USCIS Expands Site Visits To Review of L-1 Petitions – The agency is reviewing extensions of L-1 petitions and L-1 job duties and salaries to determine whether they are consistent with the L-1’s classification. 2. H-1B Alert: Filing Starts April 1 for Next Fiscal Year – This past fiscal year, H-1B numbers were exhausted within […]
Headlines: 1. DHS OIG Report on EB-5 Regional Center Program Stirs Controversy – The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General has released a controversial new report on the EB-5 regional center program that includes four recommendations. 2. OSC Reiterates That Employers May Not Institute a Hiring Preference for U.S. Citizens Unless Required To […]
1. USCIS Announces E-Verify Anti-SSN Fraud Effort РUSCIS has announced an E-Verify effort to combat identity fraud by identifying and deterring fraudulent use of Social Security Numbers for employment eligibility verification. 2. Temporary Accommodation for Form I-129 H-2A Petitions Has Expired – The Office of Foreign Labor Certification has stopped sending Adobe PDF copies of approved […]
Headlines: 1. Federal Government Reopens; OFLC, USCIS Announce Temporary Accommodation for I-129 H-2A Petitions – The Department of Labor’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification and USCIS announced temporary accommodation for I-129 H-2A petitions. 2. EOIR Updates Guidance on Immigration Court Filings After Government Shutdown, Changes Zip Code – EOIR issued details about immigration court filings in […]
Headlines: 1. Effects of Government Shutdown on Immigration Services Summarized – E-Verify is unavailable, among other effects of the federal government shutdown. 2. Diversity Visa Registration for 2015 Program Begins; Nigeria No Longer Eligible – Online registration for the DV-2015 Program began on Tuesday, October 1, 2013, at 12 noon EDT (GMT-4), and will conclude […]
Headlines: 1. DHS Inspector General Releases Report on Implementation of L-1 Visa Regulations – Among other things, the report says that more communication between the Departments of Homeland Security and State would improve the processing of blanket L-1 petitions. 2. Special Immigrant Visa Program for Iraqis Set To Expire – Individuals applying under this program, including family […]
Headlines: DHS Issues FAQ on Supreme Court’s DOMA Ruling – Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano said she has “directed [USCIS] to review immigration visa petitions filed on behalf of a same-sex spouse in the same manner as those filed on behalf of an opposite-sex spouse.” DOL Labor Certification Registry Goes Live – The registry […]
Headlines: 1. Senate Passes Comprehensive Immigration Reform; House Passage Uncertain – On June 27, 2013, the full Senate passed comprehensive immigration reform legislation, 68-32. 2. Supreme Court’s DOMA Ruling Opens Door to Immigration Benefits for Same-Sex Spouses – About 30,000 same-sex binational couples may now be eligible for immigration benefits, thanks to the Supreme Court’s striking down the […]
Headlines: 1. Senate Committee Approves Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill – On May 21, 2013, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved an amended S. 744, the “Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013,” by a bipartisan vote of 13-5. The bill now goes to the Senate floor. 2. Signaling Flexibility Within Limits, USCIS Releases […]
On May 9 and 14, 2013, the Senate Judiciary Committee began marking up S. 744, the "Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013," which is comprehensive immigration reform legislation developed by the "Gang of Eight" bipartisan group of senators and introduced on April 17. The Gang of Eight includes Sens. Marco Rubio […]
