Headlines: USCIS Plans to Revise Definition of Specialty Occupation, Employment, Employer-Employee Relationship, Among Other Actions – The letter does not specify how these definitions will be revised or when the proposed regulations will be issued. Gorsuch Votes Against Trump Administration in Deportation Case; DHS, ICE Issue Statements – U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch voted […]
Headlines: Attorney General Orders ‘Zero Tolerance’ Policy for Improper Entries at Southwest Border; President Issues Memo on ‘Catch and Release‘ – Attorney General Jeff Sessions directed federal prosecutors along the southwest border of the United States to adopt immediately a “zero-tolerance policy.” Later the same day, President Donald Trump issued a memorandum on “catch and […]
Headlines: USCIS To Begin Accepting FY 2019 H-1B Cap-Subject Petitions April 2, Suspends Premium Processing – Starting April 2, 2018, USCIS will begin accepting H-1B petitions subject to the FY 2019 cap. USCIS said it will temporarily suspend premium processing for all FY 2019 cap-subject petitions, including petitions seeking an exemption for individuals with a […]
On April 2, employers can start filing H-1B temporary visa petitions for foreign professionals for work starting October 1, 2018. The law limits new H-1B visa numbers to 85,000 a year. Because many more employers than that are likely to file petitions, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will receive applications for one week and […]
Headlines: California, Sued by Dept. of Justice for ‘Sanctuary’ Laws, Continues to Resist – DOJ filed a lawsuit against the state of California, its governor, and its attorney general over several “sanctuary” laws passed by the state. State officials remained defiant. Lost in the Weed: Practitioners Warn About Potential Immigration Consequences of Marijuana Use – […]
Headlines: Supreme Court Declines Trump Administration Appeal in DACA Case – The U.S. Supreme Court let stand without comment a ruling by a federal judge to block the Trump administration’s plan to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals by March 5, 2018. Supreme Court Says Certain Aliens May Be Held in Indefinite Detention, Remands Case […]
Headlines: Immigration Bills Fail in Senate, Including DACA; House Bill’s Prospects Appear Dim; Second Court Enjoins DACA Rescission – Four immigration bills failed in the U.S. Senate, and a House bill appears doomed. Also, a second court enjoined DACA rescission, with a nationwide preliminary injunction while lawsuits proceed. The decision included certain limitations. President Trump […]
Headlines: State of the Union Speech Outlines Immigration Reform Proposal; White House Releases ‘Framework’ on Immigration and Border Security – President Donald Trump outlined several immigration-related themes during his State of the Union address on January 30, 2018. Also, the Trump administration released its “Framework on Immigration Reform & Border Security” on January 25, 2018. […]
Headlines: Former DHS Secretaries Urge Congress To Act on DACA Now; Administration Begins Accepting DACA Renewal Applications – Former DHS Secretaries Michael Chertoff, Jeh Johnson, and Janet Napolitano sent a letter to Republican and Democratic congressional leaders urging swift passage of legislation to allow the 690,000 “Dreamers” under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program […]
Headlines ABIL Commentary: Threats, Opportunities for Employers in 2018 – After a tumultuous, difficult year in 2017 with respect to immigration and border issues, attorneys from the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers (ABIL) shared their thoughts on what employers can expect in 2018. REAL ID Act: New Security Measures Start January 22 – Starting January […]
