Headlines: Do Stimulus Checks and Unemployment Benefits Matter for Purposes of Inadmissibility Determinations Based on Public Charge? Attorneys Weigh In – Immigration attorneys have been getting questions from their clients about whether accepting the COVID-19 pandemic-related stimulus check, or unemployment benefits, are considered public benefits for purposes of public charge inadmissibility determinations. USCIS Is Reusing […]

Headlines: COVID-19 Update: Latest Developments – This article presents immigration-related highlights of developments in the short term for the fast-evolving COVID-19 pandemic. E-Verify Self-Check Has New TNC Features – E-Verify has announced that myE-Verify users now can begin using new features, guidance, and updated screens in Self Check. H-1B Initial Electronic Registration Selection Process Is […]

The Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers (ABIL) urges the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security, State, Justice and Labor, including their subordinate agencies charged with administering and enforcing federal immigration laws, to announce the immediate suspension of all immigration compliance deadlines in order to help minimize harms to public safety and business continuity caused by the […]

Headlines: Supreme Court Rules on I-9 False SSN in Kansas Prosecution Case – The Supreme Court held that an undocumented immigrant who used a false SSN for I-9 purposes can be prosecuted by the state for using the false SSN on state employment tax forms. USCIS Alert: H-2A, H-2B Petitions Must Include Printed Copy of […]

Headlines: Immediate Three-Year Backlog Imposed on EB-3 and EB “Other Workers” Visa Categories in March; China-Mainland Born EB-5 Category Advances Rapidly – The Department of State’s Visa Bulletin for March 2020 announced several notable developments. Update: USCIS to Launch Electronic H-1B Registration Process Starting March 1 – USCIS released updated details on February 21, 2020. […]

Headlines: DHS Suspends New York Residents from Trusted Traveler Programs; New York to Sue – DHS informed the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles on February 5, 2020, that New York residents are no longer eligible to apply for or renew their enrollment in Trusted Traveler Programs. New York’s Attorney General immediately announced plans […]

Headlines: USCIS Announces Public Charge Rule Implementation Following Supreme Court Stay of Nationwide Injunctions  – USCIS will implement the public charge final rule on February 24, 2020, except in Illinois, where the rule remains enjoined by a federal court. Trump Administration Restricts U.S. Entry of Travelers From and Through China Due to Coronavirus Risk – […]

Headlines: USCIS Announces Countries Eligible for H-2A and H-2B Visa Programs – For 2020, the countries designated as eligible in 2019 are unchanged. USCIS Releases Final FY 2019 Statistics – The statistics include naturalizations, green cards, employment authorizations, and protected populations, among other categories. OFLC Completes Randomization Process on H-2B Applications Requesting an April 1, […]

Headlines Immigration Provisions Included in Newly Enacted Defense Act – On December 20, 2019, President Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act, which includes several immigration-related provisions. Investigation Finds Fake Companies Exploiting F-1 Student Visa Program –NBC found that 14 “suspicious” companies employed more than 5,500 foreign students through the Optional Practical Training program. ABIL […]

Headlines Possible Retrogression in EB-2 Worldwide and EB-3 Worldwide in January – This year retrogression in the employment-based second and third preference visa categories may come much earlier than usual. House Passes Bill to Address Labor Shortage in Agriculture; Senate Prospects Unclear – Among other things, the bill would provide a path to legal status […]