July 2014 Immigration Update
Headlines: 1. White House Announces Response to Increase in Unaccompanied Children, Families -On June 20, 2014, President Obama announced that he will take administrative action to correct parts of our broken immigration system. In the meantime the President directed the start of a government-wide response to an increase in unaccompanied children entering the United States […]
June 2014 Immigration Update
Headlines: 1. OCAHO Launches E-Filing Pilot, Rules That E-Verify Participation Does Not Provide Blanket Protection – OCAHO has launched a voluntary pilot program to test an electronic filing system in certain cases. Also, an employer argued that participation in E-Verify entitled it to a presumption that it had not violated the law, but OCAHO ruled that […]
May 2014 Immigration Update
Headlines: 1. USCIS Holds Stakeholder Call on L-1A Site Visits – The L-1 inspection program is being phased in and may be extended to initial petitions and/or L-1Bs in the future. 2. USCIS H-1B Premium Processing Has Begun for FY 2015 Petitions – On April 28, 2014, USCIS began premium processing for H-1B petitions subject to the […]
April 2014 Immigration Update
Headlines 1. File H-1B Petitions for FY 2015 Now! – USCIS anticipates receiving more than enough petitions to reach both caps by April 7. 2. USCIS, Healthcare.gov Provide Highlights of Immigration Status Effects on ACA Eligibility – Immigration status can affect eligibility for health care benefits under the Affordable Care Act. 3. USCIS Holds Teleconference With EB-5 […]
March 2014 Immigration Update
Headlines: 1. State Dept. Announces J-1 On-Site Inspections – DOS plans to conduct on-site inspections of J-1 internships and training programs. 2. State Dept. Predicts Visa Availability in the Coming Months; Visa Bulletin Moved – The Department of State’s Visa Office has estimated visa availability in the coming months. Also, DOS has reorganized its website, moving […]
February 2014 Immigration Update
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 […]
January 2014 Immigration Update
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 […]
December 2013 Immigration Update
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 […]
November 2013 Immigration Update
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 […]
October 2013 Immigration Update
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 […]
September 2013 Immigration Update
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 […]
August 2013 Immigration Update
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 […]
July 2013 Immigration Update
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 […]
June 2013 Immigration Update
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 […]
SENATE COMMITTEE BEGINS MARKUP OF COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM BILL
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 […]
May 2013 Immigration Update
HEADLINES 1. DOL, DHS Publish Interim Final Rule on H-2B Prevailing Wage Methodology; DOL, USCIS Resume Processing – The rule revises the prevailing wage methodology used by the DOL to calculate certain prevailing wages paid to H-2B workers and U.S. workers recruited in connection with an H-2B Application for Temporary Employment Certification. 2. CBP Rolling Out […]
April 2013 Immigration Update
Headlines 1. H-1B Filing for FY 2014 Starts April 1; USCIS Will Begin Premium Processing for H-1B Cap Cases on April 15 – Companies should file H-1B petitions now, and evaluate their anticipated hiring needs for H-1B professionals for the 12-month period beginning on October 1, 2013. USCIS will begin premium processing for H-1B cap […]
March 2013 Immigration Update
Headlines: 1. USCIS Posts EB-5 Memorandum for Public Comment – USCIS posted an updated memorandum on the EB-5 program, and is soliciting public comment. 2. H-1B Filing Starts April 1 – Companies should prepare to file H-1B petitions, and evaluate their anticipated hiring needs for H-1B professionals for the 12-month period beginning on October 1, 2013. 3. […]
February 2013 Immigration Update
Headlines: 1.President Obama Speaks on Immigration Reform, Senators Announce Bipartisan Agreement – President Obama spoke on his immigration reform proposal one day after a bipartisan group of senators also proposed principles for comprehensive immigration reform. 2.USCIS Updates FAQ on DACA, Releases Latest Statistics – USCIS has posted new information on the definition of DACA, accrual of […]
January 2013 Immigration Update
Headlines: 1. USCIS To Implement New Immigrant Visa Fee February 1 – USCIS will begin collecting a new fee of $165 from foreign nationals seeking permanent residence in the United States. 2. USCIS Launches New E-Verify Employers Search Tool – The new online tool allows the user to find employers and federal contractors currently enrolled in E-Verify. […]
