Headlines: Regulatory Agenda Includes Stripping Employment Eligibility From H-4 Spouses of H-1B Visa Holders, Other Actions – The agenda also includes a proposal to revise the definition of “specialty occupation” to “increase focus on obtaining the best and the brightest” foreign nationals via the H-1B program, revise the definition of “employment” and “employer-employee relationship” to […]
Headlines: Trump Proposes Merit-Based Immigration Plan – President Donald Trump proposed an immigration plan on May 16, 2019, that shifts the emphasis to a merit-based system to admit highly educated, high-skilled immigrants. USCIS Completes Data Entry for FY 2020 H-1B Cap-Subject (Lottery) Petitions – USCIS announced that it has completed data entry for all FY […]
Headlines: USCIS Clarifies Period of Authorized Stay for P-1S Essential Support Personnel of Individual Athletes – USCIS emphasizes that the periods of initial authorized stay are different for individual athletes (P-1A visa) and their essential support personnel (P-1S visa). DHS Increases H-2B Cap for FY 2019 by 30,000 Additional Visas – The purpose of the […]
Headlines: SSA Resumes Issuing No-Match Letters – The Social Security Administration has resumed mailing notifications to employers identified as having at least one name and Social Security Number combination submitted on the wage and tax statement (Form W-2) that do not match SSA’s records. A no-match letter is not necessarily an indication that a person […]
Headlines: Visa Bulletin Shows Slight Forward Progress in Some Backlogged Preference Categories – Regarding EB-1 for China and India, the bulletin notes a continued “extremely high rate of demand” that may require temporary retrogression until October. New USCIS Policy Guidance Clarifies Marijuana-Related Activities Bar on Naturalization – Certain marijuana-related activities generally bar naturalization even if […]
Feature Article DOCUMENT RETENTION POLICIES AND PRACTICES: AN OVERVIEW – This article provides an overview of document retention policies and practices in Canada and Italy. Country Updates COLOMBIA – This article summarizes several developments in Colombia: All visa procedures must now be completed online; the Migrant Mercosur visa for Chilean nationals has been suspended due […]
Headlines: USCIS Reaches FY 2020 H-1B Regular Cap – USCIS has received a sufficient number of petitions to reach the 65,000 H-1B visa regular cap for fiscal year 2020. New Study Shows Companies Pay Billions in Job Training, Scholarships for U.S. Students Through H-1B Fees – The study by the National Foundation for American Policy […]
Headlines: USCIS Announces FY 2020 H-1B Cap Season Start, Updates, and Changes – USCIS announced the start of the FY 2020 H-1B cap season, start dates for premium processing of cap-subject H-1B petitions, and the launch of its new H-1B data hub, while reminding petitioners of its new H-1B cap selection process. DOL Issues Bulletin […]
Headlines: Trump Administration Plans to Close USCIS International Operations – USCIS Director L. Francis Cissna told senior staff that the agency’s International Operations Division, which operates in more than 20 countries, will be closed down. The duties of those offices will be transferred to U.S. embassies and consulates and to domestic U.S. offices. USCIS Resumes […]
Headlines: Trump Administration Moves Ahead on Reversing H-4 EADs – On February 20, 2019, the Trump administration sent a proposed rule to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review that would halt work authorization for H-4 spouses of H-1B visa holders in the United States. Premium Processing Resumes for H-1B Petitions Filed by […]
