California SB 206 would allow college-level student-athletes in California to market their name, image, and likeness without affecting their amateur status. How may the new law, which is in the final phases of approval, affect international student-athletes? Foreign students enter the United States on F-1 student visas. The terms of this type of visa drastically restrict the ability of the individual to earn money while studying in the United States as an international student. The…

Six hundred and eighty workers from seven poultry processing plants across Mississippi were arrested by ICE in what was the largest workplace raid in a decade. Raids of this size require complex logistics and months of preparation. This raid has been in the planning stages for a year. “Sources close to the Department of Homeland Security said they recognized that the optics were difficult following the El Paso shooting. But preparation for the operation…

The Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has sent an unprecedented number of I-9 audits, called Notices of Inspection (NOIs), in the previous three weeks reportedly to more than 3,000 companies. At least another 3,000 are likely on the way since ICE has requested (and received) an additional $6.5 million to hire new 27 Junior Compliance Officers (JCOs), some of whom will be staffing four new HSI (Homeland Security Investigation) offices in…

In a move that likely will give a boost to the Brazilian tourism industry, the Brazilian government has announced that U.S. citizens can now visit Brazil without a visa. Citizens of Australia, Canada, and Japan also have received this cost-saving and time-saving benefit.…

Two years ago, then-Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, proposed collecting 15 years of travel, address and employment history and 5 years of social media platforms, identifiers, phone numbers and emails from visa applicants selected for “extreme vetting.” It was predicted that this would affect only 0.5% of all visa applicants – approximately 65,000 annually. As of June 1, 2019, with the introduction of a new DS-160 Form, some of this information will be collected from…

Immigration enforcement is a major focus of attention of the Trump Administration – including in the business immigration context. One measure of this interest is the increase in I-9 audits. ICE reported that worksite investigations surged in FY 2018 by “300 to 750 percent” over FY 2017. Given that, many employers are considering whether to register for E-Verify. E-Verify is the federal web-based system that allows enrolled employers to confirm the eligibility of their employees…