Social Security No-Match Letters: Three Reminders
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Announces Plan to Require In-Person Interviews of all Applicants for Employer-Sponsored Green Cards
Effective October 1, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will require all applicants who are eligible for a green card based on sponsorship by their employer to appear for an in-person interview at a local USCIS field office. Previously, employer-sponsored applicants for green cards were exempt from the in-person interview requirement after USCIS determined decades ago that in-person interviews were usually unnecessary for this category of applicants. Adjudicating officers were still permitted to conduct…
Supreme Court Allows Major Provisions of Travel Ban to Go Into Effect
In agreeing to review two rulings by the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals and 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on President Trump’s March 6, 2017, Executive Order, the Supreme Court reinstated certain provisions of the Executive Order that the lower courts had blocked. The March 6th Executive Order entitled “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States” was to suspend visa issuance for individuals from six countries, including Libya, Iran, Somalia, Sudan,…
New Rules Create New Business Opportunities in Cuba
Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) and the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) released new rules easing the remaining travel and export financing restrictions on Cuba, offering new opportunities for U.S. businesses to engage with Cuba. …
H-1B Season is Here
It’s time to begin preparing H-1B petitions for an early April filing and October 1, 2016 effective date.
What is H-1B Classification?
The H-1B classification provides work authorization to foreign nationals seeking long-term, but temporary, positions in “specialty occupations” with U.S. employers. A specialty occupation is one which requires theoretical or technical expertise in specialized fields including, but not limited to, architecture, engineering, business, mathematics, science, arts, law and medicine, and which require a bachelor’s…
Congress extends immigrant investor and physician programs without change
Congress has agreed to an omnibus appropriations bill, which contains a number of immigration-related provisions. Though the vote on the bill is set for Dec. 18, it is widely expected to pass. In it, Congress has agreed to extend the EB-5 Regional Center program without change until Sept. 30, 2016. The EB-5 Regional Center program permits foreign nationals to obtain a green card if they invest at least $1 million ($500,000 if invested in a targeted employment…
Visa Waiver Program Changes Included in New Spending Bill
New legislation, included as part of the government spending bill, enacts new changes to the visa waiver program (VWP), imposing additional restrictions on travelers from VWP countries. The new changes require a consular interview for nationals of, or individuals who have traveled to, countries that have supported terrorism or other “high risk” countries, including Syria, Sudan, Iran, and Iraq, since March 2011.…
Congress Extends Immigrant Investor and Physician Programs Without Change
Congress has agreed to an omnibus appropriations bill, which contains a number of immigration-related provisions. Though the vote on the bill is set for December 18, it is widely expected to pass. In it, Congress has agreed to extend the EB-5 Regional Center program without change until September 30, 2016. The EB-5 Regional Center program permits foreign nationals to obtain a green card if they invest at least $1,000,000 ($500,000 if invested in a targeted…
President’s Plan Spells Delays for Travelers
Do you travel outside the U.S. or have employees who do? Our immigration team emphasizes changes that travelers can expect in light of the President’s recently announced plans to combat the threat of terrorism in this recent legal alert.…
DHS Releases Proposed Regulations for Extending Work Authorization for F-1 Students
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released proposed regulations Oct. 19, 2015, on optional practical training (OPT) for F-1 students with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) degrees enrolled at accredited U.S. colleges and universities. The new regulations propose several changes to the existing regulations, including new burdens on colleges and universities with F-1 students and on employers who employ F-1 students working pursuant to OPT.…