Norris McLaughlin, PA

Immigrants are also people like anyone else, people who get into trouble with the police, who suffer from broken marriages and lost jobs, and make mistakes with U.S. immigration law. Because of their special contributions to this Nation, immigrants deserve the best legal services available. They deserve a law firm that will fight hard to defend their rights, to bring family members together here in the U.S., and to keep them here when trouble strikes. These are the principles that guide our Immigration Practice.

An Overview of STEM OPT Employer Site Visits

By Raymond Lahoud

February 20, 2020

Employers who have employed F-1 students in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) category of the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program can expect site visits by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). The March 2016 STEM OPT rule allows the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to conduct site visits of employers that train STEM OPT students. Conducting Site Visits The site visits are aimed to ensure that STEM OPT students…

Immigration Lawyers Blog

An Overview of STEM OPT Employer Site Visits

By Raymond Lahoud

February 20, 2020

Immigration Lawyers Blog

Department of Homeland Security Suspends New York Residents From All Trusted Traveler Programs

By Raymond Lahoud

February 13, 2020

United-States-of-America-Department-of-Homeland-Security-Police-Officers.jpg

As an aftereffect of the Driver’s License Access and Privacy Act that went into effect on December 14, 2019, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has now suspended Trusted Traveler Programs such as Global Entry (for entry from abroad), NEXUS (for entry from Canada), SENTRI (for entry from Canada and Mexico), and FAST (for truck drivers entering the U.S. from Mexico) for the state of New York. The DHS has also notified that Vehicle Exports…

Immigration Lawyers Blog

Employers: DHS Releases New Revised Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification

By Raymond Lahoud

February 3, 2020

The United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) has again changed the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. On January 31, 2020, the USCIS released the long-awaited revised Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9), with an edition date of “10/21/2019.” The changes are minor and USCIS has accordingly revised “Handbook for Employers: Guidance for Completing Form I-9.” Though the Form I-9 went into effect on January 31, 2020, USCIS has permitted employers to continue using…

Immigration Lawyers Blog

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy Signs Law Allowing Children of H-1B Visa Workers Qualify for In-State Tuition Fees

By Raymond Lahoud

January 28, 2020

On January 21, 2020, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation allowing children of H-1B visa workers to qualify for in-state tuition, subject to certain conditions. “New Jerseyans deserve equal access to higher education, and today we are taking another step toward making that possible,” said Gov. Murphy. Students who are children of H-1B visa holders can now qualify for in-state tuition at the state’s public colleges and universities. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant…

Immigration Lawyers Blog

ICE Makes Worksite Visits to Employers With International Student Employees on STEM OPT

By Raymond Lahoud

January 23, 2020

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers are visiting workplaces to check on the student employees who are in their Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Optional Practical Training (OPT). Universities are cautioning their students of such visits from ICE. Massachusetts Institute of Technology was the latest among the universities to caution their students. Last year, the University of Pennsylvania and Duke University issued similar notices to students. What…

Immigration Lawyers Blog

Feds Criminally Charge Corporate Executives and Management for Knowingly Employing Undocumented Immigrants

By Raymond Lahoud

January 21, 2020

Federal authorities charged four executives at Speed Fab-Crete Corporation, a Kennedale, Texas construction and precast concrete company, and the owner of Take Charge Staffing, a Texas workforce staffing agency, for conspiracy and other felony offenses related to knowingly employing undocumented immigrants, individuals who were not lawfully authorized for employment in the United States. The Allegations: Employing Undocumented Immigrants Speed Fab-Crete Corporation (Speed Fab) “is . . . [a] commercial builder, specializing in design-build applications.” The…

Immigration Lawyers Blog

Feds Criminally Charge Corporate Executives and Management for Knowingly Employing Undocumented Immigrants

By Raymond Lahoud

January 21, 2020

Immigration Lawyers Blog

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy Passes Law Allowing Undocumented Immigrants to Obtain Driver’s Licenses

By Raymond Lahoud

January 10, 2020

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy passed a law on December 19, 2019, that allows undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses. The legislation is to take effect starting January 1, 2021. The law creates two classes of licenses – one is the standard driver’s license and the second is the REAL ID, which can be used for federal security authentication. Immigrants who have entered the country illegally can only avail a standard driver’s license which can…

Immigration Lawyers Blog

Report: Pennsylvania’s Foreign-Born Rural and Urban Immigrant Workforce Continues to Climb

By Raymond Lahoud

January 8, 2020

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A recent study by Pennsylvania State University and the Center for Rural Pennsylvania found that between 2000 and 2016, the foreign-born immigrant workforce throughout Pennsylvania rose significantly and now makes up a considerable portion of Pennsylvania’s rural and urban economy. Economic Implications of Pennsylvania’s Foreign-Born Population The study, “Economic Implications of Pennsylvania’s Foreign-Born Population,” found that in rural Pennsylvania, the foreign-born workforce grew by 75% over the study period. In Pennsylvania’s urban centers, foreign-born workers…

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An Overview of STEM OPT Employer Site Visits

An Overview of STEM OPT Employer Site Visits

Department of Homeland Security Suspends New York Residents From All Trusted Traveler Programs

Employers: DHS Releases New Revised Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy Signs Law Allowing Children of H-1B Visa Workers Qualify for In-State Tuition Fees

ICE Makes Worksite Visits to Employers With International Student Employees on STEM OPT

Feds Criminally Charge Corporate Executives and Management for Knowingly Employing Undocumented Immigrants

Feds Criminally Charge Corporate Executives and Management for Knowingly Employing Undocumented Immigrants

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy Passes Law Allowing Undocumented Immigrants to Obtain Driver’s Licenses

Report: Pennsylvania’s Foreign-Born Rural and Urban Immigrant Workforce Continues to Climb

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