DHS Ends Form I-9 Requirement Flexibility
COVID-19 temporary flexibilities for Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, will end on July 31, 2023. U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently announced that employers must complete in-person physical document inspections for employees whose documents were inspected remotely during the temporary flexibilities by August 30, 2023. This new announcement gives employers additional time to complete […]
IMMIGRATION UPDATE 1.24.2023
IMMIGRATION UPDATE – January 24, 2023 BREAKING NEWS Parties Reach Settlement in Lawsuit Filed on Behalf of Spouses of H-1B and L-1 Visa Holders — USCIS will premium process applications of H-4 and L-2 dependents if they are filed concurrently with the primary’s I-129 premium processing request. The agreement is to take effect on January […]
IMMIGRATION UPDATE 1.10.2023
IMMIGRATION UPDATE – January 10, 2023 HEADLINES USCIS Issues Proposed Rule to Raise Fees and Fund Asylum Program With New $600 Employer Petition Fee – The Department of Homeland Security also proposes to fund the asylum program with a controversial new Asylum Program Fee of $600 to be paid by employers. DHS Implements New Processes […]
FY2024 H-1B CAP FILINGS
March 2023: The filing window for registration to seek an FY2024 H-1B cap visa number will likely open October 1, 2023: The earliest start date of employment for selected and approved petitions What are the H-1B quota limitations? Regular cap (Bachelor’s degree): 58,200 Regular cap, Citizens of Chile: 1,400 Regular cap, Citizens of Singapore: 5,400 Master’s cap exemption (Master’s degree […]
IMMIGRATION UPDATE 11.23.2022
IMMIGRATION UPDATE – November 23, 2022 HEADLINES Visa Bulletin for December 2022 Includes Many Updates – The Department of State’s Visa Bulletin for December 2022 includes a variety of updates. The estimated employment-based annual limit will be 197,000 for FY 2023. Inspector General Releases Annual Statement on State Dept.’s Major Management and Performance Challenges – […]
IMMIGRATION UPDATE 11.14.2022
IMMIGRATION UPDATE – November 14, 2022 HEADLINES DHS Releases List of Countries Eligible for H-2A and H-2B Programs, Adds Eswatini – Each country’s designation is valid until November 9, 2023. DHS Continues TPS and Related Documentation for El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, Sudan, Honduras, and Nepal – To ensure its continued compliance with several court orders, […]
IMMIGRATION UPDATE 11.08.2022
IMMIGRATION UPDATE – November 8, 2022 HEADLINES Employer Reminder: E-Verify Operations Resume; Preferred Dates Released for Employee Visits to SSA to Resolve Mismatches – E-Verify reminded employers that operations have resumed, and released preferred dates for employees to visit the Social Security Administration to resolve their Tentative Nonconfirmations (mismatches of Social Security numbers). CBP Is […]
2024 DIVERSITY VISA LOTTERY – ONLINE ENTRY PERIOD
DV-2024 Program Begins Wednesday, October 5, 2022 at 12:00 noon Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) Ends on Tuesday, November 8, 2022 12:00 noon Eastern Standard Time (EST) The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (also known as the Green Card or DV Lottery) provides immigrant visas each federal fiscal year for individuals from countries with low rates […]
IMMIGRATION UPDATE 10.04.2022
IMMIGRATION UPDATE – October 4, 2022 HEADLINES Agencies Release Hurricane Ian-Related Guidance – The Department of Labor’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification and the Department of Homeland Security, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, released guidance related to the effects of Hurricane Ian. USCIS Extends Green Card Validity […]
IMMIGRATION UPDATE 9.28.2022
IMMIGRATION UPDATE – September 28, 2022 HEADLINES COVID-Related Restrictions Expected to Ease at Canadian Border – According to unofficial reports, by the end of September, Canada may drop its COVID-19 vaccine requirement for travelers entering Canada from the United States via the Detroit-Windsor border. Canada may also end COVID-19 for airport arrivals and no longer […]