Until very recently, USCIS routinely waived in-person interviews for employment based adjustment of status cases. Instead, USCIS only conducted interviews in about 5-10% of all employment based adjustment of status cases. On August 28, 2017, USCIS announced that it would be dramatically expanding its use of interviews in employment based…
On July 19, 2017, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”), along with the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”), published a final rule increasing the number of H-2B visas available for the 2017 fiscal year by 15,000 visas. H-2B visas are non-immigrant visas which allow United States businesses to hire non-agricultural workers…
President Trump ran his presidential campaign on a pledge to protect the jobs of American workers. As part of this pledge, President Trump routinely on the campaign trail said that he wanted to limit legal immigration to the United States. President Trump further, routinely stated that he wanted to make…
On March 3, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced that it will temporarily suspend its premium processing service for H-1B petitions. The suspension of premium processing takes effect for all H-1B petitions filed on or after April 3, 2017. At the present time, USCIS expects the suspension to…
On September 22, 2016, Judge Michael H. Simon, of the U.S. District Court of Oregon, ruled that Tenrec, Inc. v. U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Servs., a class action lawsuit challenging the annual H-1B lottery process, may proceed. The H-1B visa allows United States companies to employ foreign workers in jobs that…
On August 26, 2016, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) proposed a new rule to allow certain foreign national entrepreneurs to be considered for parole (temporary permission to be in the United States), in order to start or grow a business in the United States. On August 31, 2016, the proposed…
Effective August 1, 2016, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”), significantly increased civil fines for employers who commit I-9 and other violations of the Immigration Reform and Control Act (“IRCA”). The increased fines are a direct result of the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015…