Immigration
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DACA: Updates and Options for Dreamers
November 11, 2019 | Blog | By Lauren Watford
This November, the United States Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments on the case that will decide the fate of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. This program, established through executive action, has offered a temporary reprieve from removal (deportation) to nearly 800,000 students and young professionals raised in the United States. While the program protects a generation categorically denied opportunity to gain legal status, it is very limited in scope. Remarkably, DACA does not confer any immigration status itself nor offer a separate pathway to any other status including permanent residency.
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Implementation of Updated USCIS Forms Enjoined by Federal Court
October 14, 2019 | Blog | By Danielle Porter
USCIS Forms Expiring on October 15
October 10, 2019 | Blog | By Danielle Porter
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that effective October 15, 2019, various forms will be updated to coincide with the recent issuance of a final rule on the public charge ground of admissibility (section INA 212(A)(4)) published by the Department of Homeland Security on August 14, 2019.
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Processing Delays Expected to Continue For All Trusted Traveler Program Applications
September 4, 2019 | Blog
Processing Delays Expected to Continue For All Trusted Traveler Program Applications
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USCIS to Close Majority of its International Offices
August 22, 2019 | Blog | By Susan Cohen
On August 9, 2019, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that over the course of the coming year it will shutter all but 7 of its 23 international offices. Offices in Beijing, Guangzhou, Nairobi, New Delhi, Guatemala City, Mexico City, and San Salvador will remain open. In March of this year, Trump administration officials had announced that the administration was planning to close all the international offices. The recently-announced decision to keep some of them open is therefore a departure from the original plan.
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Visa Backlog Blues
July 12, 2019 | Blog | By Susan Cohen
DOL to Implement New System for PERM Prevailing Wage Requests
June 7, 2019 | Blog
On June 10, 2019 the Department of Labor (DOL) will implement their new system for Applications for Prevailing Wage Determinations (Form ETA-9141). The DOL has developed the Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) System as part of their technology modernization initiative. The current system, iCERT, is decades old and the DOL believes it is not keeping pace with customer demands. The DOL will continue to accept Form ETA-9141 through the current system, iCERT, until 11:59 p.m. EST on June 9, 2019. All new Applications for Prevailing Wage Determinations must be submitted through FLAG beginning on June 10th.
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Decreased Privacy in the Visa Application Process
June 5, 2019 | Blog | By Susan Cohen
On June 1, 2019 the Department of State (DOS) announced that it would immediately begin requiring visa applicants to the United States to provide additional personal information on U.S. visa applications, including social media information, and all email addresses and phone numbers used over the prior five year period. Up to 15 million visa applicants around the world could be affected by these new questions on the visa application forms.
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Iranian Students in America: A Fraught Legacy of Goodwill
May 10, 2019 | Blog | By Zack Navabi
When Must an Employer Amend an Approved L-1 Visa Petition?
January 22, 2019 | Blog | By Susan Cohen
There are two relevant questions that must always be answered in considering whether or not to file an amended petition: (1) what does the law strictly require? and (2) what is the risk to the organization of not filing the amended petition?
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Fall 2018 Regulatory Agenda Signals Immigration Priorities for Federal Agencies
November 15, 2018 | Blog | By William Coffman, Molly O’Malley
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Labor (DOL), and Department of State (DOS) released their fall 2018 Regulatory Agendas. Issued twice per year (fall and spring), this notice forecasts possible regulations that may be promulgated in the coming months.
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8 Best Practices for Managing U.S. Immigration Compliance in 2018 (Part 5 of 5)
September 24, 2018 | Blog | By Susan Cohen
In this five-part series, we highlight three important USCIS policy changes and provide eight best practice tips in light of the ever-tightening U.S. immigration environment. This is the fourth installment in the series. Click to read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.
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8 Best Practices for Managing U.S. Immigration Compliance in 2018 (Part 4 of 5)
September 21, 2018 | Blog | By Susan Cohen
In this five-part series, we highlight three important USCIS policy changes and provide eight best practice tips in light of the ever-tightening U.S. immigration environment. This is the fourth installment in the series. Click to read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.
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8 Best Practices for Managing U.S. Immigration Compliance in 2018 (Part 3 of 5)
September 17, 2018 | Blog | By Susan Cohen
In this five-part series, we highlight three important USCIS policy changes and provide eight best practice tips in light of the ever-tightening U.S. immigration environment. This is the third installment in the series.
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8 Best Practices for Managing U.S. Immigration Compliance in 2018 (Part 2 of 5)
September 13, 2018 | Blog | By Susan Cohen
Employers who sponsor foreign nationals for (1) H-1B visas; (2) PERM-based permanent residence applications and (3) STEM OPT Extensions must ensure their records are in order and retain them for the required statutory time-periods.
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8 Best Practices for Managing U.S. Immigration Compliance in 2018 (Part 1 of 5)
September 11, 2018 | Blog | By Susan Cohen
The Trump Administration has made immigration enforcement and the restriction of immigration to the United States a high priority.
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Be Prepared: DHS Site Visits on the Rise
August 31, 2018 | Blog | By Angel Feng
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducts site visits at the offices of employers who petitioned or are petitioning for temporary work visas on behalf of their employees. These site visits are funded by the $500 “anti-fraud” fee that is a component of the filing fees for H-1B and L-1 petitions.
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I-9 Audits and Investigations of Employers Have Nearly Quadrupled in 2018
August 28, 2018 | Blog | By Angel Feng
Government enforcement activities at businesses have significantly increased this year. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has already conducted 5,200 audits this year compared to 1,360 audits in all of 2017.
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Does USCIS Want to Turn Lawful Immigrants into Unlawful, Removable Immigrants? The Answer it seems, is “Yes”
July 20, 2018 | Blog | By Susan Cohen
The tilt in this Administration towards harsh immigration measures is well known because of high profile moves like the travel bans and the separation and incarceration of parents and young children from Central America who have sought safety in the U.S.
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Immigration Issues on Capitol Hill – Will Anything Get Done?
February 21, 2018 | Blog | By Barbara Chin
It appears that the Republican controlled Congress and the Trump Administration cannot get anything done on the contentious issues of immigration.
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Viewpoint Editors
Susan J. Cohen
Member / Founding Chair, Immigration Practice
Barbara Chin
Practice Group Associate
William L. Coffman
Special Counsel
Angel Feng
Special Counsel
Douglas Hauer
Member
Maryanne Kline
Practice Group Associate
Cassie Ramos
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