Immigration

On Friday May 15, 2020, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced they would extend flexibility related to in-person Form I-9 compliance that was granted earlier this year.

The coronavirus pandemic has caused unprecedented disruptions and damage across the world, and its grave impact has been felt acutely by international students in the United States.

Foreign nationals must have a current priority date in order to be eligible to file a Form I-485 Application for Adjustment of Status to Permanent Resident, also known as a Green Card.  In the meantime, applicants who are waiting for their priority date to become current can begin collecting some of the required documentation for the I-485 filing.

Given the challenges presented by COVID-19, many businesses must consider large-scale, transformational changes to their operations. As social distancing continues and safety concerns pervade the public consciousness, adjustments to the physical workspace and business travel practices will be necessary to reflect these new considerations. In Part 4 of our COVID-19 Roadmap Series, we outline important planning steps and concerns employers need to consider relating to physical workspaces and business travel.

Beginning May 1,2020, employers must use the latest edition of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. Use of prior editions of the Form I-9 is not permitted.

On April 22, 2020, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced it is extending its suspension of operations at all Trusted Traveler enrollment centers until at least June 1, 2020 to protect CBP officers and the general public from exposure to COVID-19.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it is extending its current office closures, and is now preparing to reopen its offices on or after June 4, 2020.

This alert from the Mintz Immigration Practice discusses President Trump’s Executive Order, signed April 22, 2020, suspending the entry of new immigrants into the US for 60 days.

These FAQs provide US employers of foreign nationals with information on their obligations under immigration law related to pay reductions, reduced hours, leaves of absence, furloughs, and other steps they may be considering during the COVID-19 pandemic.

U.S. citizens have several ways to obtain or renew a US passport, and under certain conditions, the process can be completed in as little as 24 hours. However, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. State Department has significantly reduced operations at Regional Passport Agencies and Acceptance Facilities.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the numerous travel bans and “shelter in place” orders which have been recently announced, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it will extend certain filing deadlines by 60 days.

On March 27, 2020, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updates on the H-1B cap registration process. Employers and attorneys will need to log into the USCIS Registration portal in order to learn the status of each registration. 

Due to the national emergency declaration resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, several states have closed and/or restricted services at DMV offices, precluding millions of people from applying for a REAL ID.  Accordingly, on March 26, 2020, Acting Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Chad Wolf, announced that the deadline for enforcement of the REAL ID Act would be extended by one year to October 1, 2021.

Effective February 24, 2020, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of State (DOS) implemented the government’s “Public Charge” ground of inadmissibility.

All applicants for Adjustment of Status who are filing a Form I-485 to USCIS, and the Principal Applicant who is filing an Immigrant Visa petition at a United States Consular Post, must define their “Household” size for purposes of the Public Charge rule.  The definitions of “Household” are similar for each process.

We provide the following information to assist our clients to keep track of some of the most salient Coronavirus-related immigration changes and developments:

This alert reviews worksite and Notice requirements for foreign workers and how employers can ensure compliance as employees work remotely during the coronavirus pandemic.

This article provides details about the coronavirus-related UK travel ban, which includes England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

This article provides details on the travel ban announced by President Trump on March 11, 2020 in his speech regarding the coronavirus.