Bill’s legal work focuses on immigration and nationality law, as well as outbound emigration and related international law. Bill regularly represents clients in immigration matters before the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Department of Labor, as well as before US and foreign consulates.
During law school, he served on the editorial board of the Houston Journal of International Law.
viewpoints
COVID-19 Immigration FAQs for Employers of Foreign Nationals
April 22, 2020 | Advisory | By William Coffman, Susan Cohen, John Quill
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.
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Employer Guidance: Home Office Employment for Foreign Workers
March 18, 2020 | Advisory | By William Coffman, John Quill
This alert reviews worksite and Notice requirements for foreign workers and how employers can ensure compliance as employees work remotely during the coronavirus pandemic.
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“B” Visitor Visa Rule Amended to Combat Administration’s Concern Over “Birth Tourism”
January 27, 2020 | Blog | By William Coffman
On January 24, 2020 the US Department of State published a rule that amends part of the regulations governing the issuance of “B” visitor visas. This regulatory amendment now establishes a rebuttable presumption that an applicant for a “B” visitor visa, who a consular officer believes will give birth during her visit to the US, is applying for the visa and traveling to the US for the primary purpose of securing US citizenship for the child.
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Premium Processing Now Available for Remaining H-1B Filings
June 10, 2019 | Alert | By William Coffman
This alert cover a USCIS announcement that it is resuming premium processing of FY20 H-1B cap petitions.
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USCIS Announces More H-1Bs Eligible for Premium Processing
February 19, 2019 | Alert | By William Coffman
Read about the USCIS’s plan to resume premium processing eligibility for additional H-1B petitions filed on or before December 21, 2018, starting on Tuesday, February 19.
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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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State Department to Limit Visas for Specific Chinese Citizens
June 15, 2018 | Alert | By William Coffman
As part of the continuing trade and intellectual property war with China, the U.S. Department of State has implemented a new policy to limit visa validity periods and impose additional security clearances before visa issuance to citizens of the People’s Republic of China.
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USCIS Reaches Statutory Limit of H-1B Cap Cases for Fiscal Year 2019
April 6, 2018 | Alert | By William Coffman
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced today that it has received enough H-1B petitions to reach the statutory cap of 65,000 petitions for fiscal year (FY) 2019. USCIS also received more than the limit of 20,000 H-1B petitions filed under the U.S. advanced degree exemption, also known as the “master’s cap.”
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Potential Government Shutdown and Impact on Immigration Processes
January 23, 2018 | Blog | By William Coffman
As of 4 pm on Friday, January 19, 2018, the US Senate had not reached an agreement on the terms of a continuing resolution to keep the US government running. The US House passed a 30-day resolution on Thursday, but this must also pass the Senate and President Trump must sign it before midnight, January 19, 2018 to avoid a shutdown.
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Two Supreme Court Orders Reinstate Trump’s Travel Ban
December 19, 2017 | Blog | By William Coffman
On Monday, December 4, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court issued two separate, but related, orders staying lower courts’ preliminary injunctions against President Trump’s most recent travel ban (see our previous alert). The practical impact of these Supreme Court orders is that the latest travel ban reinstates President Trump’s Presidential Proclamation of September 24, 2017.
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News & Press
USCIS Fee Increases May Have Unintended Consequences
February 15, 2024
Mintz attorneys Juan Steevens and William Coffman co-authored an article in Law360 exploring the unforeseen impacts arising from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services’ final rule on adjusting filing fees for the majority of petitions and applications.
Mintz is pleased to announce that 120 firm attorneys have been recognized as leaders by Best Lawyers® in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©.
BOSTON – Mintz has earned top rankings in the 2023 edition of Legal 500 United States guide. The firm is recognized in 14 practice categories, and 59 individual attorneys are also recognized in the guide, some in more than one category.
BOSTON –Mintz announced today that 39 of its practices and 81 of its attorneys earned recognition in the 2023 edition of Chambers USA, a guide to the country’s leading law firms.
Twenty-Eight Mintz Attorneys Named To Boston Magazine’s Top Lawyers List
November 22, 2022
In its second annual edition, 28 Mintz attorneys were named to Boston Magazine’s Top Lawyers list.
Mintz Practice Groups and Attorneys Garner Top Rankings in 2020 Edition of The Legal 500 United States
June 12, 2020
In the latest guide, Mintz garnered rankings as a top national firm in eight practice areas, and 32 firm attorneys were individually recognized.
Immigration Compliance Essentials For 2019
January 22, 2019
This Law360 “Expert Analysis” column discusses how important compliance is in today’s aggressive immigration enforcement environment. The column is authored by a team of Mintz attorneys – Susan Cohen, Bill Coffman and Kevin McNamara.
Best Lawyers named 85 Mintz attorneys to its 2018 list of The Best Lawyers in America. In addition, Mintz attorneys Matthew J. Gardella and Samuel M. Tony Starr were named “Lawyer of the Year” in their respective practice areas.
Best Lawyers named 73 Mintz attorneys to its 2017 list of The Best Lawyers in America. Mintz attorneys selected for inclusion in this year’s list span 44 practice areas.
Events & Speaking
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Dec
6
2018
Immigration Compliance & Risk Management Webinar Series
Part II: Creating Compliance Policies for a New Era
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Oct
25
2018
Immigration Compliance & Risk Management Webinar Series
Part I: Keeping DHS in Your Sights: Site Visits & Record Keeping
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Aug
10
2018
2018 AILA Employer Compliance and Worksite Enforcement CLE Conference
Sheraton Boston Hotel, 39 Dalton St., Boston, MA
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May
30
2017
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May
24
2017
Employment-based Immigration: Talent Acquisition, Retention & Compliance under a New Administration
Mintz Levin
San Diego, CA
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Feb
16
2017
A Round-up of Recent Immigration Law Changes and a Roadmap for Compliance in a New Administration
Mintz Levin
New York, NY
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Recognition & Awards
Chambers USA: Massachusetts - Immigration (2021 – 2023)
Recommended by The Legal 500 United States for Labor & Employment: Immigration (2014, 2020)
Best Lawyers in America: Immigration Law (2013 – 2022)
International Who’s Who of Corporate Immigration Lawyers (2016 – 2019)
Top Author in the semiconductor industry, JD Supra Readers' Choice Awards (2016)
Boston Magazine Top Lawyers – Immigration (2021)
Involvement
- Panelist, AILA's Employment-Based Green Card Applications: Considerations and Strategies webinar
- Member, State Bar of Texas
- Member, Boston Bar Association
- Member, American Immigration Lawyers Association
Recent Insights
Mintz attorneys Juan Steevens and William Coffman co-authored an article in Law360 exploring the unforeseen impacts arising from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services’ final rule on adjusting filing fees for the majority of petitions and applications.
Update: USCIS Poised to Increase Immigration Filing Fees
January 24, 2024| Alert|
