USCIS’s new online system for H-1B cap registration will soon be open. If your organization plans to sponsor foreign nationals for H-1B cap employment in FY 2021, it must take steps to set up an account in the USCIS system…
The State Department will request expedited review from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of its DS-5540 public charge questionnaire, to be used by consular officers in determining the admissibility of visa applicants under the agency’s new public charge rule. The rule,…
Yesterday, a federal district court judge issued a permanent injunction that prohibits U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) from implementing a policy under which F, J and M nonimmigrant students and exchange visitors and their dependents would automatically begin to…
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf has announced that his agency will not accept applications for new and renewed Trusted Traveler Program memberships from New York State residents, on account of that state’s new Driver’s License Access and Privacy Act. That law limits the…
The Department of Homeland Security has officially designated four additional international airports to the list of those charged with advanced screening for the coronavirus, following several travel restrictions imposed by the U.S. government last week. The new airports to which targeted flights…
In a webinar for employer stakeholders held today, USCIS presented the new H-1B cap registration system, which will be in effect for the FY 2021 cap season. Key elements of the registration and petition process are addressed below. USCIS’s slide…
USCIS has issued extensive policy guidance and new application forms as it prepares to implement its new public charge regulation starting February 24, 2020. Applicants for adjustment of status, as well as sponsoring employers and beneficiaries of applications to change…
Jurisdictions around the world have been issuing travel advisories, cancelling visa appointments, implementing limited travel restrictions, closing government offices, and taking other measures in order to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. Notably, many consular posts and visa application…
As expected, a new edition of the I-9 employment eligibility verification form has been issued for public use. The new edition is dated 10/21/2019 and will become mandatory on May 1, 2020. Through April 30, 2020, employers can continue to use the previous…
President Trump has signed a presidential proclamation that suspends certain immigrant visa issuance to foreign nationals from several countries, primarily in Africa, with some exceptions. Foreign nationals from Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar (Burma), and Nigeria will not be issued any immigrant visas under…