A new version of the I-9 employment eligibility form (10/21/2019 edition) is expected to be available to employers tomorrow, but the prior version (07/17/17 edition) will remain in effect for 90 days thereafter, according to an advance notice. Specific implementation dates for the…
President Trump today signed H.R. 5430, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act, which ratifies the trade agreement that will soon replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). H.R. 5430 was passed by Congress on January 16. The leaders of Canada,…
The Department of State posted the visa bulletin for February today. USCIS advised that it will accept family and employment-based adjustment of status petitions for February based upon the filing date. See https://www.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo for the updated information. Overview of Visa Bulletin…
USCIS formally announced details of its H-1B cap registration process for fiscal year 2021 in Thursday's Federal Register, though important details are still unknown. The announcement confirms the dates of the registration period as March 1 through March 20, 2020 and provides…
The U.S. Supreme Court has lifted the last nationwide injunction barring implementation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) public charge rule. The rule can now be enforced temporarily in all states except for Illinois while lawsuits challenging the legality of…
The Department of State posted the visa bulletin for January today. USCIS advised that it will accept family and employment-based adjustment of status petitions for January based upon the filing date. See https://www.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo for the updated information. To be eligible…
Congress has passed two appropriations bills that will fund the federal government – including immigration operations – through FY 2020, which ends September 30, 2020. President Trump is expected to sign the spending package into law. A pair of appropriations bills passed today…
An agreement between the White House and Congressional Democrats moves the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) closer to ratification in Congress. The Senate is expected to vote on ratifying legislation in 2020. Until USCMA is ratified by all three countries, the provisions…
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has extended the public comment period for its proposed fee rule to December 30, according to a notice published today in the Federal Register. The extension provides stakeholders with more time to weigh in on a…
The long-anticipated H-1B cap registration system will be in place for the upcoming fiscal year (FY) 2021 cap season, according to an announcement from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today. The initial H-1B cap registration period will run from March 1 through…