Executive Orders

Immigrant & Non-Immigrant Entry Suspended for 7 Countries

On January 27, 2017, President Trump signed an Executive Order (“EO”), “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States”, which, among other things, suspended immigrant and nonimmigrant entry for nationals of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, for a minimum of 90 days. The state of Washington, later joined by

Department of State

DOS Visa Bulletin

The March 2017 DOS Visa Bulletin “Final Action” chart for employment-based preference cases reflects progress as we head into the sixth month of the government’s fiscal year (“FY”) 2017: EB-2 “Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability” category for China and India progresses 1 month and 6 weeks to cut-off

Department of Homeland Security

DHS Update

Reminder: Beginning January 22, 2017, employers must begin using the new version of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, edition date 11/14/16. On January 17, 2017, the new rule, “Retention of EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 Immigrant Workers and Program Improvements Affecting High-Skilled Nonimmigrant Workers,” which includes significant changes to several immigration programs, took effect. It is

Department of State

DOS Visa Bulletin

The February 2017 DOS Visa Bulletin “Final Action” chart for employment-based preference cases contains some movement as we head into the fifth month of government’s FY2017: EB-2 “Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability” category and EB-3 “Skilled Workers/Professionals/Other Workers” for All Chargeability areas progresses 2 months to a cut-off