While the pandemic wreaked havoc on many immigration processes and has resulted in some breaks in employers’ I-9 compliance, E-Verify program obligations for employment eligibility verification have not been relaxed. E-Verify requires all subscribed employers to take action on cases designated as “tentative nonconfirmation case” (TNC) for their employees within 10 federal government working days.
DOS Update The Department of State (DOS) has extended the validity of National Interest Exceptions (NIEs) for travelers subject to restrictions under Presidential Proclamations banning entry into the U.S. due to presence in China, Iran, Brazil, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Ireland, India and the Schengen area. Existing NIEs and newly-issued NIEs will be valid
Important Reminder: As we are reaching the end of the H-1B filing season under the annual government-imposed “cap,” be sure to submit your cap-subject H-1B petitions by the June 30, 2021 deadline. Petitions that are not received by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) by the deadline will be rejected. When submitting the petitions,
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced availability of biometric appointments reschedule via telephone. Biometric appointments are habitually required prior to adjudication of multiple immigration proceedings, including those for permanent immigration to the U.S. Since appointment dates are randomly picked by the government, applicants frequently need to reschedule them due to business and personal
As U.S. immigrant and nonimmigrant visa issuance bans imposed by the Trump administration have lapsed and U.S. consulates abroad have restarted routine visa appointments, most applicants for popular work visas, such as H-1B and L-1, and their U.S. employers do not realize that the current visa backlog includes nearly half a million applicants who meet
USCIS Announces Completion of H-1B Cap Lottery U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that they have received enough electronic registrations during the initial registration period to reach the fiscal year (FY) 2022 H-1B numerical allocations (H-1B cap) including the advanced degree exemption (master’s cap), and that they have now notified all prospective petitioners with
Department of Homeland Security Update – This update reflects some of the best news from DHS as U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced it may reopen and/or reconsider its denial decisions of Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, proceedings that were based on three recently rescinded policy memos. USCIS is expected to use
H-1B Registration Period for FY2022 Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions Opens On March 9 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that the initial registration period for FY2022 H‐1B cap-subject petitions will open at noon Eastern on March 9 and run through noon Eastern on March 25. USCIS intends to notify registrants by March 31st whether
With the challenging times for nearly everybody, uncertainty for immigrants is easily at its highest. This brief guidance is not intended as exhaustive legal advice; rather, it is a starting point for a few “what if” situations you or your sponsored workers may encounter. Please remember that specific factual situations require case-by-case analysis to ensure
H-1B Registration To Open Soon for FY2022 Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions The beginning of the new cap-H-1B petition filing season with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is upon us. USCIS will once again be using the H-1B registration process implemented last year to select the H-1B petitions. Instead of the prior process requiring preparation