Per the recently announced presidential proclamation, the U.S. immigration policies are being further altered to (1) continue the immigration restrictions of the April 2020 proclamation through December 31, 2020 and (2) to add further restrictions on foreign nationals’ entry into the U.S. through the end of calendar year 2020. While the April proclamation affects foreign
Recent reports have indicated that I-485 applications may be placed on hold due to President Trump’s April 2020 Presidential Proclamation. On June 12, 2020 a reporter stated that USCIS claims the basis of “the hold on processing green card applications from current U.S. residents stems from the temporary suspension of in-person services during the COVID-19
As U.S. states are reopening and many are back to business, many U.S. and foreign nationals are starting to plan business and leisure travel abroad. Importantly, however, the U.S. travel ban put in place via presidential proclamation in March 2020, still is in effect and prohibits entry into the U.S. of all foreign nationals who
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced it will be bringing back expedited processing (i.e., Premium Processing) option for the Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker-based filings and Form I-140, Immigrant Petition. Importantly, the return of Premium Processing will be gradual and proceed in phases over the month of June. Effective June 1,
DHS Update In response to the ongoing pandemic, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has extended certain immigration filing deadlines. This pertains specifically to petitioners’ and applicants’ responses to USCIS’s requests for evidence(RFEs), notices of intent to deny or revoke, appeal notices, and a few other responsive proceedings. If the issuance date listed on the
On April 22, 2020, President Trump signed an executive order pertaining to suspension of entry of immigrants into the U.S. during the period of post-COVID-19 recovery. The executive order significantly limits ability of immigrants (i.e., individuals intending to permanently immigrate to the U.S.) to enter this country over the following 60 day period unless they
Nonimmigrant Status Management at Times of COVID-19 Lay-Offs and Satisfactory Departure • Individuals on employment-based work visas (H-1Bs, TNs, E-1s, E-2s, E-3s, O-1s, L-1s) who are suddenly laid off due to the impact of COVID-19 can still afford themselves a one-time 60 day grace period to change status to another employer-sponsored visa or apply for
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has relaxed the employment verification requirements with COVID-19 and social distancing requirements for employers who are operating solely remotely. Specifically, DHS will exercise discretion with the physical inspection requirement of the employee’s identity and employment authorization documents by allowing the employer to inspect the Section 2 documents remotely (via
H-1B Workers: Worksite Changes at Time of COVID-19 If you are employing H-1B professionals, you probably recall posting notices concerning their employment at the intended worksites with your company, and are likely aware that H-1B employment is not only employer-, but also location-specific. In these uncertain times of COVID-19 related business changes, do you have
Effective March 13, 2020, President Trump issued a proclamation suspending entry into the United States for immigrants and nonimmigrants who were physically present in certain European countries during the 14-day period prior to their entry or attempted entry into the United States. Affected countries include Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,