USCIS announced today that it will resume its premium processing service for all H-1B petitions that are subject to this year’s H-1B cap. This news provides much needed relief to employers and foreign nationals, particularly in those situations where an employee is relying on F-1 optional practical training (OPT) cap gap provisions for work authorization. F-1 OPT cap gap work authorization will expire on Sept. 30, 2017, leaving foreign nationals unable to work unless their H-1B petition is approved before Oct. 1, 2017, or they are able to secure alternative work authorization, which is unlikely for most.
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Linnea C. Porter
Linnea C. Porter focuses her practice on business immigration matters, including representing domestic and multinational employers before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of State. Linnea represents and advises employers in virtually all areas of business immigration, including nonimmigrant visa categories (B, E, F, H, J, L, O, TN), permanent residence (PERM, Extraordinary Ability/Outstanding Researchers, Multinational Managers and National Interest Waivers), naturalization, and DACA. She has experience counseling a variety of companies from start-ups to multinational organizations in a wide range of industries, including fashion, financial services, IT, pharmaceutical, oil and gas, and alternative energy, on U.S. business immigration, compliance and enforcement actions, and global immigration.
Linnea also assists multinational employers with global mobility matters. Further, Linnea advises employers with I-9 compliance by providing on onsite training, internal audits and reviews, as well as deploying best practices to minimize exposure and liabilities in the event of government investigations.
U.S. Mission in Russia to Temporarily Halt Visa Services
On Monday, August 21, 2017, the U.S. Embassy in Moscow announced that starting August 23 all nonimmigrant visa operations across Russia will be temporarily suspended. The mission announced that it…
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Arizona, Maryland, and Wyoming To Participate in E-Verify Ride Program
As of July 31, 2017, Arizona, Maryland, and Wyoming are official participants in the federal government’s E-Verify enhancement program, RIDE.
The Record and Information from DMVs for E-Verify (RIDE) verifies…
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DHS Rescinds Memorandum Addressing Expansion of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents
The Nov. 20, 2014 DAPA memorandum, which to date has not been implemented, directed U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) “to establish a process, similar to DACA, for exercising prosecutorial…
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CBP Implements EVUS Enrollment for Chinese National 10-Year B-1/B-2 Visa Holders
On Nov. 29, 2016, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) implemented a requirement for all Chinese passport holders who carry a maximum validity (10-year) B1 (visitor for business) and/or…
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July 2016 “SEVIS by the Numbers” Report Indicates Growth in the Number of International Students Studying in the United States
This week, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) published its quarterly “SEVIS by the Numbers” report announcing that there are over one million international students in the United States. …
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