Today, President Trump hosted a Rose Garden event unveiling his new immigration plan. The theme of the address, “Modernizing Our Immigration System for a Stronger America,” focuses on border security and modernizing the employment-based immigration systems to be more merit-based, according to the president. A new initiative called the “Build America Visa” would replace certain … Continue Reading
The U.S. State Department has just released the June 2019 Visa Bulletin, and the headline is the significant retrogression in EB-1 India, where the Final Action Date goes back to January 2015. There is slow forward movement in almost all employment-based categories; EB-1 China remains unchanged and EB-3 India remains more advanced than EB-2 India. For more visa … Continue Reading
On April 30, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced the completion of its review of the regulation providing additional H-2B for fiscal year 2019- Agency: DHS-USCIS RIN: 1615-AC38 Status: Concluded Title: Exercise of Time-Limited Authority to Increase the Fiscal Year 2019 Numerical Limitation for the H-2B Temporary Nonagricultural Worker Program Stage: Final Rule … Continue Reading
Of counsel Kristen Burke and Associate Sarah Amendola, attorneys in Greenberg Traurig’s Immigration and Compliance Practice, wrote an article published in Texas Lawyer titled “The Era of Tougher Immigration Enforcement.” The commentary addresses DHS’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has escalated its efforts to oversee and enforce I-9 compliance, both in terms of conducting audits and … Continue Reading
Courtney Noce, shareholder of Greenberg Traurig’s Immigration and Compliance Practice, was recently quoted in an April 24 Law360 article titled “New Israeli Visa to Woo Tech Startups.” The article discusses the E-2 investor visa program opening up to Israeli startups. To read the full article, please click here. *Access to this article requires a Law360 subscription.… Continue Reading
As previously announced on our blog, the E-2 Treaty Investor Visa will soon be available to Israeli nationals wishing to make a substantial investment in or set up a business in the United States. USCIS announced on April 22 that eligible Israeli nationals already in the United States in a lawful nonimmigrant status, as well … Continue Reading
On April 22, President Trump, in a quick turn to interior immigration enforcement, issued a Presidential Memorandum (Memo) initiating a process to develop administration initiatives to address visa overstays in the United States. Last week, the Department of Homeland Security released the Fiscal Year 2018 Entry/Exit Overstay Report, stating a total overstay rate of 1.22%, … Continue Reading
Following up on a previous report, the Department of Homeland Security forwarded a final H-2B Rule to the White House Office Of Management and Budget on April 22 (see below). Once OMB completes review, a final rule will be published in the Federal Register for implementation. Agency: DHS-USCIS RIN: 1615-AC38 Status: Pending Review Title: Exercise of Time-Limited Authority … Continue Reading
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has once again begun notifying employers (and third-party payroll companies) who submitted Form W-2s containing name and Social Security Number (SSN) combinations that do not match the agency’s records, with what are known as “No-Match Letters.” Such discrepancies can arise from commonplace events such as marital name changes, but can … Continue Reading
Beginning in May 2019, Form I-94 will have a new look. The current 11-digit numerical format will be replaced by alphanumeric characters. The new format will include 11 characters, starting with nine digits, a letter in the tenth position, and a digit in the eleventh position. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) indicated that unexpired I-94 … Continue Reading
The Department of State May 2019 Visa Bulletin shows movement in employment-based categories. The EB-1 category will advance one month in all countries, moving up the cutoff date to March 1, 2018, except China and India, whose dates remain the same at Feb. 22, 2017. The EB-2 category will remain current for all countries except China, … Continue Reading
On April 10, 2019, USCIS announced it used a computer-generated random selection process to select enough H-1B petitions to meet the congressionally-mandated regular cap and U.S. advance degree exemption (Master’s cap) for fiscal year (FY) 2020. USCIS received 201,011 petitions during the filing period, which began April 1, including petitions filed for the advanced degree … Continue Reading
On May 20, 2019, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin premium processing for FY 2020 cap-subject H-1B petitions that were filed (1) requesting a change of status; and (2) with a Form I-907. To manage high demand during the initial surge of premium processing requests for H-1B cap petitions and to … Continue Reading
On May 1, 2019, the E-2 Treaty Investor Visa may be available to Israeli citizens wishing to make a substantial investment in or set up a business in the United States. After several rounds of negotiations between the two countries and U.S. citizens already able to obtain a B-5 Israeli Investor visa, the United States … Continue Reading
Amid a flurry of media reports last week and verified today by U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced the availability of 30,000 additional H-2B visas for 2019 seasonal employment. Several years ago, Congress gave the DHS Secretary, in consultation with the Department of Labor, the authority to augment H-2B seasonal visas … Continue Reading
In a last-minute change, the White House announced an extension of the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) of Liberians until March 30, 2020. Prior to today’s announcement, the wind-down for DED was March 31, 2019. Citing foreign policy interests of the United States, the extension was granted with direction for the Congress to consider “remedial legislation.” … Continue Reading
Premium Processing Available U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin accepting cap-subject H-1B petitions on April 1, 2019, for employment start dates effective Oct. 1, 2019, the start of the 2020 fiscal year. Rather than suspending premium processing for cap-subject H-1B petitions, USCIS announced that it will implement a two-phased approach to requests for … Continue Reading
On March 14, 2019, the EB-5 Investment Coalition, in cooperation with Invest in the USA (IIUSA), released the most comprehensive economic analysis of the EB-5 program to date. Laura Reiff, co-chair of Greenberg Traurig’s Immigration & Compliance Practice, commented on the report: “Without the typical data limitations and constraints on economic analysis, premier industry economists … Continue Reading
Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP elevated environmental attorney Jillian C. Kirn and business immigration attorney Nataliya Rymer to shareholder. The firm also announced the elevation of litigation attorney Gregory T. Sturges to of counsel. All three attorneys are based in the firm’s Philadelphia office. To read the full press release, click here.… Continue Reading
Effective immediately, USCIS has resumed premium processing for all H-1B petitions. The resumption applies to new petitions as well as those that are currently pending with USCIS. This means that, for the first time in recent history, premium processing will likely be available for petitions filed during the annual H-1B cap-filing season in April. It … Continue Reading
The Department of Homeland Security announced an 18-month extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for South Sudan. Current beneficiaries will be eligible to re-register to remain in the United States with work authorization through Nov. 2, 2020. South Sudan is one of ten (10) countries currently designated for TPS, which provides a temporary status to … Continue Reading
Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP has 37 attorneys recognized in the 2019 edition of the prestigious legal services directory, Chambers Global. In addition, 13 practices were ranked across seven regions including Immigration and Compliance. Laura Reiff and Martha Schoonover were ranked under USA Immigration: Business. To read the full GT press release, click here.… Continue Reading
The Department of Homeland Security filed a notice Thursday, Feb. 28 extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for four countries – Sudan, El Salvador, Haiti, and Nicaragua – as a result of federal court action. The approximately 300,000 affected immigrants in the United States will be allowed to extend their stays until January 2020. Please check back with us for … Continue Reading
