immigration & compliance

On Feb. 7, 2020, the official visa information website of the U.S. mission in China (http://cdn.ustraveldocs.com/cn/index.html?firstTime=No) announced that as of Feb. 3, 2020, regular visa services at the
Continue Reading Update – U.S. Embassy and Consulates General in China Suspended Regular Visa Services as of Feb. 3

With only a 9-day notice, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced critical restrictions on French Nationals for E visas on August 20, 2019.   The general rule is that different types of U.S. visas have different visa validity periods depending on the nationality of the visa applicant because the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) requires the DOS to set country-specific visa policies on a reciprocal basis.   The validity periods are based on each country’s treatment of similar classes of U.S. visitors to its territory, as well as national security, immigration, and other considerations.   In other words, if a country imposes restrictive visa requirements on U.S. citizens, the U.S. reciprocates with more restrictive requirements on that country’s citizens.
Continue Reading U.S. to Reduce E Visa Validity for French Nationals

The H-1B program is undergoing even more scrutiny under the current White House administration. Under the “Buy American, Hire American” Executive Order, the goal is for companies to hire only the best and the brightest for visa sponsorship, mostly H-1B visa holders. The Department of Labor (DOL), the governmental agency that handles the public disclosure information for employers looking to sponsor H-1B employees, has always released information for Labor Condition Applications (LCAs) in conjunction with the H-1B petition. The LCA has traditionally disclosed information including employer name, address, salary wage range, and worksite location, among other attestations the employer must make to meet labor and immigration laws. In November 2018, the DOL changed the format of the LCA to include those employers that place employees at a third-party client site, many of which petition for their own H-1B workers. See our November 2018 blog post here.
Continue Reading Department of Labor Adds More to Disclosure Data to Include End Client Information

ICEIn the Final Decision and Order dated April 27, 2016, Administrative Law Judge Ellen K. Thomas ordered Golden Employment Group, Inc. (Golden Employment), a staffing and temporary-employment company, to pay
Continue Reading Employer’s Use of E-verify is Not a Substitute for Completing I-9 Forms, Fined More Than $200K in Civil Penalties