Kate Kalmykov, Co-Chair of Greenberg Traurig’s Immigration and Compliance Practice, was featured by Lawdragon in their “Lawyer Limelight” series on Oct. 31, 2022. Kalmykov discusses some of her
Continue Reading Kate Kalmykov Featured in Lawdragon Lawyer LimelightCoronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has just been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, and is spreading throughout the United States and beyond. As a result, some businesses, public organizations,
Continue Reading Compliance During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Escalation
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
The Department of State (DOS) has implemented revised visa stamp reciprocity for L-1, L-2 and E-1/ E-2 visa holders. Now, the maximum validity date of an L-1 or L-2
Continue Reading Reciprocity Now Effective for French Nationals
On Oct. 30, 2019, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it is increasing the fee to request premium processing for certain employment-based petitions. Beginning on Nov. 29, 2019,
Continue Reading USCIS Announces Premium Processing Fee Increase for Certain Employment-based Petitions
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
In 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
In Matter of SDG Post Oak, the employer was issued a notice of supervised recruitment by the Atlanta National Processing Center (ANPC). After the draft recruitment was approved by
Continue Reading BALCA Reverses PERM Denial, says Employer Complied with Supervised Recruitment Instructions
The Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals (“BALCA”) recently issued two decisions employers should note. First, in Matter of Mphasis Corporation, BALCA reversed a denial of a PERM labor
Continue Reading Recent and Important BALCA Decisions for Employers