The United States Supreme Court is back in session as of last Monday, Oct. 6—often referred to as “First Monday” due to the fact that the term must begin on the first Monday of October by law. Among its roughly 50 case docket, featuring headliners that will refine Fourth Amendment jurisprudence and agency regulatory authority, the Justices will tackle two cases that stand to have a considerable impact on American immigration law and procedure.

The first of those cases, Mellouli v. Holder, concerns the issue of whether a noncitizen—even a green card holder—can be mandatorily detained and deported for possessing drug paraphernalia.
Continue Reading SCOTUS Grants Certiorari to Two Immigration-Based Cases for 2015 Term: Will the Government Have to Explain Its Exercise of “Discretion”?

The Uruguayan government has enacted a new immigration law—effective later in October—that will offer expedited 30-business-day processing of permanent residence permits and accompanying work authorization to MERCOSUR nationals. It is expected to issue implementing regulations and specify application requirements within the next several weeks. Residence permit applications, which will be less burdensome, can be filed with the Uruguayan Ministry of Foreign Affairs or at a Uruguayan consulate abroad.

MERCOSUR, which is a Spanish-language acronym for Southern Common Market, is a Latin American trade bloc composed of the member states Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. Under the new law, those who were born in a member state and carry a valid passport from that country are eligible for the expedited processing.Continue Reading Uruguay Enhances Intra-MERCOSUR Mobility in EU-like Move

As update to our recent blog on China, clients are inquiring into why immigration enforcement and compliance in China is on the increase, yet favorable work authorization measures for foreign workers are being implemented by authorities at the same time. We don’t see these two initiatives at odds with each other; rather China is improving access to work visas so that foreign employers have greater incentives to invest in the region and increasing its enforcement actions for non-compliance to ensure employers are investing compliantly.
Continue Reading Chinese Authorities Tighten Enforcement Under New Immigration Law; Companies Urged to be Proactive

As corporations move into international markets, there are several considerations to take into account to avoid high-profile security problems, political pitfalls and a potentially damaged reputation. Greenberg Traurig Immigration Shareholder Ian Macdonald recently discussed a few of these considerations in a Corporate Counsel article entitled “6 Immigration Law Mistakes GCs Make When Going Global.” The article highlights several immigration law errors that can be averted when equipped with proper knowledge. These include:
Continue Reading Greenberg Traurig Immigration Shareholder Ian Macdonald Featured in Corporate Counsel’s ‘6 Immigration Law Mistakes GCs Make When Going Global’