Seyfarth Synopsis: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a final rule on the upcoming H-1B cap registration, creating a beneficiary-centric selection process, starting this FY 2025 H-1B cap registration...more
2/5/2024
/ Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Employees ,
Final Rules ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Registration Requirement ,
USCIS ,
Visa Caps ,
Visas
Seyfarth Synopsis: Effective April 1, USCIS will implement significant filing fee increases, in particular for petition and applications related to employment-based benefits....more
2/2/2024
/ Filing Fees ,
Foreign Workers ,
Form I-129 ,
Form I-140 Petitions ,
H-1B ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
Registration Requirement ,
USCIS ,
Visas
Seyfarth Synopsis: Department of State expects to start the stateside visa renewal pilot in early 2024....more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The below summarizes recent legal updates that impact U.S. immigration...
1. Government Shutdown Avoided – For Now -
On September 30, 2023, Congress passed a stopgap bill to keep the government...more
10/4/2023
/ DACA ,
E-Verify ,
Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) ,
Employment Eligibility Verification ,
Foreign Workers ,
Government Shutdown ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
SEVP ,
Temporary Protected Status ,
USCIS ,
Visa Waiver Program ,
Visas
Seyfarth Synopsis: If Congress cannot resolve funding issues by 11:59 pm EST on September 30, 2023, resulting in a federal government shutdown, it will have a ripple effect on employers, both large and small, with an impact...more
9/27/2023
/ Customs and Border Protection ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
E-Verify ,
Employment Eligibility Verification ,
Federal Funding ,
Foreign Workers ,
Government Shutdown ,
H-1B ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Labor Condition Applications ,
OFLC ,
PERM ,
Popular ,
US Department of State ,
USCIS ,
Visas
Seyfarth Synopsis: The CDC issued new guidance clarifying President Biden’s October 25, 2021 Executive Order that impacts nonimmigrants’ international air travel to the U.S. Fully vaccinated nonimmigrants can enter the U.S....more
Seyfarth Synopsis: USCIS officially announced that the number of electronic cap registrations exceeded the regular bachelor’s cap and advanced degree cap (“master’s cap”) for FY 2022. USCIS has also completed its initial...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs within the Office of Management and Budget announced that the long-pending rule to rescind work authorization for certain H-4 holders has been withdrawn. The...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Previously scheduled to expire on December 31, 2020, Proclamations 10052 and 10014 have been extended by President Trump until March 31, 2021. These visa bans will continue to restrict the issuance of...more
1/5/2021
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
H-2B ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigration Procedures ,
J-1 Visas ,
L-1 Visas ,
Non-Immigrant Visas ,
Presidential Proclamations ,
Trump Administration ,
Visas
On December 1, 2020, a U.S. Federal District Court in California set aside the two Interim Final Rules announced in October by the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) and the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”). ...more
12/3/2020
/ Chamber of Commerce ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Domestic Hiring Policy ,
E-3 ,
Foreign Workers ,
Good Cause ,
H-1B ,
H-1B1 ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigration and Nationality Act ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
Motion to Set Aside the Verdict ,
PERM ,
Trump Administration ,
USCIS ,
Visas
Seyfarth Synopsis: U.S. employers, applicants for immigration benefits, and other stakeholders should be aware of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) application fee increases and form changes...more
8/7/2020
/ Application Fees ,
E-1 ,
E-2 ,
H-1B ,
H-2A ,
H-2B ,
Immigration Procedures ,
L-1 Visas ,
O-1 Aliens of Extraordinary Ability ,
TN-Visas ,
USCIS ,
Visa Applications ,
Visas
Seyfarth Synopsis: Within the last few days, the Trump Administration has expanded an existing travel ban and initiated a new one related to the Coronavirus; similarly other countries have added entry restrictions to try to...more
2/6/2020
/ China ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Executive Orders ,
Failure to Comply ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Information Sharing ,
International Travel ,
Iran ,
Myanmar ,
Nigeria ,
Non-Immigrant Visas ,
North Korea ,
Public Health ,
Public Safety ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
Somalia ,
Sudan ,
Syria ,
Tanzania ,
Travel Ban ,
Trump Administration ,
Venezuela ,
Verification Requirements ,
Visas ,
Yemen
Seyfarth Synopsis: USCIS confirms FY 2020 H-1B petition selection is complete.
On April 10, 2019, United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) received sufficient H-1B petitions to meet the 20,000 H-1B visa...more
On April 5, 2019, United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it received sufficient H-1B petitions to meet the regular H-1B quota (or "cap") for Fiscal Year 2020, which begins on October 1, 2019....more
Seyfarth Synopsis: On February 11, 2019, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it revised Form I-539 and that the new version will be released on March 11, 2019. ...more
2/15/2019
/ Corporate Counsel ,
E-3 ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Immigration Reform ,
L-1 Visas ,
Non-Immigrant Visas ,
Required Forms ,
TN-Visas ,
USCIS ,
Visas
Seyfarth Synopsis: On October 3, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that effective immediately it would resume premium processing for all H-1B petitions....more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Country-specific travel restrictions will impact nationals of Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Chad, North Korea, and Venezuela....more
9/26/2017
/ B-1 ,
B-2 ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Foreign Workers ,
Green Cards ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
National Security ,
Refugees ,
Terrorist Threats ,
Travel Ban ,
Trump Administration ,
Visas
Seyfarth Synopsis: On September 18, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that effective immediately it would resume premium processing for H-1B petitions filed subject to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018...more
9/19/2017
/ F-1 Visa ,
Foreign Workers ,
H-1B ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
OPT ,
USCIS ,
Visa Caps ,
Visas
Seyfarth Synopsis: The United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) has reversed its longstanding practice and will begin to deny Advance Parole (AP) applications if a green card applicant travels internationally...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: As of August 23, 2017, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) has temporarily suspended processing of Nonimmigrant Visa (NIV) applications filed in Russia. NIV interviews will resume only at the U.S. Embassy...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: On July 24, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it would resume premium processing for H-1B petitions for certain cap-exempt employers effective immediately....more
Seyfarth Synopsis: USCIS released a revised version of Form I-9 that employers must use to verify identity and employment authorization of new hires effective September 18, 2017. There are no substantive changes from the...more
7/19/2017
/ E-Verify ,
Electronic Filing ,
Eligibility ,
Foreign Workers ,
Form I-9 ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigrants ,
Required Forms ,
USCIS ,
Verification Requirements ,
Visas
Seyfarth Synopsis: The U.S. Department of State has recently issued a new supplemental questionnaire that will enable officers at U.S. Consulates and Embassies to carry out enhanced and burdensome screenings of certain...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: If Congress fails to pass a funding bill by midnight on Friday, April 28, resulting in a federal government shutdown, it would trigger numerous immigration-related ripple effects on employers, both large...more
4/25/2017
/ Customs and Border Protection ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
E-Verify ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Foreign Workers ,
Form I-9 ,
Government Shutdown ,
H-1B ,
Highly-Skilled Workers Visa ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Labor Condition Applications ,
Popular ,
USCIS ,
Visas
Seyfarth Synopsis: USCIS completes the lottery process and receives 199,000 H-1B cap petitions.
On April 17, 2017, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it received 199,000 H-1B...more