DE Under 3: EEOC & DOJ Technical Guidance for Employer’s AI Use; Upcoming EEOC Hearing; Event for Mental Health in the Workplace
Immigration Settlement Clears the Way for Thousands of H-1B and L-1 Spouses to Work in the US
Demystifying Immigration Law
"Take 5" Immigration Podcast Series: Episode 15: Immigration Expectations Under the Biden Presidency
The H-1B visa program allows U.S. employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations, and the lottery system is used by U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) to manage the limited number of...more
An F-1 Visa (Academic Student) allows a person to enter the United States as a full-time student. Many F-1 students want to work since U.S. college and university programs can be expensive — particularly for foreign students....more
The 540-day automatic extensions of expiring employment authorization documents (EADs) will be permanent policy, according to a DHS final rule scheduled to be published on Dec. 13, 2024. The new rule will become effective on...more
On July 23, 2024, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) added the category of Environmental/Natural Resource Economics (03.0204) as a qualifying field of study to the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List. DHS did...more
Recent processing time trends at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) are raising concerns for both Employers and F-1 visa holders relying on automatic extensions of work authorization while awaiting the...more
A government shutdown was narrowly avoided on September 30, 2023 after Congress passed a continuing resolution to fund the government for an additional 45 days. However, another shutdown is possible if Congress does not pass...more
On July 12, 2023, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) added eight fields of study to the Designated Degree Program List qualifying F-1 students to secure a STEM OPT (science, technology, engineering, mathematics...more
The statutory limit of H-1Bs available per fiscal year is 65,000 for those who have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, with 6,800 reserved for citizens of Chile and Singapore. An additional 20,000 are reserved for those who...more
USCIS has expanded premium processing for F-1 students to pending Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) applications based on Optional Practice Training (OPT) and STEM OPT. On April 3, 2023, the same will be extended to...more
On March 6, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced “the expansion of premium processing for certain F-1 students seeking Optional Practical Training (OPT) and F-1 students seeking science,...more
On January 30, 2023, USCIS will begin accepting some additional premium processing requests pursuant to its expansion of this program. Under this latest expansion, announced by USCIS on January 12, 2023, certain...more
Each year at this time we kick off H-1B Cap Season by working with U.S. employers to prepare for registration in the upcoming H-1B Cap Lottery. U.S. employers interested in sponsoring foreign nationals for specialty...more
A series of significant developments in U.S. immigration law has already marked the beginning of 2022 and more can be expected. In January, the Biden Administration unveiled a series of policies aimed at attracting and...more
USCIS recently settled a class action lawsuit regarding lengthy delays in processing of Employment Authorization Document (EAD) applications for individuals in F-1 student status. The settlement is welcome news to F-1...more
On March 30, 2021, USCIS announced completion of the initial FY2022 H-1B Cap-Subject lottery selection process. Beginning April 1st, those selected were eligible to start filing. But what if your employee was not selected? ...more
On April 12, 2021 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that F-1 students seeking optional practical training (OPT) can now file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, online if they are...more
Today U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that F-1 students applying for work authorization in connection with optional practical training (OPT) may now file Form I-765, Application for Employment...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has just closed its annual H-1B registration, and employers are anxiously awaiting news on whether USCIS has selected...more
On February 26, 2021, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it was offering additional flexibility for international students affected by the delayed issuance of receipt notices for Form I-765,...more
The ability of foreign students in F-1 status to participate in post-completion Optional Practical Training (“OPT”) in their fields of study is an important aspect of their education–an opportunity that draws many foreign...more
Last week, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced changes that will be good news for foreign students seeking Optional Practical Training in areas related to their major areas of study. First, the 14...more
The Optional Practical Training (OPT) program allows F-1 students to work for 12 months after graduation (in most situations). F-1 students with U.S. degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM degrees) may...more
U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) confirmed it will utilize a new electronic registration system for the Fiscal Year 2021 H-1B lottery. By way of background, the H-1B visa program allows companies in the United...more
Immigration continues to be a centerpiece of the Trump administration, and this means that the legal landscape may be subject to legislative, regulatory, policy, and agency operational changes, leading to additional barriers...more
Many of you are planning on filing Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 H-1B cap cases for recent graduates working for you on a post-degree completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) Employment Authorization Document (EAD). Those...more