U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has updated its Policy Manual, clarifying—and in some cases, narrowing—the eligibility criteria for the TN nonimmigrant classification under the United States-Mexico-Canada...more
Recent United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and U.S. State Department updates require businesses and individuals to adhere to new TN visa eligibility criteria—such as prohibiting self-employment,...more
USCIS has released an update to its Policy Manual, bringing significant changes to regulations on the TN nonimmigrant visa classification and perhaps some employers’ practices. For instance, because of changes to the...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it completed its annual H-1B cap lottery selection process for fiscal year (FY) 2026. Given the high number of lottery registrations and fixed number of...more
The ever-changing landscape of employment-based immigration continues to pose challenges for U.S. employers. With increased scrutiny on foreign national workers, compliance audits, and evolving nonimmigrant visa policies,...more
As employers look to enhance and strengthen their workforce, nonimmigrant visas can offer opportunities for hiring foreign national employees at all levels. When employers learn that applicants will need sponsorship for work...more
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will be raising the filing fee amounts for many employment-based nonimmigrant visa categories, effective April 1, 2024....more
Employers know that U.S. immigration laws are complex, and the Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) long processing delays – coupled with recent layoffs in the tech industry – have further complicated matters by adding new fact...more
Employers and employees alike often inquire as to who may pay immigration sponsorship fees for certain nonimmigrant petitions and the permanent residency (green card) process. The answer often depends on a few details,...more
On July 1, 2020, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) entered into force and replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that governed continental trade for more than two and a half decades....more
On June 22, 2020, President Trump issued an executive order that bans certain nonimmigrants from entering the United States (the “Nonimmigrant Ban”) until December 31, 2020. The Nonimmigrant Ban comes on the heels of an April...more
In light of the impact of COVID-19 on the U.S. labor market, on Monday President Trump tweeted “I will be issuing a temporary suspension of immigration into the United States.” Yesterday, the President signed an Executive...more
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump signed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) Implementation Act, which ratifies the trade agreement that will soon replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)....more
This week House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives reached an agreement with the administration to proceed with a modified version of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement...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
Despite rumors that the TN visa category would be eliminated when the North America Free Trade Agreement (“NAFTA”) was replaced, the new US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (“USMCA”) appears to preserve the status quo. Consensus over...more
Earlier this week, the U.S., Canada and Mexico reached agreement on a new trilateral trade pact to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The agreement will be known as the United States-Mexico-Canada...more
As the legal landscape of marijuana use shifts in both the United States and Canada, new questions arise as to the impact of drug use on admission to the United States. Currently, under both U.S. and Canadian federal law,...more
On November 20, 2017, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memorandum clarifying that the TN definition of “economists.” Background - On December 17, 1992, the presidents of the...more
Effective yesterday, January 17, 2017, a new USCIS rule seeks to improve multiple employment-based temporary nonimmigrant and immigrant visa (“green card”) programs. The new regulations are designed to help U.S. employers...more
Foreign nationals must meet the regulatory requirements for admission into the U.S. in nonimmigrant status. The purpose of this paper is to provide the Top 10 things to consider with respect to the most common nonimmigrant...more