Immigration - General

Modeled after its Known Crewmember program for flight crews and other airline personnel that regularly pass through TSA screening checkpoints, USCIS announced the launch the pilot of the Known Employer Program. If fully implemented, the Known Employer Program would represent a shift in the way immig

On March 3, 2016, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced its launch of the Known Employer Program,1 under which certain employers are eligible to use an online platform to submit information that can be used for multiple employees' visa applications. Although the pilot program is c

According to a press release issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on February 18, 2016, the list of countries or areas of concern associated with the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) has been expanded to include Libya, Somalia, and Yemen.1 Therefore, a person who is a citizen of a visa waiver

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has proposed new guidance for adjudicating O-1 visa petitions for athletes and other individuals of extraordinary ability in certain fields. If the proposal becomes effective, athletes will have greater flexibility in satisfying the O-1 visa crit

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed today to hear a case challenging President Barack Obama’s executive action on immigration. The Supreme Court will decide whether President Obama can proceed with plans to defer deportation and provide work authorization to millions of individuals currently in the United

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently issued a proposed rule to amend employment-based immigrant and nonimmigrant visa programs.1 The new rule is intended to benefit both U.S. employers and foreign national workers by allowing employers more flexibility in employing and retaining high-s

On January 13, 2016, the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) released an advance copy of an updated rule providing additional flexibility and enhanced opportunities for certain highly skilled workers. It covers workers who are in the U.S. in H-1B1 (from Chile and Singapore), E-3 (from Australia)

Proposed Chilean Labor Law Would Strengthen Union Power U.S. and EU Negotiating New Data Transfer Agreement to Replace Invalid Safe Harbor

The Department of Homeland Security has issued proposed regulations to address retention and portability of high-skilled workers in the U.S. in response to President Barak Obama’s November 2014 directives to relieve the worst ills of the immigration code.

On December 18th, the Senate passed the FY2016 omnibus spending package on the heels of House passage the day before and sent the bill to the White House. President Barack Obama is expected to sign the bill, making it law.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has proposed amending its regulations on the optional practical training (“OPT”) program to allow international F-1 students with U.S. degrees in the sciences, technology, engineering, or mathematics (“STEM”) – attained from accredited institutions – to exten

A bulletin on immigration issues.

On July 15, 2015, the U.S. Department of Labor issued guidance to clarify when workers can be classified as independent contractors or employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This Administrator’s Interpretation (AI) concludes "most workers are employees" under the FLSA’s broad definitio

USCIS has announced that beginning with the November 2015 Department of State (DOS) Visa Bulletin it will issue a determination within approximately one week following the publication of the Visa Bulletin whether individuals may use the Dates for Filing Visa Applications chart. If USCIS does not pos

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s has proposed amending its regulations on the optional practical training (“OPT”) program to allow international F-1 students with U.S. degrees in the sciences, technology, engineering, or mathematics (“STEM”) – attained from accredited institutions – to ext

On September 9, 2015, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) promulgated new procedures for determining the visa availability date for individuals waiting to file employment- and family-based applications for permanent residence (also known as "green cards") in the United States.1 The

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Department of State have announced new procedures for determining visa availability for applicants waiting to file adjustment of status applications. Prior to this change, DOS had published a single chart in its visa bulletin each month indicating “F

The 2008 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rule allowing certain F-1 visa students with Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM) degrees to extend their stay for an additional 17 months of training related to their degrees in the U.S. is deficient, a federal judge for the U.S. District Co

Finding that a DOL certifying officer (CO) had erred in finding the employer failed to advertise a job opportunity in a newspaper in the area of intended employment, as required by regulation, and denied a permanent labor certification, the Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals (BALCA) has reve

The U.S. Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer (OCAHO) recently published Gonzalez-Hernandez v. Arizona Family Health Partnership,1 an interesting decision that illustrates the conflict between state laws and the administration’s deferred action policies that provide work authorization