Immigration - Visas

Aiming to reform and reduce fraud and abuse in the H-1B and L-1 visa programs, bipartisan bills have been introduced in both Houses of the Congress. Outsourcers are the top users of H-1B visas. These companies are known to flood the H-1B visa lottery and make it more difficult for other companies to

USCIS has announced that it will temporarily suspend Premium Processing for all H-1B petitions, beginning April 3, 2017. The suspension will apply to all H-1B petitions, including new H-1B cases filed under the FY18 H-1B cap, as well as extensions, amendments, and other cap-exempt petitions. Accordi

On Friday, March 3, 2017, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that effective April 3, 2017, it will temporarily suspend premium processing for H-1B petitions. This suspension may last for up to six months. The temporary suspension will apply to all H-1B applicati

Petitions for new H-1B visas are eligible to be filed on April 1, 2017, for federal FY 2018 beginning October 1, 2017. There are a limited number of new H-1B visas each year (65,000 and an additional 20,000 for foreign nationals with a U.S. Master’s degree or higher), which historically is used up w

On January 27, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order (among others) titled: “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States” (the “Order”). The Order purports to “suspend entry” of both “immigrant and nonimmigrant” individuals from the seven countries currently s

Executive Summary: We are releasing this Alert to remind employers of the fast-approaching April 1, 2017, opening date for filing H-1B work visa petitions on behalf of foreign employees who need sponsorship for work authorization in the U.S. Since April 1, 2017, falls on a Saturday this year, the U.

Employers that wish to sponsor H-1B workers for Fiscal Year 2018 can begin filing petitions on April 1, 2017, for a start date of October 1, 2017. The H-1B visa is used by businesses that wish to employ foreign nationals to work in a specialty occupation requiring theoretical or technical expertise.

Representative Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) has introduced two pieces of legislation to watch.

Beginning on December 23, 2016, filing fees for many United States Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) visa petitions and applications will increase. This is the first time since 2010 that USCIS has increased its filing fees. On average, fees will increase by 21 percent. The premium processing

On the first day of its new term, the United States Supreme Court sidestepped another opportunity to determine the constitutionality of President Obama’s executive immigration reforms. On October 3, 2016, the Court denied the government's request for a rehearing in United States v. Texas, upholding

Employers needing foreign talent to fill professional positions obtain work authorization for these individuals most frequently by applying for an H-1B visa. Individuals from across the globe may be sponsored for this type of visa if the position requires a minimum of U.S. Bachelor’s Degree or equiv

In an effort to further streamline the H-2B application process and make it less burdensome for employers, the Department of Labor has announced procedural changes to reduce the amount of documentation to demonstrate “temporary need.”

Employers employing foreign nationals in H-1B nonimmigrant visa status must pay their H-1B employees the wage specified on the Labor Condition Application (LCA) certified by DOL, regardless of whether the H-1B employer is enduring difficult economic or financial periods due to struggling national ec

Noting media reports that up to 200 foreign workers hired by a Tesla contractor were able to come to the United States in tourist visa status to perform work at a construction project at a Tesla Motors Inc. paint facility in the United States, Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) sent a letter, dated Jun

A U.S. District Court in Seattle has ruled that the U.S. Department of State’s Visa Bulletin which governs how immigrant visas subject to numerical limitations are allocated, and indicates when intending immigrants may apply for the last stage of the permanent visa process is not a final agency acti

As we head into the final month before petitions for H-1B visas must be filed for Fiscal Year 2017,1 employers should keep the following information in mind:

The United States has begun implementing changes to its visa policies that will make it harder for some travelers to enter the country under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). One result of the changes means certain countries’ nationals are no longer eligible to enter the U.S. under the VWP.

On February 5, 2016, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) issued an alert reminding employers to identify “returning workers” when filing H-2B petitions for non-immigrant workers.

Executive Summary: Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements (MEWAs) must file a Form M-1 annually and shortly after inception. The annual Form M-1 filing deadline for the 2015 calendar year is March 1, 2016.

A February 12, 2016, court-imposed deadline to determine the fate of certain student work permits is fast approaching. At this point, it is unclear whether the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will be able to meet its regulatory target date to extend work permits granted to certain student