AM I AN ESSENTIAL TRAVELER BETWEEN CANADA AND THE U.S. OR MEXICO AND THE U.S.?

On March 24, 2020, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provided formal notices in the Federal Register of an earlier Trump Administration order, which limited travel between Canada and the U.S. as well as Mexico and the U.S. at land ports-of-entry, and ferries service effective March 20, 2020, 11:59 p.m. through April 20, 2020, …

DHS Announces Remote I-9 Completion and Suspension of Audit Responses due to COVID-19

With all of the dark news surrounding COVID-19, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) deserves a “thank you” from employers for their logical announcement related to Form I-9 compliance issues on March 20.  The main points in the announcement are outlined below: Remote Completion of Section 2 of Form I-9 For completion of Section 2 …

ESTA Cancellation Risks and the Schengen Travel Presidential Proclamation

As a result of the March 11 Presidential Proclamation suspending the entry to the United States (U.S.)[1] of immigrants and nonimmigrants (Proclamation), who have been physically present in the Schengen Area[2] during the 14-day period preceding their attempted entry in an effort to stem the spread of COVID-19, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) advised …

DHS Increases H-2B Cap and Grants 35,000 Supplemental Visas for Second Half of 2020

In response to an extraordinary demand for seasonal labor, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on March 5, 2020 that it will increase the number of H-2B visas available for temporary nonagricultural workers by 35,000 for the second half of fiscal year 2020, allocating 20,000 visas for start dates beginning April 1, and …

Employer Tips Part 2: Updates on the FY 2021 H-1B Cap Registration Process

Kathleen Campbell Walker’s January 21, 2020 article titled, “Employer Tips: Preparing for FY 2021 H-1B Season and Pre-Lottery Registration,” introduced employers to the new H-1B cap process for fiscal year 2021.  Since then, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) conducted several webinars and provided additional insight on the H-1B registration tool and electronic registration process. …