Major Nursing Shortages? Foreign National Nursing Intervention as a Plan of Care.

Originally published in Healthcare Michigan, Volume 40,  No. 11 The nursing profession’s vital signs are unstable and require an intervention. The single largest occupation of health care workers is Registered Nurses (RN). It is also the fifth largest profession nationally.[1] Yet the nursing profession is facing extreme shortages as the need for health care workers grows. Specifically, …

H-1B Principals Pilot Program for Stateside Visa Reissuance – Early 2024

The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), posted on October 17, 2023, the long-awaited proposal by the Department of State (DOS) to proceed with a pilot program to resume the renewal of nonimmigrant visas in the United States (US) for certain qualified non-citizens. It is expected that the program …

August 1 Marks New Era in Remote Document Verification for Qualified E-Verify Employers as well as a New Compressed Form I-9

On August 1, all U.S. employers will have the option to use the new “one-page” Form I-9 (edition date 08/01/2023). The new August 2023 Form I-9 and Instructions are only available in draft form before August 1, 2023 via the Federal Register posting.   Employers may use the current version of Form I-9 (edition date 10/21/2019) …

UPDATE: Form I-9 Remote Flexibility Ending July 31, 2023 / In-Person Inspection Required by August 30, 2023 – Why?

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) extended the COVID-19 remote completion flexibilities for Form I-9 effective November 1, 2022, until July 31, 2023. On May 5, 2023, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that employers will have 30 days to reach compliance with Form I-9 requirements after the COVID-19 remote inspection flexibilities end on …

Form I-9 Remote Flexibility Ends July 31, 2023 – 5 Things to Keep in Mind

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) extended the COVID-19 remote completion flexibilities for Form I-9, effective November 1, 2022 – July 31, 2023. Additionally, in August of 2022, DHS invited public comment on a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM)[1] regarding new policies for consideration in Form I-9 completion, such as permanent virtual document review options …

The No Brainer Immigration Prediction for 2023: Homeric Backlogs and Delays – 10 Notes to Self for Surviving

U.S. immigration law has always been challenging with ever-changing rules and policies and their far-reaching effects. However, the constant complication post-pandemic has been the unpredictability of processing times and their amazing lengths. Delays in consular appointments and adjudications within the United States (U.S.) complicate and disrupt the process and result in global quicksand versus mobility. …

Form I-9 Alert – USCIS Designates I-94s with New Admission Codes For E and L Spouses as List C Documents… What?

After the United States (U.S.) Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recognized that E and L nonimmigrant spouses are entitled to work in the U.S. “incident to status” on November 12, 2021, a new Category of Admission (COA) codes were created for use in issuing Forms I-94. And on March 18, 2022, USCIS updated its Policy …

Form I-9 Update – L and E Nonimmigrant Spouses Eligible for Work Without Employment Authorization Document – Really?

During this challenging time for employers in search of workers, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have managed to cooperate to coordinate a response to the litigation settlement (Settlement) reached in Shergill, et. al. v. Mayorkas announced on November 12, 2021. The Settlement will finally recognize that spouses …

U.S. Land Border Reopens to Non-Essential Vaccinated Travelers November 8

Monday, November 8, marks a reopening of international air travel for vaccinated foreign nationals as well as entry to the United States (U.S.) via the land border for non-essential vaccinated foreign visitors due to a recent announcement by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).  This change marks the first time since March of 2020 …

COVID-19 Vaccinations Lead to November 8 Reopening of U.S. to Foreign Travelers and Land Border Restriction Modifications

According to various news reports, a White House official stated that foreign travelers subject to the various travel bans will be able to enter the U.S. as of November 8 without obtaining a National Interest Exception (NIE) due to their presence in restricted countries in the fourteen days before planned travel to the U.S., if …