Immigration Insights & Issues Blog
Key legal insights into modern immigration challenges.
As outlined in an earlier Immigration Insights & Issues blog post, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) posted a proposal to resume the renewal of limited visas in the U.S. after almost 20 years via a pilot program. Finally, on December 21, 2023, the requirements for the pilot program were announced by DOS. What are …
Continue reading “Coming January 29: 20,000 H-1Bs for Visa Renewal – What You Need to Know!”
Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed SB 4 on December 18, placing Texas on the course to yet another state-federal preemption challenge regarding the enforcement of immigration law regarding illegal entry to the United States (US). The bill’s provisions may go into force on or about March 5, 2024. The provision is in limited ways similar …
Employers continue to face compliance challenges in determining whether a new hire is work authorized for Form I-9 purposes, given the dynamic changes in immigration policy and regulation. For instance, this year alone, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has posted significant updates on the Form I-9 Central news page, including: The increase of the …
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, …
Continue reading “Major Nursing Shortages? Foreign National Nursing Intervention as a Plan of Care.”
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 …
Continue reading “H-1B Principals Pilot Program for Stateside Visa Reissuance – Early 2024”
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) …
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 …
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 …
Continue reading “Form I-9 Remote Flexibility Ends July 31, 2023 – 5 Things to Keep in Mind”
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. …
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 …