Immigration Insights & Issues Blog
Key legal insights into modern immigration challenges.
Amid the ever-evolving landscape of business and workforce dynamics, the recent buzz around the H-2B visa lottery has sent ripples of anticipation and concern through companies reliant on foreign workers. As immigration and labor shortages continue to weave intricate challenges, the opportunity to secure additional H-2B visa numbers opens a new chapter of possibilities and …
Continue reading “Grab Your Shot: Supplemental H-2B Visas for Those Who Missed the Lottery”
March Madness will once again not fail this Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) H-1B cap season. The shift in 2020 to the “new” H-1B registration system continues to be a work in progress. The USCIS strength and conditioning exercises will give this H-1B cap season an added boost. The USCIS is flexing its muscles and opted …
On January 31, 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a Final Rule to announce new filing fees for immigration and naturalization benefit requests. The rule is set to take effect on April 1, 2024. As a predominantly fee-funded agency, USCIS justifies the fee increase – the first since December 2016 – as essential …
Continue reading “USCIS Fee Hikes Effective April 1 – 4 Key Takeaways for Employers”
Originally published in Healthcare Michigan, Volume 41, No. 1 Recently, the president of the American Medical Association, Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, MD, stated in a national address that the physician shortage long-feared is here and that “It’s an urgent crisis…hitting every corner of this country—urban and rural—with the most direct impacting hitting families with high needs and limited means… …
Continue reading “A State-Based Cure – Interested Government Agency J-1 Waivers for Physicians”
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 …
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”
The U.S. immigration system poses significant hurdles for foreign nationals seeking employment within the United States. With few exceptions, employer sponsorship is generally required. For many, the sole avenue to obtain temporary work authorization is through the H-1B category, which is subject to an annual cap. Due to the restricted number of H-1Bs available each …
Continue reading “3 Tips for a Successful National Interest Waiver Petition for the STEM Worker”
On June 1, 2023, the Department of Labor (DOL) officially transitioned its online PERM labor certification filings from its legacy PERM portal to the FLAG System. In addition to announcing the PERM system transition, the DOL announced the release of a new Form ETA-9089, including a number of never before seen questions likely to trigger …
Continue reading “Navigating PERM in FLAG and the New Form ETA-9089”
On June 13, 2023, USCIS announced the latest phase of its effort to expand premium processing availability to those who are desperate to secure immigration status and related employment authorization for foreign national workers in the U.S. Now, applicants seeking a change of status to F-1, F-2, M-1, M-2, J-1, or J-2 status can seek …
Continue reading “Premium Processing Today: Answers to 5 Key Questions”