After numerous rumors in the past few days regarding the suspension of immigration to the United States (U.S.), President Trump’s Proclamation was finally published on June 22 (June Visa Processing Proclamation or JVPP) after numerous discussions regarding its scope. Please refer to my prior summary on the April 22, 2020 Proclamation 10014 as to the …
Premium Processing Resumes This Month for Desperate Employers and Their Employees
On March 20th, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced the temporary suspension of premium processing for all Form I-129 and I-140 petitions, ostensibly due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the Administration’s true motives are often difficult to assess, on its face, the announcement was not all that different than we have …
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Special Considerations for Medical Professionals During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 National Emergency has now been effective in the United States for three months. During this time, guidance from federal agencies has been dynamic as the government adapts to the “new normal.” But even as the global health crisis halts nonessential travel and disrupts visa issuance to many foreign nationals, federal agencies have published …
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CROSS-BORDER TRAVEL BETWEEN THE U.S. AND MEXICO/CANADA – NON-ESSENTIAL TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS EXTENDED TO JUNE 22, 2020
On March 24, 2020, two notices (Notices) were published in the Federal Register by United States (U.S.) Customs and Border Protection (CBP) related to limitations on cross-border travel along the northern[1] and southern[2] borders of the U.S. Both of these restrictions went into effect as 11:59 p.m. (EDT) on March 20, 2020, and remained in …
Top Five Useful FAQs provided by the U.S. Department of Labor in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
The current public health crisis surrounding COVID-19 has led to a number of uncertainties for foreign nationals and their employers and compliance challenges. To address some of these concerns, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) released three rounds of frequently asked questions (FAQs) responding to questions about COVID-19 and …
Pause in Immigrant Visa Processing Imposed by Presidential Proclamation – Effective April 23 for Sixty Days at Consular Posts
After numerous rumors in the past few days regarding the suspension of immigration to the United States (U.S.), President Trump’s Proclamation (Suspension Proclamation) was finally published on April 22. The Proclamation references the disruption of the economy post COVID-19 as a basis for the Proclamation. The Proclamation does not address the current dichotomy between family-based …
Expired State Identity Documents Temporarily Accepted for Form I-9 List B and the Case-by Case Remote Form I-9 Completion Risk
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently issued a follow-up Question and Answer sheet (Q&A Sheet) to the March 20 announcement of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) related to a limited relaxation to physical proximity requirements associated with Form I-9 completion due to COVID-19. While the acceptance of an expired state identity document …
Critical COVID-19 Guidance for Certain Foreign Workers
The ever-changing impact of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic is making it extremely difficult for employers to plan what to do with their foreign worker populations right now. DW Immigration stands ready to help! Here below we summarize some critical pieces of immigration information from the various government agencies and our related guidance, as it stands …
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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, …
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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 …