Despite the urging of immigrant advocacy groups, USCIS has has declined to offer any flexibility for foreign national individuals whose ability to file an extension or change of immigration status has been impacted by COVID-19.
Read MoreUSCIS has confirmed they received nearly 275,000 H-1B registrations from roughly 40,000 employers during the inaugural year of the new H-1B cap pre-registration program. Beginning April 1, 2020, USCIS started accepting H-1B petitions for the selected registrations.
Read MoreUSCIS has announced that routine face-to-face services will continue to be suspended all Field Offices, Asylum Offices and Application Support Centers (ASC) until at least May 3, 2020 to help mitigate the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
The suspension of in-person services at USCIS offices includes interviews, naturalization ceremonies and biometric collection appointments. However, USCIS will continue to provide emergency services during this time.
Read MoreUSCIS has completed the random lottery of all electronic registrations received during the initial period of the FY2021 H-1B cap. USCIS expects to notify successful petitioners by March 31, 2020. Once a petitioner receives notification that a registration has been selected, they can proceed to file the full H-1B petition on behalf of the selected beneficiary.
Read MoreIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, USCIS has announced that it is providing a 60-day deadline extension to assist applicants and petitioners who are responding to requests for evidence (RFEs) and notices of intent to deny (NOIDs) dated between March 1 and May 1, 2020.
Read MoreDue to the COVID-19 National Emergency, the Department of Labor Office of Foreign Labor Certifications has announced it will begin issuing certified Form ETA-9089 (labor certifications) by email.
Read MoreIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the US Department of Labor (DOL) has published an FAQ that offers some limited accommodations for employers that sponsor temporary and permanent foreign workers.
Read MoreDue to the COVID-19 National Emergency, USCIS has announced that starting March 21, 2020, it will accept immigration forms with digitally reproduced signatures, including Form I-129, instead of insisting on originally-signed forms with “wet ink” signatures.
Read MoreEffective March 20, 2020, USCIS will stop accepting requests for premium processing service on I-129 and I-140 petitions. Employers may continue submitting expedite requests as necessary in urgent situations, but USCIS retains sole discretion whether to approve or deny such requests.
Read MoreIn response to COVID-19, DHS has announced interim guidance that provides employers with some flexibility in terms of complying with the I-9 in-person document verification requirements.
Read MoreIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, non-essential travel between the US, Canada and Mexico has been temporarily prohibited starting March 21, 2020.
Read MoreRoutine nonimmigrant and immigrant visa services at all US Embassies and Consulates worldwide have been suspended indefinitely, effective today.
Read MoreCanada’s legalization of marijuana has the potential to create serious travel issues for Canadian citizens seeking to enter the U.S., as well as U.S. citizens seeking to return to the U.S. following a trip to Canada.
Read MoreUSCIS announced that it will give its adjudicating officers expanded authority to deny immigration applications without issuing a Request for Evidence (RFE).
Read MoreAfter much speculation, the Trump Administration formally announced its decision to end the DACA program and will begin phasing out DACA over the next six months. The announcement provides Congress with a window of opportunity to address the issue with legislation, but it is unclear whether Congress will be able to come together to solve the issue.
Read MoreData entry of all fiscal year 2018 H-1B cap-subject petitions has been completed. USCIS will now begin returning all H-1B cap-subject petitions that were not selected.
Read MoreNewly designed Green Cards and EAD's go into production today and will include enhanced security features. Employers should expect to see the updated design during the Form I-9 completion process.
Read MorePresident Donald Trump’s revised travel ban is set to take effect tomorrow, March 16, 2017. This second Executive Order (EO) completely revokes and takes the place of the first order, which was widely derided and ultimately halted by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in early February. The revised travel ban raises many new questions, which Ellis Porter answers in this helpful FAQ.
Read MoreThe unexpected suspension of H-1B Premium Processing has left many unanswered questions for clients relying on speedy adjudications to plan for employment and travel in the upcoming months. Our team of experts at Ellis Porter is here for you to examine these and other questions while planning your personalized strategy.
Read MoreThe revised travel ban drops Iraq from the list of banned countries. It also does not cover individuals from the "list of six" countries (Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen) who are green card holders, dual citizens or have already been issued valid visas.
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