While immigration – or more specifically, President Trump’s “wall” – dominates the first full week for the newly elected Congress, the next few months should see immigration in the forefront of national discourse. Immediately, we can expect debate to continue as the majority Democrat House of Representatives spar with President Trump over funding for his… [Read More]
How the Government Shutdown is Impacting Immigration Law
As the government shutdown enters its third week, many employers are beginning to wonder what impacts the shutdown will have on their international workforces. The good news – most services provided by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) are fee-funded, and do not depend on government fund appropriation. With that being said, some USCIS… [Read More]
The Impacts of Premium Processing for H-1B Extensions and Portability
On August 28, 2018, the USCIS announced that an April suspension of premium processing for Cap-subject H-1B petitions would continue and would be expanded as of September 11, 2018, to other H-1B petitions, most notably, H-1B extensions and H-1B “change of employer”. The suspension of H-1B premium processing for these types of H-1B petitions is expected to last until… [Read More]
Cricketers in Maine Show the Positive Impacts of Immigration
We love this article in the Portland Press Herald about the Maine Cricket League – a group that has been playing competitive cricket in Maine for nearly a decade and has its championship game Saturday at 3 p.m. As immigration attorneys, we help businesses and individuals obtain visas and green cards to live and work… [Read More]
Why President Trump Doesn’t Need to Change Laws to Rewrite Immigration Policy
The “zero-tolerance” policy on illegal immigration instituted by Attorney General Jeff Sessions in April and discontinued Wednesday via executive order by President Trump has resulted in the separation of children from their parents and placed a human face on one of the hallmarks of President Trump’s approach to immigration reform – using unyielding interpretation of existing… [Read More]
Not Just Dreamers – Here Are Three Real Immigration Problems Congress Should Address (And How to Fix Them)
House Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday announced two votes on immigration legislation in the United States House of Representatives, derailing efforts by bipartisan group of U.S. Representatives to secure the signatures necessary to vote on competing immigration reform bills using a discharge petition. The upcoming votes on two separate immigration bills – one proposed by… [Read More]
Physician Groups Worry H-1B Scrutiny to Impact Patient Care
National physician groups are worried that increased scrutiny on H-1B visa applications will impact patient care at teaching hospitals throughout the United States, according to a letter sent to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Francis Cissna. Prevailing Wage RFEs Due to Lack of Data The letter expresses concern that non-U.S. international medical graduates (IMGs)… [Read More]
Extraordinary Ability, Pizza, and America’s First Lady
The month of March brought news stories that had many people unfamiliar with business immigration asking, “What is extraordinary ability, anyway?” “Extraordinary ability” is a term used for temporary O visas and EB-1 petitions for permanent residence. Broadly, these processes are used to bring the best and brightest to the United States – and sometimes… [Read More]
Recruiting Foreign Students in the Trump Years
For the first time in years – if not decades – colleges, universities and graduate programs in the United States are facing a decline in enrollment of foreign students. This month, CNN reported F-1 visas issued to foreign students decreased nearly 20 percent in the year that ended September 20, 2017. The Wall Street Journal… [Read More]
Client Alert: USCIS Suspends Premium Processing on H-1B Cap Petitions
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced a temporary suspension of premium processing for H-1B Cap petitions, starting April 2, 2018. While normal processing of H-1B visa applications typically takes three to six months, premium processing guarantees that an initial review of the petition occurs in 15 calendar days, for an additional fee of $1,225…. [Read More]
