Category Archive

Under Court Order, OFLC to Propose Rescission of H-2B Registration Requirements and Provide Unique H-2B Temporary Registration Numbers – In response to a federal court order, the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Foreign Labor Certification plans to rescind H-2B registration requirements and propose conforming edits throughout its H-2B regulations. In the interim, DOL said it will use the Notice …

Employer Reminder: E-Verify Operations Resume; Preferred Dates Released for Employee Visits to SSA to Resolve Mismatches – E-Verify reminded employers that operations have resumed, and released preferred dates for employees to visit the Social Security Administration to resolve their Tentative Nonconfirmations (mismatches of Social Security numbers). CBP Is Discontinuing Passport Entry Stamps, Transitioning to Online I-94 Arrival/Departure Records Only; Mistakes …

100,000 Ukrainians Admitted to United States— What About Afghans? The Biden Administration stepped up and created a humanitarian parole program that involved private citizens sponsoring refugees from Ukraine. A program that has worked remarkably well. 100,000 Ukrainians have come to the US so far as part of this process. The bigger question is, why didn’t the Biden Administration do the …

CBP Ends Program Allowing Expired US Passports To Enter The United States During the pandemic, and as a result of the Department of State’s massive backlog in processing US Passports, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) allowed individuals with expired US Passports to enter the US as citizens. Obviously, one does not stop being a US Citizen simply because the passport …

Premium Processing Starts for Pending EB-1 and Eb-2 Cases! In a move designed to increase the ability to modernize its antiquated adjudications system ($$) U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has implemented premium processing for certain petitioners who have a pending Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, under the EB-1 and EB-2 classifications. This expansion of premium processing applies …

Additional 35,000 H-2B Visas Available! The Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Labor (DOL) announced a temporary final rule making available an additional 35,000 H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas during the second half of fiscal year (FY) 2022. The visas are for U.S. employers seeking to employ additional workers on or after April 1, 2022, through September 30, 2022. The …

New Requirements for EB-5 Visa! U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published two new forms for regional center designation under the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program: Form I-956, Application for Regional Center Designation, and Form I-956H, Bona Fides of Persons Involved with Regional Center Program. USCIS said that all entities seeking regional center designation must submit these forms in compliance with …

New Forms, New Program Requirements Announced for Entities Seeking Regional Center Designation Under EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published two new forms for regional center designation under the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program: Form I-956, Application for Regional Center Designation, and Form I-956H, Bona Fides of Persons Involved with Regional Center Program. USCIS said that all …

Big News Today on EAD Extensions! On May 3, 2022, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is temporarily amending existing DHS regulationsrelated to expiring employment authorization and Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) for certain renewal applicants. The prior extension period of up to 180 days will automatically increase to up to 540 days …

ICE Announces Extension of I-9 Flexibilities to October 31, 2022 On April 25, 2022, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced an extension of Form I-9 flexibilities until October 31, 2022. The extension relates to deferral of the physical presence requirements of the employment eligibility verification process for certain employees, first announced on March 20, 2020, and updated periodically. The …