The Department of Homeland Security has announced that existing travel restrictions in place with Canada and Mexico have been extended for an additional 30 days, until May 21.
Read MoreDespite 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 MoreCoronavirus continues to impact international travel, with the UK and Ireland recently added to the US travel bans. Also, operations at US Consulates in numerous countries, including India, Spain, Ireland and France, continue to be affected by Coronavirus resulting in visa appointment cancellations and/or consular service reductions.
Read MoreIn addition to its well-documented health impacts, Coronavirus (COVID-19) is also affecting both travel and immigration application and visa processing, as countries try to contain the spread of this virus.
Read MoreThe new H-1B cap registration process is being implemented this year and USCIS has finally provided some additional guidance about the new process and how it works, but open questions remain about several key aspects of the new process.
Check out our list of 12 important things to know about the new H-1B cap registration process, and read about how Ellis Porter plans to manage the registration process, including our free H-1B cap registration service for employers.
Read MoreThe gaming industry is on a rise and a huge part of that is contributed to esports. Professional sports leagues and teams continue to enter the world of esports in hopes of finding new ways to gain a bigger fan base. As more leagues like NBA 2K and eMLS League search overseas for talent, foreign national esports athletes should be aware of what visas to explore should they be offered an opportunity to play in the United States.
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USCIS has announced a final rule that implements a $10 non-refundable registration fee for employers seeking to submit an application for an H-1B worker under the proposed new USCIS H-1B registration system, which when implemented, will significantly change the H-1B cap lottery selection process.
Read MoreImplementation of the new and more restrictive DHS public charge regulations that were scheduled to become effective on October 15 have been blocked by Federal District Court Judges in New York and California.
Read MoreThe US Department of State has announced that the validity period of E-1 Treaty Trader and E-2 Trader Investor visas for French nationals will be reduced significantly from 60 months to 15 months.
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