Immigration News and Policy Updates

On October 8, 2020, The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is expected to publish a final rule that will heighten requirements for employers seeking to hire foreign nationals on H-1B status.

On Thursday, October 8, 2020, the DOL is expected to publish an interim final rule and new prevailing wage figures that will increase the prevailing wage requirements for certain visa categories.

A new appropriation bill signed into law allows U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services to raise the fee for premium processing and expand it to more visa categories.

The Department of State released new guidance on what they will consider to be a “National Interest Exemption” to the visa issuance and travel ban that went into effect on June 22, 2020.

Following a Sept. 11 ruling from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, USCIS has resumed implementation of the Public Charge Rule nationwide.

The Department of Homeland Security has sent a new regulation that would amend eligibility requirements for the H-1B specialty occupation visa for final review by the White House.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Thursday, June 18, that the Trump administration cannot immediately terminate the Deferred Action For Early Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

The new order suspends immigrant visas for citizens of Nigeria, Myanmar, Eritrea and Kyrgyzstan. Meanwhile, citizens from Sudan and Tanzania are now barred from the U.S. diversity visa program.

SCOTUS ruled that the Trump administration can move forward with implementing its new and expanded “public charge” rule, which applies to immigrant and certain employment-based nonimmigrant visas.

Initially granted in March, DHS has provided guidelines for I-9 verification that relax in-person requirements and allow for remote verification. The latest extension was announced on Sept. 15, 2020.

On August 19, 2020, USCIS announced that employers may use certain I-797 Approval Notices in lieu of original EAD cards as an acceptable form of employment authorization for I-9 verification purposes.

U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on August 25 that it will abandon plans to furlough roughly two-thirds of its workforce due to a budget shortfall.

Employers, sponsors and beneficiaries across the U.S. have experienced significant delays in receiving Receipt and Approval Notices from USCIS over the last several months.

President Trump has issued an executive order requiring a review of federal contracting and hiring practices, citing the need to protect the interests of American workers.

The U.S. District Court for SDNY has enjoined the federal government from enforcing, applying, implementing or treating as effective, the USCIS final rule on Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced a final rule that will adjust the fees for certain immigration and naturalization benefit requests.

ICE says that in accordance with its March 2020 guidance, “new” or “initially” enrolling students will not be allowed to study in the U.S. if their full course of study is 100% online.

The U.S. State Department has released a list of exemptions following President Trump’s presidential proclamation that he signed on June 22.

President Trump issued an executive order erasing many of the distinctions that Hong Kong nationals receive as compared to Chinese nationals.

USCIS is facing delays printing employment authorization documents for immigrants and nonimmigrants.