Proclamation 10014

Proclamation 10014 Citing a threat to the jobs of American workers amid the COVID-19 crisis, President Trump has issued a proclamation that suspends entry to the U.S. of foreign nationals seeking certain employment-based nonimmigrant visas.[1] The Executive Order prohibits entry into the U.S. for new H-1B, L-1, H-2B, and certain J-1 nonimmigrants, as well as […]

Immigration Update: I-9 Updates

I-9 Updates A New Version of Form I-9 was released on October 21, 2019 and is now mandatory. USCIS also announced a temporary COVID-19 policy allowing employees to provide List B documents that expired on or after March 1, 2020. Such documents will be treated as valid temporarily and the employee must provide a valid […]

Satisfactory Departure for Visa Waiver Entrants and Nonimmigrant Visa Holders

Satisfactory Departure for Visa Waiver Entrants and Nonimmigrant Visa Holders Satisfactory Departure is a regulatory provision by which Visa Waiver Program (VWP) entrants may be granted an additional 30 days to depart the United States if, due to an emergency, they cannot depart before their 90-day authorized stay expires. Traditionally, Satisfactory Departure has been granted […]

Trump’s Executive Order to “Suspend Immigration”: Is it really a broad sweeping suspension?

Trump’s Executive Order to “Suspend Immigration”: Is it really a broad sweeping suspension? In a late-night tweet on April 20, 2020, President Trump indicated his intention to temporarily suspend immigration into the U.S. due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 22, 2020, he signed his official proclamation, effective April 23, 2020 at 11:59pm. The scope […]

Update on U.S Department of State and Customs and Border Protection Responses to COVID-19

Update on U.S Department of State and Customs and Border Protection Responses to COVID-19 The U.S. Department of State (DOS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agencies have each made several changes and accommodations in response to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, which we detail below. However, many uncertainties remain for both immigrant and nonimmigrant […]

COVID-19 & Employer Obligations

COVID-19 & Employer Obligations The H-1B is one of only a few visa classifications, along with the E-3 and H-1B1, that require the filing of a Labor Condition Application (LCA) as part of the visa approval process. The LCA is submitted to the Department of Labor (DOL) and requires the employer to make certain attestations […]

COVID-19 Update: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Changes and Responses

COVID-19 Update: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Changes and Responses U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has made several changes and accommodations in response to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the most relevant of which we detail below. Our summary and assessment of USCIS’ COVID-19 responses are a selection of the most current updates. However, many […]

COVID-19 and employment issues affecting visa status

COVID-19 and employment issues affecting visa status COVID-19 has created uncertainty in the workplace with many changes being made to accommodate the need for social distancing to reduce the spread of the virus. These changes may have a multitude of immigration impacts across your workforce, including remote working arrangements, reductions in hours, furloughs, and layoffs. […]

Immigration Update: Immigration Compliance & Working From Home

As you begin implementing shifts in business practices to allow remote working and facilitate continued employee safety during the COVID-19 outbreak, companies should be mindful of the steps needed for continued compliance with the immigration laws. The Department of Labor (DOL) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have not addressed any changes to the […]

VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FOR IRANIAN E-1 AND E-2 VISA HOLDERS

Gee & Zhang E-blast: VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FOR IRANIAN E-1 AND E-2 VISA HOLDERS The USCIS announced that Iranian nationals are no longer eligible for nonimmigrant E-1, treaty trader, or E-2, treaty investor visas because of the termination of the 1955 Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations and Consular Rights with Iran. Applications for extension of […]