In response to COVID-19, President Trump has issued a proclamation restricting travel to the U.S. from 26 European countries in Schengen area. The restriction is effective March 13, 2020 and is for a period of 30 days. The European travel ban does not include the United Kingdom, Ireland, and certain Eastern European countries outside the […]
Author Archives: James Cypert
New Proposed Rule to Change H-1B Lottery
New Proposed Rule to Change H-1B Lottery The Trump Administration has published a proposal to change the H-1B lottery process as soon as 2019. The aim of these changes is to more closely align the H-1B classification with President Trump’s Buy American Hire American (BAHA) Executive Order. The two primary changes would consist of: Employer […]
Pilot Program for Canadian L-1s Applying in Blaine, WA
Pilot Program for Canadian L-1s Applying in Blaine, WA U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have announced a new pilot program for processing L-1 Canadian NAFTA petitions. This pilot program is limited to the Blaine, WA port of entry (POE) and is currently scheduled to run from […]
H-1B Webinar
A recording of our webinar held on February 15, 2018 that covered the H-1B lottery process and best practices for filing H-1Bs under the Trump Administration.
USCIS Requiring In-Person Interviews for Employment-Based Adjustments
Starting October 1, 2017, USCIS will require in-person interviews for employment-based Adjustment of Status applicants. USCIS indicated on its website that the program will be phased-in, but no additional details have been provided regarding implementation. The most recent USCIS data indicates that approximately 122,000 persons obtained their permanent residency through employment-based Adjustment of Status in […]
Trump Administration to Phase-Out DACA
On September 5, 2017, the Trump Administration announced it will phase-out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The Department of Homeland Security has published a memorandum and FAQ outlining the agency’s timeline for the phase-out over the next six months. Five key takeaways include: After September 5, 2017, initial requests for DACA are […]
USCIS Denying Advance Parole for Travel
USCIS has begun denying advance parole when a person travels during their application’s pendency. The immigration service previously indicated it would not issue such denials when the applicant was otherwise permitted to travel during their adjustment. Unfortunately, the current administration’s new practice is likely to create more inconveniences for frequent travelers. This policy change will […]
Department of State Contractors Contacting Employers
Harry Gee & Associates is receiving reports that Department of State (DOS) contractors are increasingly verifying information on the agency’s behalf. Because immigration scams are common, many companies have expressed concern about whether these contractors are legitimate U.S. government representatives. The American Immigration Lawyers Association recently confirmed that clientverification@state.gov is a valid DOS email address […]
Regulation Updates
One of the last acts of the Obama administration will be updating the federal regulations to modernize several employment-based visa classifications. These new rules will go into effect on January 17, 2017. While many of the updates simply codify existing U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) policies into the regulations, there are significant additions that […]
Greater Restrictions for Foreign Offshore Workers
Harry Gee & Associates is observing greater restrictions for foreign offshore workers seeking to temporarily board U.S. flagged vessels on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Generally, employers must hire U.S. citizens or permanent residents to crew vessels engaging in oil & gas operations on the OCS. However, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) oversees limited […]
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