COVID-19 Update: New Travel Restrictions for South Africa and Seven Other African Countries
COVID-19 Update: New Travel Restrictions for South Africa and Seven Other African Countries Effective today, President Biden has imposed new travel restrictions on South Africa and seven other African countries due to the Omicron COVID-19 variant. These new travel restrictions mark a partial return to the geographic-based travel bans that the Biden administration previously moved […]
Spouses of H-1B and L-1 Workers Benefit from Lawsuit Settlement Regarding Work Authorization Rules
Spouses of H-1B and L-1 Workers Benefit from Lawsuit Settlement Regarding Work Authorization Rules Certain spouses of high-skilled H-1B and L-1 workers have been negatively impacted by extended USCIS delays in processing Employment Authorization Document (EAD) applications. Because of these delays, many spouses have been forced to stop working while waiting for USCIS to approve […]
New U.S. COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Effective November 8, 2021
New U.S. COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Effective November 8, 2021 For several weeks, the Biden Administration has signaled it will replace the Trump-era geographic based travel restrictions with vaccination and testing requirements. On October 25, 2021, President Biden issued a new Presidential Proclamation formalizing these indications for air travelers. The Centers for Disease Control […]
Opportunities to streamline Immigration processing
Opportunities to streamline Immigration processing Biden’s Philosophy The new era ushered in by the Biden administration brings with it encouraging signs that the government, including USCIS, is starting to emphasize operational efficiency in its policies and practices, focusing on building a fair and accessible system of legal immigration. For example, in his first 100 days […]
Breaking: U.S. Adds India to COVID-19 Travel Ban
Breaking: U.S. Adds India to COVID-19 Travel Ban In breaking news, the White House stated that India will be added to the list of countries subject to the U.S. COVID-19 travel ban as of May 4, 2021. This announcement comes as India is experiencing a record surge in COVID-19 cases. While official details […]
Expiration of H/L/J Travel Ban & Continued Visa Obstacles
Expiration of H/L/J Travel Ban & Continued Visa Obstacles The Trump era “H/L/J” travel ban that was most recently extended through March 31, 2021 expired last night at midnight. This positive development means that there are no longer any nonimmigrant visa category-based U.S. travel bans in effect. Now, individuals seeking H-1B, L-1, and J-1 visas […]
Residency Requirements for Naturalization
What are the residency requirements for naturalization? In order to meet the residency requirement for naturalization, an applicant must maintain documents to show that the U.S. is his “principal, actual dwelling place.” Specifically, an individual must show that he or she has “resided continuously, after being lawfully admitted for permanent residence, within the United States […]
Biden Administration Extends U.S. COVID-19 Travel Restrictions
Biden Administration Extends U.S. COVID-19 Travel Restrictions On January 25, 2021, President Biden issued an executive order effectively extending the country-specific COVID-19 travel restrictions that apply to the UK, Ireland, Schengen area, and Brazil. This new version of the COVID-19 travel ban also adds South Africa. These changes are effective January 26, 2021. The separate […]
New U.S. COVID-19 Travel Restrictions
New U.S. COVID-19 Travel Restrictions The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an order requiring airline passengers intending to arrive in the United States, including U.S. citizens and LPRs, to provide documentation that they do not have COVID-19. This order will be effective beginning January 26, 2021. Specifically, the […]
Fighting the Government’s Immigration Rules and Decisions in Court: Effective or a Waste of Funds?
Fighting the Government’s Immigration Rules and Decisions in Court: Effective or a Waste of Funds? If your foreign employees have been negatively affected by some of the government’s immigration rules and policies, or if an adverse decision was made regarding a petition you filed on behalf of one of your employees, you may wonder if […]