Immigration

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WEBINAR – February 5 – Employers, Buckle Up: Addressing the Trump Administration’s Recent Actions on DEI and Immigration

📅February 5, 2025, 12 – 1 p.m. ET Join us for a timely webinar where we will highlight some of the key issues employers are facing in light of the recent executive orders signed by President Trump. The orders impacting employers include an order ending certain federal contractor affirmative action requirements and terminating federal DEI … Continue Reading

Trump Immigration 2.0: What the Election Means for U.S. Employers

Employers should expect changes to their immigration and hiring enforcement regimes under a second Trump administration. Based on campaign rhetoric and promises, those changes will include emboldened and focused immigration policies to remove millions of undocumented workers and tighten the legal immigration system. Below is a summary of expected employment-related immigration changes and practical steps … Continue Reading

Employers Take Note: Big Changes Ahead for the H-1B Lottery, H-1B Filing Process, and USCIS Fees

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced updates to the H-1B visa lottery process, availability of online H-1B filings, and increases to most U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) petition filing fees. The H-1B visa lottery and online filing changes will go into effect before the next lottery opens on March 6, 2024, and … Continue Reading

U.S. Department of State Implements Domestic Visa Renewal Pilot Program

On December 21, 2023, the United States Department of State (DOS) published a notice detailing the implementation of a domestic visa renewal through a limited pilot program. The pilot program resurrects a process the DOS discontinued in 2004 and will allow certain eligible applicants to renew an H-1B visa in the United States without needing … Continue Reading

WEBINAR October 18 – Global Workforce Compliance: Navigating Changes in US I-9 and UK Right to Work Rules

Join Gregory Wald and Annabel Mace for an insightful and comprehensive webinar reviewing recent changes and trends in US I-9 and UK right to work rules and regulations on Wednesday, October 18, from 8:30 – 9:45 a.m. PDT / 4:30 – 5:45 p.m. BST. This webinar brings together legal experts in immigration and employment verification … Continue Reading

UK Business Immigration: major hike in illegal working penalties from January 2024

The Home Office is picking up the pace on immigration compliance matters – we have seen increased activity on everything from right to work enforcement to visa curtailments as well as requests for further evidence across all aspects of sponsorship. We will be focusing on these and other challenges in our webinar on 14 September … Continue Reading

UK Business Immigration: EU Settlement Scheme Enhancements

The UK government has announced changes to the EU Settlement Scheme from September 2023 which will affect those living in the UK with pre-settled status. The changes have been made following the case of R (Independent Monitoring Authority for the Citizens’ Rights Agreements) v the Secretary of State for the Home Department [2022] in which … Continue Reading

Summer State/Local Law Round-Up, Part 1 of 2 (US)

Now that we’re almost half-way through 2023, it’s time again to review the developments in state and local labor and employment laws. State legislatures and city councils continue to be very busy making new laws and amending existing laws. In fact, due to the large number of updates, we are splitting our post into two parts. … Continue Reading

H-1B Cap Registration Commences on March 1st; Are you ready? 

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that the initial registration period for the fiscal year (FY) 2023 H-1B cap will open at noon EST on March 1st and run through noon EST on March 17, 2023. USCIS intends to notify selected registrants by March 31st. Employers sponsoring selected registrants will be able to file cap-subject H-1B petitions in April.… Continue Reading

January Commences with Key Updates on Premium Processing Expansion (US)

On January 12, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced two significant updates to its premium processing expansion plan: (1) implementation of premium processing for all EB-1 Multinational Executive and Manager and EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW) categories and (2) a future expansion of premium processing for F-1 Students Seeking OPT and STEM OPT … Continue Reading

COVID-19 Testing Requirements Reinstated for Air Passengers Entering the United States from the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, and Macau (US)

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just announced, effective January 5, 2023 at 12:01 AM EST, airline passengers (two years of age and older) traveling from mainland China (Peoples Republic of China (PRC)) and the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong or Macau must provide either a negative COVID test or documentation … Continue Reading

UK Business Immigration – changes to Guidance on UK start dates for sponsored workers

The Home Office has updated its ‘Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors’. The changes affect UK employers with sponsor licences and provide clarification on how to amend a sponsored worker’s start date in the UK after their visa has been granted. Sponsors should take note of the changes in order to comply with their … Continue Reading

Right to Work Checks for UK Employers from 1 October 2022 – be prepared for changes but beware misleading information

UK employers are generally aware of the need to carry out prescribed checks to ensure their employees have the right to work, and the consequences of illegal employment (civil penalty of £20,000, risk to sponsor licence or, in extreme cases, criminal prosecution).  But the way in which the Home Office says these checks must be … Continue Reading

Priority visa services resume after 5 month suspension (UK)

In March this year, we wrote about the abrupt suspension of UKVI priority services for new applications made from outside the UK here. Today, after a full 5 months, UKVI has reinstated “priority services” for new work visa applications. The suspension was UKVI’s response to the large influx of applications under the Ukraine Family Scheme. … Continue Reading

DOL Issues New Guidance, Specific Examples of Prohibited Retaliation Under WHD-Enforced Wage & Hour Laws (US)

On March 10, 2022, the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published a Field Assistance Bulletin (FAB) entitled “Protecting Workers from Retaliation.” The FAB provides guidance on worker anti-retaliation protections available under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Migrant and Seasonal … Continue Reading

UK Business Immigration: Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules – What Employers Need to Know

The Home Office has published its latest Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules taking effect from 6 April 2022 which includes new immigration routes, as well as some changes and rebranding for existing routes. The Home Office is presenting these changes as part of its commitment to simplify the Immigration Rules and provide greater … Continue Reading

UK Visa priority services suspended

UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) has taken the decision without prior warning to suspend priority and super-priority visa processing services for all applications being made from outside the UK. Not only have the services been suspended, but the UKVI update says that “applications for study, work and family visas may take longer to process.”  This … Continue Reading

Time To Play the Numbers:  H-1B Cap Registration Returns on March 1st (US)

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced the initial registration period for the fiscal year (FY) 2023 H-1B cap will open at noon EDT on March 1, 2022  and run through noon EDT on March 18, 2022.  This occurs one week earlier than last year. This registration process will not apply to H-1B transfers (between employers) or extensions of status applications.  It will only impact new H-1B visas subject to … Continue Reading
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