Category Archives: Uncategorized

Extension of Trump Proclamation Halting or Delaying Immigration

JUNE 22, 2020 On June 20, 2020, President Trump issued a new proclamation, suspending the issuance of visas in certain nonimmigrant categories, namely, H-1B, H-2B, J-1 and L-1. The Administration also extendd its previous Presidential Proclamation, issued on April 22, 2020 and discussed below: the earlier Proclamation suspended the entry of certain immigrants into […]

By mdeutsch | Published June 23, 2020 | Posted in Immigration, Immigration News, Media and Publications, Permanent Residence, Uncategorized | Tagged applying for immigration, Asylum, Congress on immigration, employment-based immigration, family-based immigration, foreign workers, H-1B, immigration application, immigration delays, immigration for businesses, immigration for children, immigration for executives, immigration general, immigration plan, immigration reform, labor certification, nonimmigrant visas, professional workers, Visas, work permits | Comments Off on Extension of Trump Proclamation Halting or Delaying Immigration

USCIS Preparing to Resume Public Services on June 4th

USCIS announced that, as of June 4th, 2020, it will reopen and resume nonemergency public services. On March 18, USCIS had temporarily suspended routine in-person services at its field offices, asylum offices and application support centersto help slow the spread of COVID-19. The USCIS website lists full information about the resumption of interviews, naturalization oath ceremonies and biometrics […]

By mdeutsch | Published May 28, 2020 | Posted in Immigration, Immigration News, Media and Publications, Permanent Residence, Uncategorized | Tagged applying for immigration, Asylum, employment-based immigration, family-based immigration, foreign workers, immigration application, immigration delays, immigration general | Comments Off on USCIS Preparing to Resume Public Services on June 4th

Should Foreign Employees Accept CARES Act Payments?

According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the CARES Act provides for Economic Impact Payments to American households of up to $1,200 per adult for individuals whose income was less than $99,000 ( or $198,000 for joint filers) and $500 per child under 17 years old – or up to $3,400 for a family […]

By mdeutsch | Published April 30, 2020 | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Should Foreign Employees Accept CARES Act Payments?

H-1B Initial Electronic Registration Selection Process Completed

USCIS announced it has received enough electronic registrations during the initial period to reach the FY 2021 H-1B numerical allocations (H-1B cap). The agency randomly selected from among the registrations properly submitted and intends to notify petitioners with selected registrations no later than March 31, 2020, that they are eligible to file an H-1B cap-subject […]

By mdeutsch | Published March 28, 2020 | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on H-1B Initial Electronic Registration Selection Process Completed

COVID-19 Precautions for Employers

Some of our employer-clients are preparing contingency plans, in case they must send their H-1B employees home to telecommute. As absurd as it would seem, there is no provision to suspend H-1B regulations in an emergency – hopefully, the government will do so to avoid making life miserable for many H-1B employees and their employers […]

By mdeutsch | Published March 10, 2020 | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on COVID-19 Precautions for Employers

USCIS Finalizes Changes to “Public Charge” Rule – USCIS FACT SHEET

Here is the USCIS web page on the “public charge” issue. ALERT: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will implement the Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds final rule on Feb. 24, 2020, except in Illinois, where the rule remains enjoined by a federal court as of Jan. 30, 2020. The final rule will apply only to […]

By mdeutsch | Published August 15, 2019 | Posted in Immigration, Immigration News, Media and Publications, Uncategorized | Tagged applying for immigration, Asylum, family-based immigration, Immigration, immigration application, immigration for children, immigration plan, immigration reform, refugees, US Visa, USCIS, visa, Visas | Comments Off on USCIS Finalizes Changes to “Public Charge” Rule – USCIS FACT SHEET

Government Expands Social Media Monitoring of Immigration Applicants

The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law issued an investigative report detailing the extent of the greatly increased monitoring of social media by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Monitoring social media sites by DHS is not new; the department has been using the technique for over ten years. As […]

By mdeutsch | Published July 24, 2019 | Posted in Immigration, Immigration News, Media and Publications, Uncategorized | Tagged applying for immigration, foreign workers, Immigration, immigration and crime, immigration application, immigration general, immigration plan, immigration reform, Practice of immigration law, State Department, US Visa, Visas | Comments Off on Government Expands Social Media Monitoring of Immigration Applicants

USCIS Will No Longer Premium Process H-4s and L-2s filed with H-1B and L-1 Petitions

The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) reports that USCIS will no longer continue its “courtesy practice” of providing premium processing service to H-4 and L-2 applications (Form I-539) filed concurrently with H-1B and L-1 petitions (Form I-129). Rather, USCIS will separate an I-539 application from the I-129 petition and follow the regular I-539 processing time, […]

By mdeutsch | Published July 17, 2019 | Posted in Immigration, Immigration News, Uncategorized | Tagged applying for immigration, employment-based immigration, foreign workers, H-1B, H-1B Visas, H-4 visas, Immigration, immigration application, immigration for businesses, immigration for children, immigration for executives, immigration from canada, immigration general, L-1, nonimmigrant visas, professional workers, US Visa, visa, Visas, work permits | Comments Off on USCIS Will No Longer Premium Process H-4s and L-2s filed with H-1B and L-1 Petitions

Update: New Rule for H-1B Visas Goes into Effect

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published its final rule, amending the process for selecting foreign nationals to receive cap-subject H-1B visas. The H-1B visa program allows companies to hire, for a three-year term (renewable once), foreign workers who have a bachelor degree or higher and have highly specialized knowledge in specialty occupations such as […]

By mdeutsch | Published February 5, 2019 | Posted in Immigration, Immigration News, Media and Publications, Uncategorized | Tagged applying for immigration, employment-based immigration, foreign workers, H-1B, H-1B Visas, Immigration, immigration application, immigration for businesses, immigration for executives, immigration general, nonimmigrant visas, professional workers, US Visa, Visas, work permits | Comments Off on Update: New Rule for H-1B Visas Goes into Effect

Refugee Wars

I drove along I-35 South from San Antonio to Dilley, TX, to spend a week with 30 other volunteers, advising intending refugees from Central America how to navigate the U.S. asylum system. We were headed to the South Texas Family Residential Center (STFRC), the largest immigrant detention center in the United States. Over the next […]

By mdeutsch | Published January 4, 2019 | Posted in Immigration, Media and Publications, Uncategorized | Tagged applying for immigration, Asylum, Immigration, immigration application, immigration court decisions, immigration for children, immigration general, immigration reform, Practice of immigration law, refugees, undocumented workers | Comments Off on Refugee Wars