Headlines: 1. U.S. Implements VWP Changes in Response to Terrorism Concerns -Under the new “Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015,” travelers in several categories are no longer eligible to travel or be admitted to the United States under the VWP. 2. USCIS Advises Employers To Identify Returning Workers Who Are Exempt From FY […]
Headlines: 1. DHS Revises Regs on H-1B1, E-3, CW-1 Nonimmigrants and Certain EB-1 Immigrants -DHS said the final rule does not impose any additional costs on employers, workers, or any governmental entity. 2. Court Delays STEM OPT Ruling, Preserving Current STEM OPT Program -DHS persuaded the court that it was working diligently to evaluate more than 50,000 comments and […]
On January 25, 2016, ABIL submitted comments to the USCIS with suggested revisions for the Employment Eligibility Verification, Form I?9. Download
Headlines: 1. House Holds Oversight Hearings on USCIS, EOIR -Leon Rodriguez, USCIS Director, testified at the USCIS hearing. Juan Osuna, EOIR Director, testified at the EOIR hearing. 2. Visa Bulletin Notes Statistics on Applicants in Limited Immigrant Categories for Consular Processing -The Department of State’s Visa Bulletin for February 2016 notes that the National Visa Center has provided totals […]
This article provides an overview of various countries’ short-term visa options for temporary assignments. Belgium Under Belgian law, there are several work permit exemptions for short-term assignments. One is the Vander Elst exemption: if some conditions are met, no work permit is required for non-EEA (European Economic Area = European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway) […]
Headlines: 1. USCIS Seeks Comments on Proposed Rule to Change Certain Employment-Based Visa Programs -USCIS seeks public comments on a proposed rule published on December 31, 2015, “Retention of EB-1, EB-2 and EB-3 Immigrant Workers and Program Improvements Affecting High-Skilled Nonimmigrant Workers,” that would change certain aspects of employment-based visa programs. 2. Omnibus Bill Includes Hefty Fee Increases […]
Headlines: 1. House Votes for Stricter Visa Waiver Program Following Terror Concerns; Obama Announces Changes -Following recent terror attacks in Paris, France, and San Bernardino, California, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to tighten restrictions on travelers under the VWP. Also, President Barack Obama announced new security measures for the VWP, including gathering more information from travelers […]
Headlines: 1. USCIS Adds 16 Countries to H-2A/H-2B Visa Programs -The countries being added in January are Andorra, Belgium, Brunei, Colombia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, San Marino, Singapore, Taiwan, and Timor-Leste. Moldova will no longer be designated as an eligible country to participate in the H-2B program because Moldova is not meeting regulatory […]
Headlines: 1. Fifth Circuit Upholds Injunction Against Obama Administration’s DACA/DAPA Programs -The court found, among other things, that the states have shown that the threatened injury if the injunction were denied outweighed any harm that would result if the injunction were granted. 2. State Dept. Projects Employment-Based Visa Number Availability in Coming Months -The Department of State’s Visa Bulletin […]
Headlines: 1. DHS Proposes Rule on Expanding F-1 STEM OPT -Among other things, the proposal would allow F-1 STEM students who have elected to pursue 12 months of OPT in the United States to extend the OPT period by 24 months. 2. Labor Dept. Publishes Final Rule on Temporary Employment of H-2A Workers in Herding or Production of […]