Business Immigration Law Center
Our team of lawyers and professionals provide the latest news on immigration law affecting businesses. We guide our corporate clients through the process of attracting and retaining top-tier international talent and ensuring immigration compliance. This blog is maintained by the Immigration and Nationality Department of Stevens & Lee.
The U.S. Embassy in Lisbon, Portugal has just announced its readiness to accept applications for E-1 Treaty Trader and E-2 visas, which come with a number of notable benefits.
The April 2024 visa bulletin shows modest advancement in several employment-based green card preference categories, but USCIS will be working through a backlog of applications received in the first half of the fiscal year.
While some fees will be reduced under the new schedule, overall, fees will increase. The new fee schedule goes into effect on April 1, 2024.
We examine major changes to the H-1B application process announced by the U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
We explain how the USCIS reached its 2024 H-1B Cap and delve into anticipated timing and changes to the 2025 H-1B lottery and program.
There was no movement for key categories in the March 2023 Visa Bulletin. The Bulletin did note that there has been an increase in use and demand for EB-2 and EB-3 visas.
The Department of State announced that the agency plans to launch a pilot program in 2023 offering visa renewal options.
Employers should prepare early and thoroughly for relevant H-1B processes, registrations and regulations.
USCIS has announced premium processing upgrades for new/initial petitions, among others, and has increased filing fees.
In the January 2023 Visa Bulletin, EB-1 final action and application filing dates were implemented for China and India. EB-2 and EB-3 for China and India remain the same as the December Bulletin.
Without a strategic immigration policy, some employers may be risking or sacrificing time, money and employee capital to achieve their employment objectives.
The U.S. Department of State publishes a Visa Bulletin in the middle of each month that contains information related to current immigrant visa availability for the following month.
In the November 2022 Visa Bulletin, EB-1 remains current for all countries; EB-2 and EB-3 for China and India remain unchanged from the October 2022 Visa Bulletin; EB-2 and EB-3 are current for all other countries.
The Visa Bulletin indicates when statutorily limited immigrant visas are available to prospective immigrants based on their individual priority dates.
The Department of Homeland Security, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement announced an extension of the Form I-9 flexibilities surrounding remote inspection of required I-9 employee documents to July 31, 2023.
For Fiscal Year 2023, H-1B electronic registration for employers will open at noon EST on March 1, 2022, and run through noon EST on March 18.
As business immigration policies adapt to Biden Administration priorities, employers can expect key changes that may affect their business planning and the mobility of their international personnel.
It is advisable, due both to high demand and uncertainty regarding recently published H-1B rules, that employers prepare early and thoroughly.
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has updated the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I‑9.