Headlines: 1. DOL Suspends Prevailing Wage Determinations – Processing of prevailing wage determinations (PWDs), redeterminations, and Center Director Reviews have been suspended temporarily; prevailing wage requests filed since early June 2011 are still pending. 2. Ombudsman Recommends That USCIS Improve EAD Process – The Ombudsman noted that many problem areas remain unaddressed. 3. Obama Administration Announces Focus on High-Risk Cases […]
Category Archives: Immigration Insider
Headlines: 1. DHS, USCIS Announce Initiative To Promote Startups and Spur Job Creation – Agencies announce efforts to attract foreign entrepreneurial talent to the U.S. 2. ICE Declares ‘Secure Communities’ Mandatory, Not Optional – ICE announced that a memorandum of agreement between ICE and a state is not required to operate Secure Communities in that state. 3. ICE Announces Intention […]
Headlines: 1. Company Held Liable for Back Wages of H-1B Employee Who Never Worked – The failure to prove every element of a bona fide termination left an employer who petitioned for an H-1B worker’s admission liable for the entire period of authorized employment. 2. Labor Dept. Weighs In on Staggered Dates of Need – Can an employer file […]
Headlines: 1. USCIS Changes Timeframes for RFEs – Among other things, the maximum response time for an RFE may not exceed 12 weeks (84 days). 2. USCIS Submits Revision of Basic Pilot Verification MOU to OMB for Review – Comments will be accepted until September 12, 2011. 3. DOS Determines Employment Preference Numerical Limit for […]
Headlines: 1. ICE To Audit 1,000 Employers Nationwide for I-9 Violations – The new actions bring the FY 2011 I-9 audit total to 2,338, surpassing the FY 2010 record. 2. USCIS Summarizes Stakeholder Engagement on L-1B Interpretation of ‘Specialized Knowledge’ – USCIS released an executive summary on the L-1B nonimmigrant classification with respect to interpretation […]
Headlines: 1. ‘B-1 in Lieu of H-1B’ Option Under Threat – The Department of State is discussing with the Department of Homeland Security removing or substantially modifying the B-1 in lieu of H-1B option. 2. NLRB Updates Immigration Status Procedures During NLRB Proceedings – A new memorandum from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) provides […]
Headlines: 1. USCIS Announces Cap Count – USCIS announced the cap count as of May 20, 2011. 2. USCIS Proposes EB-5 Changes; Accepting Comments Until June 17 – USCIS has proposed significant changes to the administration of the EB-5 immigrant investor program’s intake and review process. 3. USCIS Launches ‘I-9 Central’ Online – The website […]
Headlines: 1. H-1B Petitions Drop Precipitously – H-1B petition filings as of April have dropped substantially since the same time in previous recent years. 2. USCIS Issues Memo on Procedures for Revocation of a U.S. Passport – The memo provides background and outlines statutes under which U.S. passports may be revoked by the Department of […]
Headlines: 1. Feds Crack Down on Employers – In recent actions, the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, DC, is investigating Chipotle Mexican Grill about hiring undocumented workers at its 1,092 restaurants; owners of another establishment were arrested for violations related to employing undocumented workers and not paying taxes on them. 2. […]
Headlines: 1. DOS Reports on Employment-Based Visa Demand; First Preference ‘Extremely Low’ – Demand in the employment first preference is extremely low; it also appears unlikely that a second preference cut-off date will be imposed for any countries other than China and India, where demand is extremely high. 2. Case Updates: El Badrawi; Arizona – […]