The gap between jobs needing to be filled and the skilled talent pool capable of filling them continues to grow wider in many industries, particularly in the U.S. manufacturing industry.
Articles Discussing Employing Immigrants.
Biden Administration Unveils Immigration Reform Bill
Companies Prep to Return to Worksites as Temporary Flexibility for I-9 Compliance Extended
Flexibility in completing I-9 Employment Verification Forms has been continued until March 31, 2021, and it may be extended beyond that. Under that flexibility, employers have been allowed to inspect Section 2 Form I-9 documents virtually (e.g., over video link, by fax, or by email).
Nevertheless, as companies “return” to
Biden Administration Revokes Trump-Era Immigrant Visa Ban
On February 24, 2021, the Biden administration issued a proclamation immediately revoking the prior administration’s Proclamation 10014 of April 22, 2020, that blocked individuals from entering the United States on immigrant visas.
H-2B Cap for Fiscal Year 2021 Reached as of February 12, 2021
On February 24, 2021, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it reached the H-2B cap for the second half of fiscal year (FY) 2021. The cap was officially reached on February 12, 2021.
Biden Revokes Immigrant Visa Ban
President Joe Biden has revoked the immigrant visa ban because he believes it did not advance the interests of the United States, but instead harmed United States industries, families, and diversity immigrant visa lottery winners.
The ban was put in place by former President Donald Trump in April 2020 on
USCIS Expands Premium Processing Services to Include E-3 Petitions for Australian Nationals in Specialty Occupations
On February 24, 2021, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced it would expand premium processing services to include change of status or extension of status petitions for E-3 nonimmigrant visa classification. This expanded premium processing option went into effect immediately.
USCIS: Premium Processing Available for E-3 Visa Change, Extension on Behalf of Australian Nationals
In a surprising and welcome development to U.S. employers, USCIS today announced that employers filing E-3 visa petitions on behalf of Australian nationals will have the option of requesting premium processing when requesting a change or extension of status to E-3.
The E-3 visa for Australian professionals became law in
Naturalization Test Returning to 2008 Version in March
On March 1, 2021, USCIS will be returning to the 2008 version of the naturalization civics test. This change is a response to President Joe Biden’s Executive Order, “Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration System,” that directed a review of the naturalization process to eliminate barriers to the process. Individuals
Immigration Reform Bill
The United States Citizenship Act was introduced on February 18, 2021. Sponsored in the House by Representative Linda Sanchez (D-Calif) and in the Senate by Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), the bill calls for broad immigration reform, including creating paths to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, expanding the number of available visas,
Biden Administration Introduces ‘U.S. Citizenship Act’ Immigration Bill in Congress
On February 18, 2021, the Biden administration formally introduced a new immigration bill in Congress—the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021. The bill, marshaled by Representative Linda Sanchez (D-CA) and Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), includes provisions that would impact all aspects of what the administration considers a broken immigration system.
USCIS Announces Deadline to Download E-Verify Data
Pursuant to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) records retention and disposal schedule (N 1-55-08-7), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) annually purges E-Verify data that is more than 10 years old. According to USCIS, as of May 14, 2021, employers will no longer have access to E-Verify records
Updates on I-9 Verification Flexibility and Compliance During COVID-19 Pandemic
On March 20, 2020, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced their intent to relax the requirements for performing in-person verification of documents presented for Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, given the challenges employers faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
USCIS Reminder: 10-Year-Old E-Verify Records Will be Deleted
USCIS announced that on May 14, 2021, it will dispose of 10 years of records dated on or before December 31, 2010, from its Historic Records Report. Employers that use E-Verify have until May 14, 2021, to download case information they wish to retain.
This is not a new procedure,
USCIS Gears up for the H-1B FY22 Cap Cycle
Executive Summary: USCIS has announced the timeline for the H-1B FY22 Cap Petition Cycle. Similar to last year, USCIS will require H-1B sponsor employers to register H-1B candidates online starting March 9, 2021. USCIS will then conduct a lottery to select the registrations and will notify companies about selected registrations by March 31, 2021. Companies can file H-1B petitions for selected registrations starting April 1, 2021 until at least June 30, 2021.
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