Looking ahead to 2020, a lot of changes are in store for U.S. immigration policy. Not through laws passed by Congress, but through rule-making processes from Federal agencies including USCIS. The White House Office of Management and Budget recently released its regulatory agenda, which outlines policy priorities for federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland…
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents are turning away some Canadian workers at the border. Without notice, CBP abandoned a decades-long policy of allowing Canadians to apply for L-1 visa renewals directly at U.S. ports of entry. And now, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) reports that CBP officials at some points of entry…
The U.S. Commerce Department could place limits on which companies can sponsor H-1B and O-1A visas. Commerce is evaluating designating artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and other categories as “emerging technologies” that will be subject to export controls. That could pose challenges for tech startups founded by international entrepreneurs or those employing—or looking to employ—foreign talent. If…
The new trade deal reached between the U.S., Canada and Mexico last month preserves the immigration provisions in NAFTA. That means when the new trade agreement goes into effect, it will have no impact on trade-related visas for employees. When negotiations for a trade treaty to replace NAFTA began, the Trump administration sought to slash…
By Sophie Alcorn and Valerie Dagama Pereira How can visas in the Land Down Under benefit U.S. companies? Australia offers a few visa options, including a pilot program that began last month, aimed at attracting specialized workers, established companies, and startups. U.S. employers could use these options to transfer foreign workers who cannot renew or…
The volume of H-1B applications submitted to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and subject to the annual cap dropped for the second consecutive year under the Trump administration. Cap-subject H-1B filings have dropped nearly 20% since 2016. Each year since 2014, the number of cap-subject H-1B petitions submitted had steadily risen, reaching a high…
The spouses of H-1B visa holders face losing their work permits. If you’re one of the nearly 180,000 individuals in this situation or have an employee in this situation, what should you do? The Alcorn Immigration Law team has been fielding this question from both the working spouses of H-1B visa holders, who are given…