News, Insights, and Strategies for Employers from Jackson Lewis
New Yorkers can once again register for Trusted Traveler Programs.
However, registrants should note that, due to COVID-19, Trusted Traveler Enrollment Centers are closed until at least September 8, 2020.
In early February 2020, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) prohibited New Yorkers from registering or re-registering for Trusted Traveler Programs, including Global…
New USCIS filing fees will go into effect on October 2, 2020, under a new final rule published by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the Federal Register on August 3, 2020. This rule raises fees by a weighted average of 20% and changes the current fee structure to impose specific fees per…
Employers need to ready themselves for investigations from the Department of Labor (DOL) into the use of H-1B visas.
Without Congressional oversight or legislative changes, the Trump Administration has changed the policies for H-1Bs, resulting in the highest denial rate in history of this legal immigration program. During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic national emergency,…
On July 29, 2020, U.S. District Court Judge George B. Daniels of New York issued a nationwide injunction barring the Department of Homeland Security from enforcing the Administration’s Public Charge Rule during the declared national health emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Rule makes it harder for foreign nationals to obtain green cards…
USCIS confirmed that its planned furlough of 70% of its workforce (13,400 employees) will be postponed at least until the end of August. The ostensible reason for the furlough was a budget shortfall, even though USCIS is a fee-based service that historically has covered costs.
The furlough announcement, when coupled with the anti-immigration agenda from…
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has extended its flexibility regarding the physical presence requirements for I-9 inspection for another 30 days, until August 19, due to the ongoing precautions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eligible employers may continue to inspect Section 2 documents remotely (e.g., over video link, fax, or email) and must…
In a move that was not surprising due to the spike of COVID-19 cases in the United States, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada and the Mexican Foreign Ministry have both announced the continuation of the COVID-19 border restrictions between Canada, Mexico and the United States. These restrictions were first announced in March and have…
Under the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) new “Stay Healthy. Stay Secure.” Campaign, screening procedures are being changed to allow for more social distancing and to limit physical contact while still maintaining needed security procedures during the summer travel season.
In mid-April, due to COVID-19, TSA recorded its lowest travel volume ever: approximately 87,500 travelers per…
The reported failure of USCIS to renew its contract with an outside vendor in June, because it planned to bring all printing of Green Cards in-house, may be the reason foreign nationals who have managed to make it through the arduous permanent residency process are not receiving their “Green Cards.”
USCIS has wide-ranging budget issues…
The White House has issued an amendment to the June 22, 2020, Presidential “Proclamation Suspending Entry of Aliens Who Present a Risk to the U.S. Labor Market Following the Coronavirus Outbreak” to clarify an issue regarding those who are outside the scope of the Proclamation.
According to the amendment, not all those…
