THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY “ANNOUNCES FINAL RULE FOR A MORE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT H-1B VISA PROGRAM” WHICH WILL GO INTO EFFECT ON APRIL 1, 2019
The Final Rule Includes an Electronic Registration Requirement, which will be Suspended for the FY2020 H-1B Cap On January 30, 2019, the Department of Homeland Security announced a final rule “amending regulations governing H-1B cap-subject petitions.” The Final Rule, which will be published in the Federal Register on January 31, 2019 and will go into […]
BUSINESS LEADERS SPEAK OUT AGAINST ENDING DACA
As the Trump administration sets its sights on the end of DACA, American business executives are raising their voices in defense of DACA beneficiaries, called Dreamers. More than 400 business leaders have signed their name to a letter to Trump or have found other ways to encourage the president to reconsider their plan to end […]
WHY DACA IS NECESSARY FOR AMERICAN BUSINESSES
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a program that protects undocumented immigrants who were brought to America as young children. In addition to providing protection from removal, DACA also authorizes beneficiaries to work legally in the U.S. For the 800,000 DACA beneficiaries, called Dreamers, this program provides them a way to pursue careers and […]
CHICAGO TECH LEADERS WORRIED IMMIGRATION REFORM WILL HURT INDUSTRY
Industry leaders in the technology sector have expressed concerns over how the Trump administration’s proposed changes to immigration law could affect their own companies and the American economy over all. While some of these tech leaders were based in Silicon Valley, many of the most outspoken of the bunch are headquartered in Chicago’s tech startup […]
U.S. EMPLOYERS WILL NEED TO RENEW OR GAIN NEW H-1B PETITIONS SOON
Does your business employ any specialists that require your sponsorship to stay within the country? If so, they might need to renew their H-1B visas on April 1st, 2017, the first day the United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) accepts petitions for the 2018 fiscal year. Miss the final deadline or wait too long, and a […]
U.S. IMMIGRANT POPULATION HITS RECORD HIGH
According to a new survey of the immigrant population in the United States, American immigration has reached an all-time high in recent years, with immigrants comprising 13.3 percent of U.S. residents in 2014. This marks the highest annual percentage in 94 years. The report, published by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), analyzed fresh census data of […]
NATURALIZATION ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS CLARIFIED BY USCIS
Over the past couple years, more and more lawful permanent residents are deciding to gain naturalization here in the United States. Despite this encouraging rise, the process of naturalization hasn’t gotten any easier. In fact, understanding the requirements and procedure is a common complaint amongst immigrants and residents. In order to help clear up some of the […]
IMMIGRATION-RELATED VIOLATIONS MORE HEAVILY PENALIZED
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) used its administrative powers to implement higher monetary, civil, and criminal penalties to be used against employers who violated the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA). The final ruling was announced on June 30th, just two days before the new penalties took effect on August 1st, […]
WHAT IS THE H-1B & L-1 VISA REFORM ACT OF 2016?
A bipartisan bill known as the H-1B & L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2016 has recently been introduced to Congress and it is already turning heads and sparking debate. The purpose of the bill is to prevent firms from hiring additional H-1B visa employees if they already have more than 50 employees and more than 50% of […]