By: Sami Bloom and Jacob Cherry
In an era of increasing global competition for highly skilled professionals, U.S. employers often face challenges in recruiting and retaining top talent. The National Interest Waiver (NIW) is a special provision under the EB-2 visa category, offering a unique solution by allowing foreign nationals
Continue Reading National Interest Waiver (NIW) as a Viable Alternative to a Traditional Employment-based Green CardBy: Fanny Wong and Jacob Cherry
The Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery program, administered by the U.S. Department of State, allocates up to 55,000 immigrant visas annually through a random selection process from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. Although it is a highly competitive process, the
Continue Reading Diversity Visa Lottery: A Guide for U.S. Employers
The passage of the vaguely named “Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act” led to widespread chatter that the law possibly prohibited employers from using E-Verify unless they were explicitly required to do so under federal law. In response to the confusion, Seyfarth attorneys sought clarification from Illinois state representatives
Continue Reading E-Verify in Illinois: SB0508 Myths Dispelled, Rights ProtectedBy Dawn M. Lurie and Matthew Parker*
USCIS’s E-Verify Disposal Announcement
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced that employers using E-Verify have until January 5, 2025, to download and retain records for cases last updated on or before December 31, 2014. After this date, USCIS will permanently
Continue Reading Last Call for E-Verify Records: Compliance Steps Before the January 5, 2025 DisposalBy Mahsa Aliaskari and Daniela Mayer
The Employment-Based First Preference (EB-1) immigrant visa category is designed to attract top and critical talent to the U.S. This category includes individuals with extraordinary abilities in fields such as science, arts, education, business, or athletics (EB-1A); outstanding professors and researchers (EB-1B); and multinational
Continue Reading Understanding the First Preference Extraordinary Ability Category for Immigrant Visas and USCIS’s New Guidance
The Global Immigration and Mobility Team launched its first podcast, as part of a collaborative cross-practice series, airing on Seyfarth’s Health Care Beat. In this episode, our Seyfarth team had a fireside chat with Fred Chereau, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at Alexion Pharmaceuticals, to discuss Fred’s
Continue Reading Global Immigration and Mobility PodcastBy: Mahsa Aliaskari and Peace Ibe
The Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) is a law designed to help certain young people (children of immigrants) keep their eligibility for U.S. immigration benefits, even if they turn 21 years old during the application process. Normally, when a child of an immigrant turns
Continue Reading The Child Status Protection Act & USCIS Extraordinary Circumstances Policy UpdatesBy: Mark Katzoff and Dawn M. Lurie
The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (RIA) introduced significant requirements for designated EB-5 regional centers, one of the most notable being the annual payment into the EB-5 Integrity Fund. Beginning on October 1, 2024, the USCIS is accepting these payments for
Continue Reading Stay Compliant: Key Deadlines and Updates for EB-5 Integrity Fund Payments: What You Need to Know for FY 2023, 2024, and 2025By: Marcus Hobson and Mahsa Aliaskari
October 1 marks the start of the government’s fiscal year, signaling the release of at least 140,000 new employment-based immigrant visa numbers to be allocated across categories and nationalities in the new fiscal year. With the exception of one particular subsection, the October 2024
Continue Reading October 2024 Visa Bulletin: Key Highlights and ImplicationsBy: Dawn Lurie
The recent settlement agreement between the Department of Justice and SP Plus Corporation, a Chicago based transportation and parking management company, serves as a critical reminder for employers of their responsibilities under U.S. immigration and anti-discrimination laws. The settlement highlights the potential pitfalls employers may encounter when
Continue Reading Minor Missteps, Major Consequences: Avoiding Big Trouble from Seemingly Small I-9 Errors