By Dawn M. Lurie, Jason E. Burritt, and Gabriel Mozes
Seyfarth Synopsis: Within the last few days, the Trump Administration has expanded an existing travel ban and initiated a new one related to the Coronavirus; similarly other countries have added entry restrictions to try to stem the spread of the virus.
Say
Seyfarth Synopsis: USCIS Announces the FY 2020 H-1B Cap Reached.
On April 5, 2019, United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it received sufficient H-1B petitions to meet the regular H-1B quota (or “cap”) for Fiscal Year 2020, which begins on October 1, 2019. This means that USCIS received more than 65,000 H-1B
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) work authorization for eligible Liberian nationals has been extended automatically until March 30, 2020. While the previous wind-down period for DED was set for March 31, 2019, President Trump, on March 28, 2019, issued a presidential memorandum directing Secretary Nielson to provide continued work authorization for an
By: Leon Rodriguez
Seyfarth Synopsis: While marijuana possession and use continue to become legal in many U.S. states, either for strictly medicinal purposes or for any purpose at all, it can still be a basis for denial of immigration benefits, such as temporary visas, legal permanent residency, and/or naturalization, or for revocation of existing immigration benefits. This can even be true where the possession and/or use never resulted in either a criminal charge or conviction.
Notwithstanding contrary state laws, marijuana continues to be deemed a Schedule I narcotic as defined at 21 U.S.C. § 812((b)(1), meaning it has been found to have “a high potential for abuse”, “no currently accepted medical use in treatment” or a lack of “accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.” 21 U.S.C. § 812((b)(1)(A)-(C). 21 U.S.C. § 844 makes illegal under federal law simple possession of any Schedule I substance. Current Attorney General Jeff Sessions has rescinded prior Obama-era Department of Justice guidance accommodating State laws on marijuana, particularly those allowing its possession and use for medical purposes. As such, the Department of Justice has returned to an aggressive posture on narcotics enforcement with respect to marijuana.
Seyfarth Synopsis: In passing AB 450, the Immigrant Worker Protection Act (IWPA), California lawmakers tried to make it more difficult for federal immigration enforcement agents from accessing nonpublic areas of employer worksites and private employee records. The U.S. Justice Department filed a federal lawsuit against California attacking the IWPA as an unconstitutional interference with federal power over immigration. DOJ persuaded the Court to issue a preliminary injunction last month against parts of the IWPA that bar employers from voluntarily providing immigration enforcement agents with access to nonpublic worksites and employee records unless federal authorities present a judicial warrant (to access nonpublic worksites) or an administrative or judicial subpoena (to access employee records). Only one federal immigration agency routinely dispenses with the warrant or subpoena process. The Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate (FDNS) – a unit of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) – regularly shows up unannounced at employer facilities in California and elsewhere. Its agents present only a business card and demand the type of access prohibited under the IWPA.
By: Randy Johnson and Walt Mullon
President Trump Signs Executive Order on Workforce Training. Earlier today, President Trump signed an executive order which aims to bolster vocational training, creates a national council for American workers, and establishes a workforce policy advisory board in a push to increase the number of skilled workers in the U.S. Alongside business executives, the President introduced the “Pledge to America’s Workers,” which commits employers to expanding on-the-job training and apprenticeships. The administration expects the pledge to lead to at least 500,000 new career opportunities for students and workers. Earlier this week, Ivanka Trump penned an op-ed in support of the new initiative, declaring that the administration hopes to “create a workforce culture that fosters and prioritizes life-long learning.”
The 2018 edition of The Legal 500 United States recommends Seyfarth Shaw’s Immigration group as one of the best in the country. Nationally, for the fourth consecutive year, our Immigration practice earned Top Tier.
Based on feedback from corporate counsel, Seyfarth partners Jim King, Russell Swapp, and Angelo Paparelli were ranked in the
Seyfarth Synopsis: USCIS completes the lottery process and received 190,098 H-1B cap petitions.
On April 12, 2018, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it received 190,098 H-1B petitions to meet both the Master’s and regular H-1B quotas (or “caps”) for Fiscal Year 2019, which begins on October 1, 2018. This means that
Seyfarth Synopsis: If Congress cannot resolve FY2018 funding issues by December 8, 2017, resulting in a federal government shutdown, it will have a ripple effect on employers, both large and small, with an impact on several agencies involved in the processing of immigration petitions.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
In the event of a
Seyfarth Synopsis: Federal judges in Hawaii and Maryland have issued orders blocking major portions of President Trump’s September 24, 2017 Presidential Proclamation.
The Presidential Proclamation is the third in a series of executive actions ostensibly aimed at protecting the U.S. from terrorism and other national security threats through barring or limiting U.S. travel for nationals