On August 2, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld a rule allowing the spouses of H-1B visa holders to work in the United States. In doing so, the Court rejected a longstanding challenge which originated in 2015 from Save Jobs USA (“Save Jobs”)

Continue Reading Victory for H-1B Visa Spouses: U.S. Court Upholds Work Authorization

A recent update and clarification from the Department of State (DOS) on waiver eligibility expands opportunities for visa applicants facing difficulties in obtaining visa stamps for entry to the U.S. This clarification, specifically on the “significant public interest” category in the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM), provides valuable guidance for individuals

Continue Reading Navigating Visa Challenges: DOS Updates on Inadmissibility Waivers

After the Parole in Place Program (“Keeping Families Together”) went into effect on August 19, 2024, sixteen State Attorneys General filed a complaint against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) et. al. The complaint alleges that the program is unlawful and will cause irreparable harm to the states that

Continue Reading Judge Temporarily Pauses Parole in Place Program for Undocumented Spouses and Stepchildren

In an effort to introduce a fully digital immigration system, the UK Government has announced that Biometric Residence Permits (BRP), Biometric Residence Cards (BRC) and any other legacy paper documents with ink stamp or visa vignette will be phased out, and that as of January 1, 2025, they will no

Continue Reading “Goodbye BRP, Hello eVisa”: The UK’s Leap into a Digital Immigration Era

By Leon Rodriguez, Dawn M. Lurie and Isabella Cohen

Seyfarth Synopsis: On Aug. 19, 2024, DHS posted for public inspection a Federal Register notice implementing the “Keeping Families Together” process for certain noncitizen spouses and stepchildren of U.S. citizens. “Keeping Families Together” enables noncitizen spouses and stepchildren of U.S.

Continue Reading New DHS Parole Policy for Long-Term Undocumented Spouses, Stepchildren

Where are we next month?

The United States Immigration and Citizenship Services (USCIS) has announced that for the September 2024 Visa Bulletin, applicants must use the Final Action Dates chart for employment-based preference categories, and the Dates for Filing chart for family-sponsored preference categories when filing adjustment of status

Continue Reading Visa Bulletin Updates

In a significant development for H-1B visa hopefuls, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has completed a second lottery for the Fiscal Year 2025 H-1B cap. The H-1B program enables U.S. employers to temporarily hire foreign workers for roles that typically require at least a bachelor’s degree in the

Continue Reading Second USCIS FY 2025 Cap Lottery: A New Opportunity for H-1B Applicants

By: Rania Abboud

On July 18th, 2024, the Immigration, Refugees, Citizenship Canada (IRCC), introduced new updates for intra-company transfers using exemption codes C61, C62, and C63 related to Canada’s Intra-Company Transfer (ICT).  The ICT program allows multinational companies to transfer key employees to their Canadian branches. This program

Continue Reading Canadian Immigration – Updates Intra-Company Transfer Rules: What You Need to Know

By: Jacob Campbell & Mahsa Aliaskari

Recent processing time trends at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) are raising concerns for both Employers and F-1 visa holders relying on automatic extensions of work authorization while awaiting the processing of their F-1 STEM Employment Authorization Document (EAD) extension applications.

While

Continue Reading Navigating Delays: The F-1 STEM EAD Waiting Game Considerations for Employees and Employers

By: Rania Abboud

For many highly skilled international workers, securing an H-1B visa in the United States can be elusive. With this year’s lottery results announced, employers find themselves exploring alternative strategies to retain invaluable talent. Among these strategies is the consideration of relocating talent to Canada, where a range

Continue Reading Not Selected in the H-1B CAP? Discover Opportunities in Canada: Exploring Alternatives for Talent Retention