Employers who use E-Verify to confirm their employees are eligible to work in the United States will be required to reset their E-Verify password, security questions, and answers when they log in to the system on or after December 16, 2018. The E-Verify system will be making changes to its user interface to give more self-service options such as automatic password resets. E-Verify is required for employers with certain federal contracts and is mandatory for many employers in certain states, including South Carolina and Georgia. More than 40 million E-Verify queries were run during ...
Even the simplest tasks tend to be chaotic around the holidays, and a trip to the U.S. Consulate for a visa interview is no exception. With no school for children and a desire to be with extended family during the holidays, thousands of foreign nationals will exit the United States in mid-December. For many of those foreign nationals, traveling outside the United States will necessitate a trip to the U.S. Consulate in order to renew their visa. The following tips may help ease the stress of a holiday visa interview at the U.S. Consulate.
Schedule Your Interview Early
Because the holidays ...
USCIS has implemented a new Policy Memorandum affecting foreign national students (F-1 and M-1) and exchange visitors (J-1). The memo, "Accrual of Unlawful Presence and F, J, and M Nonimmigrants," became effective on August 9, 2018, and could have a significant effect on nonimmigrants (and in certain cases, immigrants) who hold or have held F, J, or M visa status and who have violated that status since their most recent entry into the U.S. The policy may also impact nonimmigrants who exit the U.S. and who, whether knowingly or not, violated their F, J, or M status and attempt re-entry to ...
Hear from Jon Eggert on the special green card rules as it relates to Colleges & Universities. For questions, please contact Melissa Azallion or Jon Eggert of McNair's immigration team at (843) 785-2171.
Every year, U.S. employers seeking highly skilled foreign professionals submit their petitions to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) with the hope of receiving an H-1B number. Since 1990, Congress has limited the number of H-1Bs made available each year. The current annual statutory cap is 65,000 visas, with 20,000 additional visas for foreign professionals who graduate with a Master's degree or Doctorate from a U.S. college or university. However, this cap has been reached quickly in recent years.
The H-1B is a temporary (nonimmigrant) visa category that allows ...
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is planning a nationwide increase of Form I-9 audits this summer, and employers should prepare for the increased possibility of a government audit.
ICE is the federal agency responsible for enforcing the laws established by the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986, which requires employers to verify the identity and work eligibility of all individuals hired after November 1986 using the I-9 Form. According to an ICE recent news release, less than seven months after U.S. ICE Deputy Director Thomas Homan issued a directive that ...
After months of anticipation, it appears the first major H-1B program-related change will be the recession of employment authorization for certain H-4 spouses. The change should have the largest effect on Chinese and Indian nationals who comprise the highest percentage of current H-4 work authorized beneficiaries.
Spouses and children of H-1B visa holders receive H-4 status so they can remain in the United States with their H-1B beneficiary relative. Historically, individuals in H-4 status were not granted work authorization. In 2015, the Obama Administration implemented a ...
With changes in late 2017, many employers are gearing up for H-1B season on April 1, 2018. The H-1B visa allows foreign nationals to work in occupations that require at least a U.S. Bachelor's Degree (or foreign equivalent) in a specific academic field. The H-1B visa is one of the most sought after employment visas because it provides a natural spring board to an employer-sponsored green card.
Immigration regulations limit the number of H-1B visas available each year to 85,000 with 20,000 available slots set aside for individuals holding at least a U.S. Master's Degree. The H-1B visa is ...
While students across the country are heading back to finish the school year, school districts are already preparing to hire teachers for the next academic term. Districts are suffering from a nationwide teaching shortage and are increasingly turning to foreign nationals to fill open positions. A fairly new immigration rule effective January 2017 provides certain school districts with unlimited access to the H-1B visa throughout the year and has drastically reduced some of the challenges of hiring and retaining qualified teachers.
School districts have long utilized the H-1B ...
Qualifying dependent spouses of certain H-1B visa holders (H-4 spouse) have enjoyed the benefits of applying for work authorization since 2015 when the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) implemented a rule supported by the Obama administration permitting them to obtain employment authorization documents.
Since then, USCIS has approved more than 100,000 work authorization applications for H-4 spouses. However, the "Buy American, Hire American" initiative signed under the Trump administration may soon bring an end to the popular benefit, and this ...