As a reminder, on July 17, 2017, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a revised version of the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, which employers must begin using no later than September 18, 2017.
Recent actions by the U.S. Department of State (DOS) and Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) indicate that employers seeking to hire foreign workers will likely face a more stringent visa approval process.
On August 2, 2017, President Trump unveiled the revised RAISE (Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment) Act, which would create new parameters for obtaining a green card for U.S. company employees and decrease family immigration numbers.
The White House has been working with the Department of Justice to formulate changes to the H-1B visa program pursuant to the administration’s “Buy American and Hire American” executive order.
On June 26, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court partially lifted the injunction and agreed to hear arguments on President Trump’s March Executive Order entitled Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States.
Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta has announced that the Department of Labor (DOL) will more aggressively enforce laws governing the administration and enforcement of non-immigrant visa programs.
On June 15, 2017, the Secretary of Homeland Security announced that it was rescinding the November 20, 2014 memorandum that created the program known as Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (“DAPA”).
A new policy memorandum directs the USCIS to deny visa petitions that are based on an illegal or otherwise invalid or unenforceable employment agreement.
On May 4, 2017, Congress passed an appropriations bill to fund the federal government through Fiscal Year 2017. The bill also extended four immigration programs through September 30, 2017.
On April 18, 2017, President Trump signed the "Buy American and Hire American" executive order (EO), which addresses H-1B visas. The EO calls for the application of existing U.S. laws to visa recipients and the re-evaluation of the H-1B program.
