Department of State Emails from clientverification@state.gov are Legitimate
US employers, please see a recent alert from the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA): AILA has recently received reports that employers have received emails from a contractor at the Department of State (DOS) via clientverification@state.gov requesting confirmation that a beneficiary will be providing services at the company. AILA’s DOS Liaison Committee confirmed with DOS Visa […]
The Florida Bar’s new 2017 Legal Survival Guide for Young Adults
Please see this YouTube Video from the Florida Bar, informing young adults turning 18 years old about a new app that The Florida Bar has developed: This and other legal news is available to the public on FloridaBarNews.TV.
USCIS has released Redesigned Green Cards and Employment Authorization Documents
Following its announcement on April 19, 2017 USCIS started printing newly designed Green Cards and Employment Authorization Documents [EAD] on May 1, 2017. The new front and back of the Green Card looks like this: The new design of the EAD looks like this: [See more information and description of the design at https://www.uscis.gov/greencard and […]
H-1B visa cap reached for FY 2018
Today U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced that it has reached the congressionally mandated 65,000 visa H-1B cap for fiscal year 2018. USCIS has also received a sufficient number of H-1B petitions to meet the 20,000 visa U.S. advanced degree exemption, also known as the master’s cap. The agency will reject and return filing […]
DHS Statement Concerning Admission of Returning Residents
From: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services <uscis@public.govdelivery.com> Date: January 29, 2017 5:44:15 PM MST Subject: DHS statements on the entry of lawful permanent residents and compliance with court orders and the president’s executive orders Reply-To: <uscis@public.govdelivery.com> STATEMENT BY DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY JOHN KELLY ON THE ENTRY OF LAWFUL PERMANENT RESIDENTS INTO THE […]
President Trump’s Executive Action – A Recommendation to All Employers to Audit their I-9 forms
As the President issued a number of Executive Orders, one of the Executive Orders entitled “Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States” dated January 25, 2017 states in part as follows: >>Sec. 6. Civil Fines and Penalties. As soon as practicable, and by no later than one year after the date of […]
Visa Fees Increased on December 23, 2016
Right in time for the holidays, immigration fees increased by a weighted average of 21% Examples include: Form New fee I-90 – application to replace permanent resident card $455 I-129 Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker $460 I-129F Petition for Alian Fiance(s) $535 I-130 Petition for Alien Relative $535 I-131 Application for Travel Document $575 I-140 Immigrant […]
2018 Diversity Visa Lottery Runs Until November 7, 2016
Online registration for the DV-2018 Program began on Tuesday, October 4, 2016 at 12:00 noon, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4), and concludes on Monday, November 7, 2016 at 12:00 noon, Eastern Standard Time (EST) (GMT-4); please find current instructions here: https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/immigrate/diversity-visa/instructions.html This link takes you to the only official webpage by the U.S. Department of […]
BALCA does not allow Employer’s Recruitment Report to Contain Minor Discrepancies
In its decision In the Matter of Robert Bosch LLC, Case Number 2012-PER-01739, (8/25/2016), the Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals (BALCA) affirmed a denial of an Application for Permanent Employment Certification when the employer’s recruitment report listed a total of 62 applications for the position received, when in fact there had only been 61. The […]
Staffing company fined almost $210,000 for failure to properly file I-9 forms
A recently published decision by the Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer (OCAHO) again shows how important it is for US employers to comply with the I-9 form filing requirements for each employee. In United States v. Golden Employment Group, Inc., 4/27/2016, 12 OCAHO no. 1277, the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) found a total […]
