April 21, 2020|Contributed by: Jeff D. Joseph, Esq.
Yesterday, President Trump tweeted that he is temporarily suspending immigration to the United States. We still do not have the actual Executive Order and do not know the scope of the order, what immigrant and non-immigrant categories are covered and which immigration processes will be impacted, or the length of time the order will be […]
April 16, 2020|Contributed by: Joseph & Hall P.C.
Yesterday, DHS and the USDA “announced a temporary final rule to change certain H-2A requirements to help U.S. agricultural employers avoid disruptions in lawful agricultural-related employment, protect the nation’s food supply chain, and lessen impacts from the coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency.” Notably, “USCIS is temporarily amending its regulations to protect the country’s food supply […]
April 15, 2020|Contributed by: Joseph & Hall P.C.
AILA provides a practice pointer outlining some issues that practitioners should consider when discussing unemployment insurance benefits with their immigration clients. https://www.aila.org/advo-media/aila-practice-pointers-and-alerts/practice-pointer-considerations-when-discussing AILA Doc. No. 20041533
April 15, 2020|Contributed by: Joseph & Hall P.C.
ICE issued guidance on its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including on what ICE has done to protect detainees in ICE custody. ICE confirmed that as of 4/14/20, 77 detainees, 21 detention facility personnel, and 80 ICE employees, have tested positive for COVID-19. https://www.aila.org/infonet/ice-issues-guidance-on-covid-19 AILA Doc. No. 20031658
April 15, 2020|Contributed by: Joseph & Hall P.C.
https://www.aila.org/infonet/ice-issues-an-faq-for-sevp-stakeholders-covid-19 ICE issued answers to frequently asked questions from SEVP stakeholders about the impact of COVID-19 on SEVP-certified schools and F and M students. The document was updated on April 14, 2020, with new guidance on travel, Form I-515A, M students, school policies, and more. AILA Doc. No. 20032436
April 9, 2020|Contributed by: Joseph & Hall P.C.
https://www.aila.org/infonet/dos-provides-update-on-visas-for-medical DOS announced that medical professionals with an approved I-129 or I-140 petition with a current priority date, or similar, or a DS-2019, particularly those working to treat COVID-19, should check their nearest U.S. embassy/consulate website for procedures to request an emergency visa appointment. AILA Doc. No. 20040838
April 9, 2020|Contributed by: Joseph & Hall P.C.
https://www.aila.org/infonet/dol-oflc-releases-round-three-of-faqs-covid-19 DOL OFLC released round three of frequently asked questions regarding COVID-19. The round three FAQs address potential issues regarding the H-1B temporary specialty occupation programs and H-2A temporary agricultural labor certification program. AILA Doc. No. 20040930
April 9, 2020|Contributed by: Joseph & Hall P.C.
https://www.aila.org/infonet/ice-issues-guidance-on-covid-19 ICE issued guidance on its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. ICE confirmed that as of 4/9/20, 35 detainees, 11 detention facility personnel, and 63 ICE employees, have tested positive for COVID-19. ICE also updated its guidance on employer verification. AILA Doc. No. 20031658
April 6, 2020|Contributed by: Joseph & Hall P.C.
USCIS released answers to questions employers may have about temporary policy changes regarding Form I-9 requirements and E-Verify due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Q&As provide an overview of changes to Form I-9 requirements, clarifications concerning remote inspections, and more. https://www.aila.org/infonet/uscis-answers-temporary-policies-i9-everify AILA Doc. No. 20040602
April 6, 2020|Contributed by: Joseph & Hall P.C.
EOIR released a policy memo noting that of March 31, 2020, EOIR has begun accepting digital and electronic signatures on all documents filed with immigration courts and the BIA. EOIR will also accept electronically-reproduced copies of documents containing digital, electronic, or “wet” signatures. https://www.aila.org/infonet/eoir-updates-policies-on-filings-and-signatures AILA Doc. No. 20040600
