Immigration law is at the forefront of public dialogue these days. Womble Bond Dickinson’s
Immigration Solutions team helps employers navigate high-stakes, constantly shifting immigration challenges to avoid potential problems and secure the talent they need to make their companies thrive. The following newsletter, drafted by Womble Bond Dickinson Immigration Solutions attorneys, covers some of the recent and most important developments in immigration law.
03/31/2021 Presidential Proclamation 10052 which suspended the entry of certain H, J and L visa nonimmigrants has expired. Until consulates resume routine visa operations and clear out backlogs, applicants will continue to face delays in obtaining appointments.
03/31/2021 U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) has extended COVID-19-related Form I-9 accommodations until May 31, 2021. The is for employees hired on or after April 1, 2021 and employers whose employees work exclusively in a remote setting.
03/31/2021 U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) has completed the initial H-1B electronic registration selection process and extends the grace period for the new version of Form I-129.
03/29/2021 The U.S. Consulate in Frankfurt has updated its guidance due to changes in National Interest Exception eligibility to those subject to travel-related restrictions impacting the Schengen Area, United Kingdom, and Ireland.
03/26/2021 The U.S. Department of State (DOS) Consular Affairs YouTube Channel has launched a monthly segment to discuss the Visa Bulleting, priority dates, and immigrant visa availability.
03/22/2021 Federal lawsuit filed against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) concerning potential class action for extraordinary processing delays on extensions of status and employment authorization documents for H-4 and L-2 nonimmigrant spouses.
03/22/2021 The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has proposed to delay by 18 months the effective and transition date of the final rule concerning calculation of prevailing wage levels.
03/22/2021 The Congressional Research Service (CRS) has issued a report examining how the Fourth Amendment’s border search exception to searches of electronic devices and the ruling in Alasaad v. Nielsen could limit U.S. Customs & Border Protection’s (CBP) border search authority.
03/19/2021 Temporary travel restrictions limiting travel of individuals from Canada and Mexico to the U.S. at land ports-of-entry have been extended through 4/21/2021.
03/12/2021 The DOS has published the April 2021 Visa Bulletin.
03/11/2021 DOS has expanded interview waiver eligibility for those individuals applying for a nonimmigrant visa in the same classification and whose visa expired within 48 months.
03/11/2021 USCIS has a new e-Verify feature called myUploads which allows employees and individuals to electronically resolve tentative non-confirmations by uploading their document images.
03/05/2021 DOS eliminated certain categories of National Interest Exceptions for certain travelers from the Schengen Area, the United Kingdom, and Ireland and added a new category for certain travelers seeking to provide vital support to critical infrastructure.
03/05/2021 E-Verify now permits tentative non-confirmations due to a Social Security Administration (SSA) citizenship mismatch to be resolved by calling DHS instead of visiting a SSA office.
