Expansion of the ADA: The ADA Amendments Act of 2008 - 10/08
Labor & Employment
October 1, 2008
Robyn W. Farmer
Marilyn M. Fish
Kathryn B. Vargo
On September 26, 2008, President Bush signed into law the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, thereby enacting legislation designed to reverse a series of employer-friendly U.S. Supreme Court opinions interpreting the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).
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USCIS Reaches FY 2009 H-1B Cap - 04/08
Immigration
April 14, 2008
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has received enough regular H-1B petitions to meet the congressionally mandated cap for fiscal year 2009.
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H-1B Cap Alert! Plan Now For New H-1B Hires - 01/08
Immigration
January 11, 2008
Employers can file for new H-1B hires starting April 1, 2008. These petitions can only be filed for an H-1B start date of October 1, 2008 or later. It is important for employers to start planning now for these April 1 filings, as the allotment of H-1B numbers is expected to be used up on the first day of filing, similar last year.
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USCIS Revises Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 - 11/07
Immigration
November 15, 2007
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the long awaited revised Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9) is now available for use.
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Controversy Continues: Can DHS Regulate SSA No-Match Letters? - 09/13/07
Immigration
September 14, 2007
On August 15, 2007, Department of Homeland Security published its final "No-Match" regulation, entitled "Safe Harbor Procedures for Employers Who Receive a No-Match Letter," which was scheduled to become effective on September 14, 2007. However, a temporary restraining order issued by a district court in California has delayed
this effective date and brought to the forefront the controversy of DHS' authority to regulate in Social Security territory.
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New Rule for Expedited Passports - 08/07
Labor, Employment & Immigration
August 21, 2007
The Department of State has published a regulation modifying the procedures for expedited passport issuance.
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The Government Giveth and Taketh Away - 07/07
Immigration
July 2, 2007
The Department of State announced today that effective Monday, July 2, 2007, all employment-based immigrant visa numbers were unavailable.
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New Georgia Immigration Law Affecting Employers - 06/07
Immigration
July 1, 2007
Senate Bill 529 is the Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act of 2006 ("the Act") and affects employers and their contractors and subcontractors who contract or subcontract with the State of Georgia for the performance of services.
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USCIS Reaches FY 2008 H-1B Cap - 04/04/07
Immigration
April 4, 2007
U.S.Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced April 3, 2007, that it has received enough H-1B petitions to meet the congressionally mandated cap for fiscal year 2008 (FY 2008).
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H-1B CAP ALERT! Plan Now For New Hires - 02/19/07
Immigration
February 19, 2007
Employers can file for new H-1B hires starting April 1, 2007. These petitions will be filed for an H-1B start date of October 1, 2007 or later. It is important for employers to start planning now for these April 1 filings, as the allotment of H-1B numbers is expected to be used more quickly than ever before - possibly in one month or less.
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DV-2008 Immigrant Visa Lottery for 2007-2008 - 10/12/06
Immigration
October 12, 2006
We have just received information regarding this year's version of the annual "lottery" for United States immigrant visas. Known as the "DV-2008" lottery, this program provides an opportunity for certain foreign nationals to participate in a special lottery of 50,000 immigrant "green card" visas.
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Social Security No-Match Letters - Proposed Burdens on Employers - 06/16/06
Immigration
June 16, 2006
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) proposes to amend the regulations relating to the unlawful hiring or continued employment of unauthorized workers. The amended regulation describes the legal obligations of an employer, under current immigration law, when the employer receives a no-match letter from the Social Security Administration or the Department of Homeland Security.
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H-1B Cap Hits - Employers Face Over a Year with No New H-1Bs - 06/02/06
Immigration
June 2, 2006
The cap for new H-1B petitions has been reached. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services just announced that the H-1B cap for fiscal year 2007 has been exhausted, effective retroactively as of May 26, 2006, less than two months after filings began.
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Raids Mark New Homeland Security Strategy - 04/25/2006
Immigration
April 24, 2006
The interior enforcement strategy recently announced by Homeland Security will target companies that employ illegal aliens and punish employers that knowingly and recklessly employ them. ICE has already initiated a strategic shift in the way it approaches such employers by bringing criminal charges against them and seizing their illegally-derived assets rather than relying on the old tactic of administrative fines as sanctions.
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H-1B Cap Alert! - 03/17/06
Immigration
March 16, 2006
Last year, H-1B visas became unavailable in August, 2005, two months before the beginning of the next fiscal year. As a result, the H-1B visa could not be used for new professional hires during the 2005-2006 fiscal year beginning October 2005. Unless Congress takes some action with regard to this problem, the cap will be reached even sooner this year, extending the length of time that employers will not have access to H-1B visas.
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I-9 Documentation and Hurricane Katrina - 09/20/05
Immigration
September 20, 2005
The Department of Homeland Security announced on September 6, 2005, that for the next 45 days, it will not bring I-9 sanction actions against employers for hiring victims of Hurricane Katrina who would otherwise be eligible for employment, but, due to the circumstances, are currently unable to obtain documents establishing work eligibility or identity normally required.
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H-1B Cap Reached - Action Alert! - 08/17/05
Immigration
August 17, 2005
Ashley A. Palermo
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration announced on Friday, August 12, 2005, that it has received enough H-1B petitions to meet the congressionally-mandated cap for fiscal year 2006.
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Important Immigration Changes in 2005 - 07/20/05
Immigration Law
July 20, 2005
Ashley A. Palermo
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U.S. Immigration Service Implements Nurse Visa Expansion while Limiting Other Employment-based Visas - 07/05/05
Health Care
July 5, 2005
The U.S. Department of State announced in its July Visa Bulletin the availability of the newly recaptured employment based (EB-3) visa slots for nurses immigrating to work in the United States.
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DDTC Begins Returning License Applications Based on New Interpretation of Part 129 - 6/28/05
International Client Alert
June 28, 2005
Robert Clifton Burns
William Steinman
In our June 28, 2005 International Client Alert: DDTC Begins Returning Applications Based on New Interpretation of Part 129; Diagnostic Products Corp. and Chinese Subsidiary Agree to Fines for Violating the FCPA; BIS is Likely to Adopt ¡§Catch-All¡¨ Regulations Limiting Exports to China; Customs Answers Questions Posed at Last Trade Symposium.
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Third Preference Employment-Based Immigrant Visas Unavailable - 6/23/05
Immigration Client Alert
June 23, 2005
Ashley A. Palermo
In this Important Immigration Client Alert: Third Preference Employment-Based Immigrant Visas Unavailable-- The Department of State ("DOS") has announced that beginning July 1, 2005 no more immigrant visa numbers will be available in the EB-3 Skilled Worker category for employment-based immigration; New Passport Requirement For Visa Waiver Countries-- The Department of Homeland Security has issued a reminder to all travelers from the 27 Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries that they must have a machine-readable passport to enter the United States as a visitor without a visa beginning June 26, 2005.
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Additional H-1B Numbers Now Available - 05/05/05
Immigration
May 5, 2005
Ashley A. Palermo
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Would You Like a Budweiser With Your Feta Cheese? 05/04/05
International
May 4, 2005
Illya Antonenko
Robert Clifton Burns
Also included: To Patent or Not to Patent?; Iraq Contracts Subject to Federal Claims Act Argues Justice Department; BIS Fines Exporter for Failure to Keep Adequate Records; Border Officials Are Turning Away Larger Numbers of Travelers at U.S. Entry Points
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Travelers Beware - 04/04/05
Immigration Law
April 4, 2005
Ashley A. Palermo
Gone are the days that visitors can travel to the United States confidently with only a passport and valid visa (or expectations to enter under VWP).
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OFAC Announces New Rules for Cuban Agricultural Transactions - 3/14/05
International Client Alert
March 14, 2005
Robert Clifton Burns
William Steinman
In our March 14, 2005 International Client Alert: OFAC Announces New Rules for Cuban Agricultural Transactions; Record Fines Imposed on Titan for Violating FCPA; Panel Considers Export Controls for Nanotechnology; Criminal Convictions For Exports of Polygraph Equipment; Micrus Corporation Agrees to Fines for Violating the FCPA
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Yakou Case Creates International Uncertainty - 02/01/05
International Client Alert
February 1, 2005
Robert Clifton Burns
In our Febraury 2005 International Client Alert:
* Monsanto Settles FCPA Charges over Payments in Indonesia Intended to Cause Repeal of an Environmental Regulation;
* DDTC Changes Licensing of Foreign Nationals Employed in the United States; EU Revokes Punitive Tariffs, At Least for Now;
* U.S. Citizen Pleads Guilty to Violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act
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Immigration Update: DV-2006 Immigrant Visa Lottery for 2004-2005
Immigration
October 11, 2004
Ashley A. Palermo
In this issue of our Immigration Update we will discuss
* Information regarding this year's version of the annual "lottery" for United States immigrant visas. Known as the "DV-2006" lottery, this program provides an opportunity for certain foreign nationals to participate in a special lottery of 50,000 immigrant "green card" visas.
* While you may not need or be eligible to file for the lottery yourself, we are sending this letter to all our clients and friends so that you can pass along this information to others you know who may be interested in applying.
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USCIS Announces H-1B Cap Reached - 10/04
Immigration
The cap for new H-1B petitions has been reached. This means that no new H-1B numbers will be available until October 1, 2005.
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Plan Now for New H-1Bs - 03/04
Immigration
In this issue of the Immigration Client Alert, we discuss Planning Now For New H-185, Radical Changes To Labor Certification On The Horizon, and Longer Validity For EADS Proposed
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