Tag: DHS

On December 7, 2020, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a Federal Register notice extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and the validity of TPS-related documentation for beneficiaries under the designations for El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan. TPS-related documentation includes Employment Authorization Documents (EADs); Forms I-797, Notice of Action; and Forms I-94, Arrival/Departure Record.  […]

On December 4, 2020, U.S. District Court Judge Nicholas Garaufis issued an order requiring the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to reinstate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The DACA program is an Obama-era initiative that has allowed undocumented foreign nationals who came to the U.S. as children to stay in the country and work legally. Under the […]

On December 1, 2020, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California set aside two interim final rules upending the H-1B visa program and other employment-based immigration categories in Chamber of Commerce v. DHS. Both rules were announced in October and comprised of significant changes to the H-1B prevailing wage levels and eligibility criteria.  The […]

If the information your employer entered into E-Verify from your Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, does not match records available to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or the Social Security Administration (SSA), your employer may receive a tentative nonconfirmation (TNC) result.  What Does a Tentative Nonconfirmation Result Mean? A TNC result does not necessarily […]

Form I-9 is used to verify the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired for employment in the United States. All U.S. employers are required to complete Form I-9 for any individual they hire in the United States—including citizens and noncitizens. Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on March 20, […]

On October 28, 2020, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a notice of proposed rulemaking that would prioritize the selection of H-1B registrations (or petitions, if the registration process is suspended) based on corresponding wage levels. DHS states that this will better protect the economic interests of U.S. workers, while still allowing U.S. employers […]

On October 2, 2020, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a notice of proposed rulemaking outlining suggested changes to the Affidavit of Support process. Petitioning sponsors for most family-based and some employment-based immigrants are required to file Form I-864, Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA (or it’s shorter version, I-864EZ , for […]

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed a new rule that would place new restrictions on foreign students’ ability to enter and remain in the United States. Under current regulations, those who enter the United States under a F-1 student visa are admitted for the duration of their status, with no fixed time period. Thus, […]

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Labor (DOL) have released new rules that will result in significant changes to the H-1B specialty occupation program, making it more difficult for skilled foreign workers to acquire H-1B visas and work permits. DHS’s new rule will impede on employers’ ability to sponsor foreign workers by restricting the definition […]

On July 31, 2020, USCIS announced a final rule adjusting fees for certain immigration and naturalization benefits. The increase in fees is in response to recover costs of services for USCIS as the agency is experiencing a lack of funding.  Why does USCIS have to increase fees? USCIS is fee funded, meaning the fees collected […]