Immigration

On June 1, 2020, USCIS resumed premium processing in phases by case-type. Premium processing had been temporarily suspended since March 20, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Mintz immigration alert provides background and details about USCIS’s May 27, 2020 announcement that it plans to raise filing fees by an average of 21%.

This alert provides information about USCIS’s reopening of domestic offices for non-emergency appointments on or after June 4 to resume services suspended due to COVID-19.

This alert provides insight on USCIS’s Serenity Info Tech et al. v. Kenneth T. Cuccinelli settlement, which overturns 10 years of policies limiting employers of certain H-1B visa holders.

This article outlines Treasury Department and IRS tax relief available to individuals and businesses affected by travel disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Friday May 15, 2020, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced they would extend flexibility related to in-person Form I-9 compliance that was granted earlier this year.

The coronavirus pandemic has caused unprecedented disruptions and damage across the world, and its grave impact has been felt acutely by international students in the United States.

Foreign nationals must have a current priority date in order to be eligible to file a Form I-485 Application for Adjustment of Status to Permanent Resident, also known as a Green Card.  In the meantime, applicants who are waiting for their priority date to become current can begin collecting some of the required documentation for the I-485 filing.

Given the challenges presented by COVID-19, many businesses must consider large-scale, transformational changes to their operations. As social distancing continues and safety concerns pervade the public consciousness, adjustments to the physical workspace and business travel practices will be necessary to reflect these new considerations. In Part 4 of our COVID-19 Roadmap Series, we outline important planning steps and concerns employers need to consider relating to physical workspaces and business travel.

Beginning May 1,2020, employers must use the latest edition of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. Use of prior editions of the Form I-9 is not permitted.

On April 22, 2020, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced it is extending its suspension of operations at all Trusted Traveler enrollment centers until at least June 1, 2020 to protect CBP officers and the general public from exposure to COVID-19.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it is extending its current office closures, and is now preparing to reopen its offices on or after June 4, 2020.

This alert from the Mintz Immigration Practice discusses President Trump’s Executive Order, signed April 22, 2020, suspending the entry of new immigrants into the US for 60 days.

These FAQs provide US employers of foreign nationals with information on their obligations under immigration law related to pay reductions, reduced hours, leaves of absence, furloughs, and other steps they may be considering during the COVID-19 pandemic.

U.S. citizens have several ways to obtain or renew a US passport, and under certain conditions, the process can be completed in as little as 24 hours. However, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. State Department has significantly reduced operations at Regional Passport Agencies and Acceptance Facilities.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the numerous travel bans and “shelter in place” orders which have been recently announced, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it will extend certain filing deadlines by 60 days.

On March 27, 2020, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updates on the H-1B cap registration process. Employers and attorneys will need to log into the USCIS Registration portal in order to learn the status of each registration. 

Due to the national emergency declaration resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, several states have closed and/or restricted services at DMV offices, precluding millions of people from applying for a REAL ID.  Accordingly, on March 26, 2020, Acting Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Chad Wolf, announced that the deadline for enforcement of the REAL ID Act would be extended by one year to October 1, 2021.