Immigration

Bill would transfer some visa oversight to Agriculture Department

05/29/2018

Immigration legislation proposed by a group of conservative House Republicans would strip responsibility for managing the H-2A visa program from the Department of Labor and give it to the Department of Agriculture.

ICE promises 2,700 more I-9 sweeps before fall

05/24/2018

If your I-9 forms aren’t in order, or if some of your employees may not be eligible to work in the United States, get ready for a visit from ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations unit.

Immigration policy disagreements crowd out other legislative action

05/22/2018

Look for policy differences over immigration to stymie most legislation between now and November, a development that will affect employers.

ICE doubles enforcement against employers

05/15/2018

If you are in the habit of hiring workers who lack proper work authorization, beware! Employers have become one of the federal government’s key targets in the effort to curb illegal immigration.

More H-2B visas on the way

05/08/2018

The Trump administration says it plans to make another 15,000 H-2B guest worker visas available this year.

H-1B visa cap reached already

04/10/2018

For the sixth consecutive year, every available H-1B visa was snapped up within five days.

Labor alleges H-2A visa violations

03/06/2018

The Department of Labor has filed suit against a northern Washington berry farm for violating the labor provisions of the H-2A visa program by favoring foreign workers over an eligible U.S. citizen who wanted a job.

Make contingency plans for DACA workers

02/27/2018

Undocumented “dreamers” allowed to work legally in the United States through the Delayed Action on Childhood Arrivals program won a temporary reprieve Feb. 26 when the U.S. Supreme Court turned down the government’s petition to begin rescinding work permits on March 5. However, litigation continues to cloud the future of dreamers.

Bill would expand number of H-1B visas

02/01/2018

Legislation introduced in the Senate Jan. 25 would increase the number of H-1B visas issued annually to 85,000, plus allow as many as 110,000 more visas if there is employer demand.

Administration’s immigration wish list could affect employers

01/23/2018

The Trump administration has released a new report on the rulemaking efforts U.S. administrative agencies intend to pursue in the near- and long-term. The Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions contains items that, if enacted, could affect employers’ immigration programs.