On March 9, 2021, DHS Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced that the government will no longer defend the 2019 public charge rule as doing so is neither in the public interest nor an efficient use of limited government resources.

“The 2019 public charge rule was not in keeping with our nation’s values. It penalized those...

On March 12, 2021, USCIS announced it may reopen and/or reconsider adverse decisions on Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, made based on three rescinded policy memos. USCIS will generally use its discretion to accept a motion to reopen filed more than 30 days after the decision, if filed before the end of...

The Department of Labor (DOL) has published a final rule delaying the effective date of the Final Rule, Strengthening Wage Protections for the Temporary and Permanent Employment of Certain Aliens in the United States, published on January 14, 2021, 86 FR 3608, for a period of 60 days. The Department has...

The road to obtaining an approval PERM Labor Certification application can be long and winding. It is, however, a required path many employers must take to hire foreign national workers permanently as many of the most popular employment-based visas require it prior to filing an I-140. The PERM process is said to be...

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas is designating Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months, until September 2022. This new designation of TPS for Venezuela enables Venezuelan nationals (and individuals without nationality who last resided in Venezuela) currently residing in the United States to file initial applications for TPS, so long...

On March 2, significant changes were made to the criteria for granting National Interest Exceptions to Presidential Proclamation 10143 (extending PP 9993), which suspends travel from Schengen countries to the United States. Investors, including E visa holders and applicants, who were able to qualify for a National Interest Exception by showing that they...

The road to a green card can seem never-ending. For those looking to obtain a green card based on employment status, it is generally required that their employer obtain a PERM Labor Certification for them as part of the process. The PERM process in and of itself can be overwhelming and involves very...