U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Secretary John Morton today announced the issuance of Notices of Inspection (NOIs) to 1,000 employers across the country associated with critical infrastructure-alerting business owners that ICE will audit their hiring records to determine compliance with employment eligibility...
Don’t Be Caught Off-Guard: CIS H-1B Site Visits are in Full Swing.
For the past few months, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Citizenship and Immigration Services ("CIS") has conducted an investigation program aimed at visiting H-1B petitioner worksites throughout the U.S. These site visits began as part of the CIS' goal to decrease the number...
District Court Upholds Mandatory E-Verify Rule for Federal Contractors and Attorneys Seek Emergency Injunction on Federal Contractor E-Verify Rule.
This is a reminder for federal contractors and subcontractors that effective September 8th, 2009, they will be required to use the E-Verify system to verify their employees' eligibility to work in the United States if their contract includes a Federal Acquisition Regulation ("FAR") E-Verify...
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) July 1st, 2009 audit letters to 652 businesses throughout the U.S. continue to plague employers.
Considering the employment verification enforcement environment we currently find ourselves in, it would be beneficial for employers to perform an internal Form I-9 audit or have a member of our highly-trained staff perform an external audit and certification. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE") announced...
Secretary Napolitano Strengthens Employment Verification with Administration
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Quoting DHS Release: Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano strengthened employment eligibility verification by announcing the Administration's support for a regulation that will award federal contracts...
National Interest Waivers Provide Individuals with Permanent Status.
A foreign national may apply for lawful permanent residence status (green card), and seek a waiver of the job offer and labor certification requirements, by establishing that his or her admission to permanent residence would be in the National Interest.
IMMIGRATION-RELATED AUDITS: What Employers Need to Know.
There are three potential "hot spots" for audits and investigations for the government related to the immigration and nationality laws. The first has to do with the documentation that the employer is required to maintain in connection with the H-1B nonimmigrant professional and specialty...
CBP Notice for Travelers Entering U.S. from Canada via “Ice Bridge.”
Sault Sainte Marie, Mich. - Winter season 2009 is here and U.S. Customs and Border Protection is providing travelers arriving on Drummond Island, Mich., via the "Ice Bridge" from Canada with information about reporting procedures.
The...
Economic Downturn: Immigration Issues for Layoffs, Terminations, Mergers, Acquisitions, Restructurings and How These Impact Foreign National Workers
As our economy continues in its downward spiral, company mergers, acquisitions and restructurings ("transactions") are likely to continue. In general, since a merger, acquisition or restructuring is a "corporate transaction", the immigration issues often get left in the dust. For this reason, it is...