The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has revised its guidance on TN nonimmigrant visa classification under the USMCA (formerly NAFTA), impacting both employers and foreign professionals from Canada and Mexico.
Highlights of the 2025 Policy Update: New Employment Criteria: TN employment...Category: TN Visas / NAFTA
Corporate Immigration in the United States: A Foundational Overview for Employers and Professionals
Corporate immigration is a vital component of workforce mobility and talent acquisition in the United States. Each year, businesses rely on immigration programs to bring highly skilled professionals, executives, researchers, and investors to the U.S. while navigating a legal system shaped by decades of policy evolution.
This overview introduces...
How New U.S. Executive Orders Are Impacting Immigration and Cross-Border Business Operations
The current administration has introduced new executive orders that are reshaping U.S. immigration policy and trade relations, creating significant implications for Canadian businesses, cross-border operations, and U.S. employers. These changes are affecting temporary work visas, immigration enforcement, and trade agreements, prompting companies and foreign workers to prepare for increased scrutiny and processing delays.
Key Changes in Business Immigration Policies
President Trump has revoked many Biden-era policies that aimed to improve processing efficiency at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Department of State (DOS). As a result, employers should prepare for:
More restrictive criteria for expedited processing requests.Being a Great Person with a Big Heart is Not a U.S. Immigration Category
Many people reach out to immigration attorneys with heartfelt stories about individuals they know who are wonderful, hardworking, and kind-hearted, hoping to sponsor them for U.S. immigration. While character and goodwill are commendable, U.S. immigration law does not have a visa category based solely on these qualities. Immigration to the United States...
Immigration Lessons from Hollywood: What “The Proposal” Teaches Employers
Romantic comedies often take creative liberties, but beneath the humor and drama, movies like The Proposal highlight real-life challenges of immigration compliance. In the film, Margaret Tate, a Canadian executive played by Sandra Bullock, faces deportation and orchestrates a fake engagement with her assistant, Andrew (Ryan Reynolds), to maintain her U.S. residency. While the...
US Immigration Under the Trump Administration: Key Insights and Expected Changes
As the United States enters a new phase under President-elect Donald Trump, immigration policies are expected to shift significantly. With potential changes in visa processing, green card backlogs, and increased scrutiny, it’s crucial for immigrants and visa holders to understand and prepare for these developments. Below is an in-depth analysis of the...
New Changes in the H-1B Visa Lottery System: What Employers and Employees Need to Know
The H-1B visa system has undergone significant changes in the past year, which are reshaping the way employers and employees approach the application process. These changes have led to a substantial drop in applications and have introduced new rules to prevent fraud and...
The TN Work Permit: A Gateway to Working in the U.S. for Canadians and What Comes Next
If you're a Canadian citizen with a qualifying professional background, the TN work permit offers an attractive route to work in the United States. This nonimmigrant classification, established under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), provides a streamlined process for entering the U.S. job market. But what happens when your TN work permit...
Navigating the Upcoming USCIS Fee Changes: Strategies for Employers
In the face of rising operational costs and the relentless march of inflation, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a significant update to its fee structure for various immigration-related filings. Effective April 1, 2024, these changes mark the first fee adjustment since 2016, underscoring a critical development for employers...