ImmigrationBlog Posts
Canada COVID-19 Travel Restrictions to End Oct. 1As of October 1, 2022, Canada is ending all travel, testing, and border requirements and restrictions related to COVID-19. This includes vaccination, mandatory use of ArriveCAN, and any testing or quarantine and isolation requirements for those entering Canada by land, sea, or air. Even masking on board is no longer required, although still recommended. Since... Continue ReadingSeptember 28, 2022 |
Announcement: California Employers Required to Include Pay Range Information in Advertisements, Effective 1/1/2023On September 27, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed an amended version of California SB-1162, Employment: Salaries and Wages. Among the new provisions which will become effective on January 1, 2023 is the requirement that California employers with at least 15 employees include the pay scale for any position in any job posting, including advertisements posted by third... Continue ReadingSeptember 28, 2022 |
DHS Publishes Final Rule Restoring Asylum RegulationsAnnouncing a new final rule, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is officially reinstating the 2020 asylum rules in light of the court decision that said they were invalid. In February 2022, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia vacated two 2020 Trump-era rules that for two years had made it more difficult... Continue ReadingSeptember 22, 2022 |
Progress of TSA’s Gender-Neutral ScreeningIn March 2022, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced it would be implementing measures to conduct gender-neutral screening by enhancing screening technology, reducing the number of pat-downs needed, streamlining identity validation, updating TSA PreCheck, expanding airline partnerships to enhance the overall travel experience, and improving communications with the traveling public. So far, TSA has implemented... Continue ReadingSeptember 20, 2022 |
Officially Returning to Pre-2019 Public Charge Rule to Determine AdmissibilityAfter years of litigation followed by uncertainty, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has taken the official action of issuing a new final rule that “restores the historical understanding of a ‘public charge’ that had been in place for decades . . . .” The new rule, which goes into effect on December 23, 2022,... Continue ReadingSeptember 19, 2022 |
Venezuela Temporary Protected Status Extended Into 2024The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelan nationals from September 10, 2022, through March 10, 2024, due to the country’s continuing severe political and economic crises. On September 7, 2022, DHS published instructions in the Federal Register regarding TPS eligibility and how to apply for an extension. The... Continue ReadingSeptember 13, 2022 |
Employers Using PERM Labor Certification Keep Eye on Salary Requirements on Job ListingsEmployers that sponsor foreign nationals for green cards using PERM Labor Certification have been watching as a growing number of states and localities require salary transparency in job postings. California soon may join that list. If the amended version of California’s SB-1162, Employment: Salaries and Wages, is signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, California employers with... Continue ReadingSeptember 12, 2022 |
Biden Administration Extends Liberian DEDPresident Joe Biden extended Deferral of Enforced Departure (DED) and employment authorization for Liberians from June 30, 2022 until June 30, 2024. On September 6, 2024, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published instructions regarding that implementation in the Federal Register. Those who are eligible for the extension are Liberians who: Are present in the... Continue ReadingSeptember 8, 2022 |
USCIS Resumes the Cuban Family Reunification Parole ProgramUSCIS is resuming the Cuban Family Reunification Parole (CFRP) Program beginning with already pending CFRP applications. This program started in 2007 and has been on hold for some time. It allows beneficiaries of approved Forms I-130, Petitions for Alien Relative, to come to the United States on parole while waiting for an available visa number. ... Continue ReadingSeptember 6, 2022 |
How Links to Marijuana Industry Can Affect Foreign Nationals’ U.S. Immigration StatusMarijuana still is considered a Schedule I drug under the federal Controlled Substances Act. A conviction under the Controlled Substances Act can lead to severe consequences for a non-U.S. citizen. Under U.S. immigration law, any non-U.S. citizen who is convicted under the Controlled Substances Act, even green card holders, who participate or make investments in... Continue ReadingAugust 31, 2022 |