June 18, 2019
On May 31, 2019, the Philippines Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) released Memorandum Order No. 28-2019, which prescribes the policies and guidelines relevant to the registration requirements of foreign nationals. All foreign nationals working in the Philippines are now required to obtain a tax identification number (TIN) with ...
June 18, 2019
On Wednesday, June 12, Senator Mitt Romney (R-Utah) introduced a bill in the Senate that would make the E-Verify program permanent. E-Verify, the online tool that allows employers to input a new hire’s driver’s license and Social Security information to verify whether the person is eligible to ...
June 18, 2019
On May 31, the Customs and Border Protection agency was made aware that up to 100,000 images of travelers and license plates were hacked in a cyber attack. For security purposes, the agency collects and stores personal data of all travelers who cross the US border. Federal ...
June 5, 2019
Taiwan has legalized same-sex marriage. This came after Taiwan’s constitutional court held that same-sex marriage should be legalized back in 2017. The court’s decision caused a cascading effect amongst the public as many people pressured the government to hold referendums on the issue. The effect of ...
June 5, 2019
UK’s Migrant Advisory Committee (MAC) has reviewed the Shortage Occupation List and has recommended broadening the list to include roles related to Software Development, Programmers, Web Designers, Veterinarians, Health Workers, and Architects, among others. Foreign nationals in recognized shortage occupations can enter the UK more quickly compared to ...
June 5, 2019
Effective June 24, 2019, there will be changes to the fees charged by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) to international students, exchange visitors and SEVP-certified schools. The increased fees were calculated to match the estimated cost of funding SEVP operations, including the maintenance of technological ...
June 5, 2019
In an effort to modernize and streamline USCIS processes, the agency announced on May 22, 2019, that it is rolling out a new eProcessing strategy. While most application processes will remain, for the time being, with physical petitions submitted by mail, USCIS is now accepting certain ...
June 5, 2019
On May 31, 2019, USCIS released its 2018 Statistical Annual Report, the first annual report released by the agency in nearly 10 years. The report is limited to show data and statistics for the most widely-used immigrant and nonimmigrant programs from 2018, as compared to the previous ...
June 5, 2019
As of Friday, May 31, 2019, individuals applying for U.S. Visas are now required to disclose all social media accounts they have managed in the last five years on the DS-160 form. The change has received heavy criticism as the U.S. government has released no guidance on ...
May 22, 2019
Effective May 27, 2019, the Essential Skills in Demand (ESID) lists will be changed. A new Regional Skill Shortage List (RSSL) will be introduced to replace the current Immediate Skill Shortage List. The RSSL will be tailored to each of New Zealand's 15 regions. The Ministry of Business, ...
May 22, 2019
The Saudi Arabia government has approved a new special residence scheme, similar to the green card program, to attract affluent and highly-skilled foreign nationals. The new plan will allow holders to work, obtain visas for relatives, own property, and leave and re-enter the country without an ...
May 22, 2019
The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) announced a new six-month multiple entry visa for investors, entrepreneurs, and outstanding students. According to the director-general of Foreigners Affairs and Ports at ICA, the six-month visa is meant to facilitate residency visas to foreign nationals from different professional ...
May 22, 2019
President Trump is reportedly planning to create a new role within his administration for an individual to oversee the administration’s immigration policies. The job title and scope of duties for this role have yet to be finalized, though officials have speculated that a formal appointment ...
May 22, 2019
As of May 20, 2019, USCIS announced that the Texas Service Center would begin accepting certain H-1B petitions to decrease processing times and assist the California, Vermont, and Nebraska Service Centers. As a result of this change, USCIS has updated the direct filing addresses for H-1B petitions. USCIS may ...
May 22, 2019
On May 3, 2019, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina issued an injunction to temporarily enjoin USCIS from applying the Department of Homeland Security policy memo titled “Accrual of Unlawful Presence and F, J, and M Nonimmigrants,” issued in August 2018. ...
May 22, 2019
The Trump administration has released an FY 2020 budget proposal which, if approved, would result in the doubling of H-1B filing fees. Companies with 25 or fewer U.S. workers would see fees increase from $750.00 to $1,500.00, and companies with more than 25 workers fees would increase ...
May 22, 2019
The House Judiciary Committee plans to hold a hearing to discuss the DREAM Act, which would create a substantial avenue toward citizenship for more than 2 million undocumented individuals who came to the U.S. as children. House Democrats have been working on the bill for weeks, hoping ...
May 8, 2019
The Philippines government released new joint immigration guidelines that will add additional requirements to the Special Work Permit (SWP), Provisional Work Permit (PWP), and Alien Employment Permits (AEP). The guidelines specify that SWP will only be issued to foreign nationals without a local employment contract. The PWP ...
May 8, 2019
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) government has announced that during the month of Ramadan (May 6- June 4) the ministries and federal entities will operate from 9 am to 2 pm. The UAE government has also announced that the private sector will reduce their work hours by ...
May 8, 2019
The Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) announced delays in processing times for some streams of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program due to a high number of Labour Market Impact Assessment applications (LMIA). The ESDC recommends the following to reduce further delay: (1) ensure the ...
May 8, 2019
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) highlights changes that have impacted business immigration since the Buy American and Hire American Executive Order was signed in April 2017. In the last two years, USCIS has issued four Policy Memorandums related to various business immigration processes and requirements including: ...
May 8, 2019
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced they will be issuing I-94 records with both numbers and letters. Currently, I-94 records consist of 11 numbers. Starting May 2019, I-94 records will be 11 digits, with 9 numbers, followed by a letter, and ending in a number. Unexpired ...
May 8, 2019
In response to the final policy memorandum issued by President Trump on April 22 regarding visa overstays, stakeholders question the reliability of the data relied on by the administration regarding “High Nonimmigrant Overstay Rates.” Specifically, the Department of Homeland Security’s FY 2018 Entry/Exit Overstay Report assumes an overstay in circumstances where ...
May 8, 2019
USCIS announced on April 29th that a pilot program for Canadian L-1 Nonimmigrants arriving at the Blaine Port of Entry would be extended. The program allows the L-1 Nonimmigrants to file their petition ahead of their arrival in an effort to measure the time required by ...
April 23, 2019
The Immigration Department of Malaysia has announced new fees and service charges for Employment Pass, Professional Visit Pass, Dependent pass and Long-Term Social Visit Pass applications effective June 1, 2019. Applications fees for Employment Passes will increase from 318 RM to 1060 RM. DP/Long Term Visit Pass will ...
April 23, 2019
The Irish government recently announced the abolition of re-entry visa requirements effective May 13, 2019. Visa-required nationals who currently have a valid Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card (or its precursor, the GNIB card) will no longer need a visa to exit and return to Ireland. IRP holders will ...
April 23, 2019
Japan is preparing for Golden Week, a collection of four national holidays beginning April 29, 2-19 with festivities continuing through May 6, 2019. Government offices will be closed and immigration delays are expected during this period.
April 23, 2019
On April 22, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) agreed to hear the case of a permanent resident in the U.S. currently under removal proceedings following criminal convictions. In deciding this case, SCOTUS will determine whether U.S. Federal Immigration Laws allow for a permanent resident to ...
April 23, 2019
Department of Homeland Security Border Agents at some U.S. Ports of Entry along the Canadian border have begun directing Canadians seeking L-1 Visa renewals to instead submit to the lengthy process of filing an extension petition with USCIS. Under previous practice, highly skilled Canadian Citizens applying for ...
April 23, 2019
The U.S. Embassy in Israel has announced that a treaty investor agreement has been signed between the United States and Israel, granting Israeli citizens the ability to apply for an E-2 visa at the U.S. Embassy Branch Office Tel Aviv. Additionally, certain Israeli nationals who are ...