News & Events

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 ...

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 ...

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.

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Update: President Donald Trump issued a memorandum on Monday, April 22 that aims to force compliance from countries whose nationals consistently overstay valid travel and business visas. Per a 2018 report by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the countries that fall into this category are mostly ...

Our conversation with Rob Chestnut, Airbnb's general counsel, continues. This week, we talk about Airbnb's global commitment to culture, integrity, and inclusion.

Update: Leaders in the European Union and the United Kingdom have agreed to extend the deadline for leaving the EU. As it currently stands, there are now two possible deadlines: June 1, if Parliament doesn’t agree to participate in EU Parliament elections in late May. October 31, ...

Melia Russell | April 12, 2019 Some U.S. border agents have quietly begun refusing to process work visas for Canadians already working in the country, a change that is confounding immigration lawyers and could pose problems for big Silicon Valley employers that frequently move tech workers between Canada ...

Update: At 6:10 pm EST on April 11, 2019, the USCIS announced that they have completed the H-1B Cap random selection process and have also determined that it has received a sufficient number of petitions to meet the 20,000 H-1B visa U.S. advanced degree exemption ...

In this week's Immigration Nerds podcast we throwback for a "fireside chat" between Rob Chestnut, Airbnb's general counsel and Erickson Immigration Group's first referral, and Jerry Erickson, EIG's President and Founder. Listen in to a conversation between old friends and colleagues as they talk about the ...

EU leaders will vote on April 10 to extend the date of Brexit to June 30, 2019, following a formal request from Prime Minister Theresa May to the EU today. UPDATED: On Wednesday, April 10, the European Union agreed to a second delay to Brexit ...

To be effective July 1st, 2019 for all companies hiring foreign workers, the Local Qualifying Salary (LQS)* will increase by 100 SGD per month. Additionally, the calculating ratio will be amended as such: LQS salary Number of local employees between S$650 to S$1,300 1 >S$1,300 0.5 Also, The Dependency Ratio Ceiling (DRC) will decrease ...

The Australian Government has announced two new provisional visa categories, a Skilled Employer-Sponsored Regional visa requiring regional sponsorship by an employer, and a Skilled Work Regional Visa requiring State or Territory nomination, or eligible family sponsorship within the same region. The program is to target skilled migrants ...

The United States accounts for approximately 26% of the global volume of science and engineering research. Given the current record low unemployment rate below 4% in the US, research suggests that the US needs foreign highly-skilled workers to maintain our position as the world leading STEM ...

USCIS launched the “H-1B Employer Data Hub” on April 1, 2019, which allows the public to search and view data on the H-1B program, including which U.S. employers are using the H-1B program and approval/denial rates on such petitions. The program was created by USCIS ...

Update: At 5:37 pm EST, the USCIS announced that they have received a sufficient number of petitions projected as needed to reach the congressionally-mandated 65,000 H-1B visa regular cap for fiscal year 2020. USCIS will next determine if they have received a sufficient number of ...

Whether the "Yays" or the "Nays" have it, the ongoing Brexit conversation, and the outcome, may impact more than 70% of international players in the world's most dominant league, the Premier League. EIG global attorney Salman Cheema and managing director Justin Parsons (and football fans!) talk ...

Paayal Zaveri | Aditi Roy Vraj Parikh started coding when he was 8 years old. He’s been coding ever since, with his passion for computer programming bringing him to the United States, where he received a master’s in computer science from Indiana University. After a stint at ...

On March 29, 2019, the UK Parliament once again voted against the Brexit Deal put forward by Prime Minister Theresa May. As previously negotiated, the Brexit date was automatically extended to April 12, 2019. The UK Parliament will continue to debate Deal-scenarios that can be put ...

In this week's Immigration Nerds podcast, we talk to Alejandra Zapatero, Erickson Immigration Group's Director of Client Relations. As CAP Season nears its end, we discuss the most recent USCIS updates for the 2020 CAP season, including the reinstated premium processing option and details on the ...

According to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Philippine government is considering implementing a requirement that foreign workers obtain a visa before they enter the country. If enacted, the foreign worker must obtain a visa from the Philippines consular office in their country ...

Following Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s visit to Washington, D.C. this week, Brazil has waived visa requirements for business travelers and tourists from Australia, Canada, Japan, and the United States. This measure will take effect on June 17, 2019, and is aimed at boosting tourism to Brazil.

Reports indicate an increase in the number of ICE arrests of undocumented immigrants without a criminal record. In recent months, less than 70% of undocumented immigrants arrested by ICE have a criminal record, compared to more than 80% arrested during the previous administration. Experts are concerned that ...

The Trump Administration is reportedly planning to close all 23 international USCIS offices, which currently handle family visa requests, international adoptions, and other tasks. The Director of USCIS announced in an internal email sent to USCIS staff that the agency is currently working to transfer these tasks ...

Consulting and Outsourcing Businesses relying on H-1B Visa workers havefiled over 40 lawsuits against the federal government claiming that USCIS has been too aggressive with the rate at which they are issuing RFEs and denying H-1B visa applications. By filing such a high number of suits ...

The Department of Labor released a Guidance on March 15, 2019 which may require H-1B employers to reevaluate posting practices to ensure compliance with the posting notice rule. The guidance specifically stresses the importance of ensuring that any affected employees, including those working through third-parties, have adequate ...

Update: On March 21, the European Union (EU) member states approved extending the deadline for the United Kingdom’s exit. There are now two possible dates, and three options available that depend on the UK Parliament's next steps. The BBC infographic below explains the current situation: If Parliament agrees ...

In this week's Immigration Nerds podcast, we talk to University of Maryland American History Professor Janelle Wong about immigration and her new book, "Immigrants, Evangelicals, and Politics in an Era of Demographic Change." Professor Wong walks through the Asian American immigration journey and explains how ...