News & Events

Greece has announced that it would lift the restrictions for travel from 32 countries in the lead-up to a broader reopening planned for May 14. From April 19, the quarantine requirements are disbanded for travelers who are vaccinated or test negative for COVID-19. Citizens from the ...

On Tuesday, the Philippines Department of Labor and Employment published Department Order No. 221, series of 2021 (“Order”). The Order revises the applicable rules and regulations for the issuance of Alien Employment Permits (“AEP”) to foreign nationals. Section 5 of the Order now requires that the ...

On Friday, President Joe Biden signed a memorandum to change the regional allocation of refugees. However, the memo did not change the number to increase it beyond 15,000 admittances. The revised allocations for FY 2021 are as follows: Africa . . . . . . . ...

Italy has updated its travel and public health requirements related to COVID-19. From April 19 and until at least April 30: Travelers from countries in lists D and E (see below) are required to undergo a swab (molecular or antigenic) within 48 hours before entry into ...

Canada has announced a new pathway to permanent residence for more than 90,000 essential healthcare and frontline workers and international graduates who currently live in Canada and who possess the critical skills and experience needed to address the COVID-19 pandemic and support Canada's economic recovery. Who ...

In this week's Immigration Nerds podcast, we're joined by Ron Wada, Senior Counsel for Tafapolsky & Smith LLP. Fellow immigration nerds will know Mr. Wada as the nationally recognized expert in US immigration law, co-editor of the leading national immigration law treatise Immigration Law and ...

In a press release released on Monday, the White House announced President Joe Biden's nominations for key leadership roles in the Department of Homeland Security. Biden nominated Chris Magnus, the current police chief in Tucson, Arizona (with previous service in Lansing, MI, Fargo, ND, and Richmond, ...

India Ministry of Home Affairs: "Vide Office Memorandum 25022/28/2020-F.I dated 30.03.2021, e-Visa under the following categories viz. e-Business Visa, e-Medical Visa, e-Medical Attendant Visa and e-Conference Visa has been restored with immediate effect." On Wednesday, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs lifted the restrictions in place for ...

In late March, the government announced that travel to Ireland from specified countries and regions would require a mandatory hotel quarantine. As of April 15 at 4 AM, 16 new countries will be added to the mandatory hotel quarantine list. The additional countries to be added to the ...

With our mission to uncomplicate the complicated, we’ve always thought of our work in immigration as people-first. Our goal is for these updates to make sense of the changes happening across the world. Please share these updates with your colleagues who may find this information ...

On Thursday, a panel of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco voted 2-1 to refuse 14 Republican-led states that were trying to revive the Trump administration's "Public Charge" rule. As previously reported, in early March, the Biden administration announced it would ...

As of April 6, applications for work permits for foreign nationals will be submitted online on a dedicated platform. In a press release dated March 30, 2021, the Ministry of the Interior announced the establishment on April 6, 2021, of an online service for work authorization ...

On Tuesday, March 30, USCIS announced it had received enough electronic registrations during the initial registration period to reach the fiscal year (FY) 2022 H-1B allocations (H-1B cap) including the advanced degree exemption (master’s cap). The random selection window ran from March 25 - March ...

With our mission to uncomplicate the complicated, we’ve always thought of our work in immigration as people-first. Our goal is for these updates to make sense of the changes happening across the world. Please share these updates with your colleagues who may find this information ...

The Thailand Ministry of Public Health announced a new quarantine requirement based on countries with the COVID-19 variants. Travelers arriving from the following countries will be required to complete a 14-day quarantine: South Africa Zimbabwe Mozambique Botswana Zambia Kenya Rwanda Cameroon Congo Ghana Tanzania Effective April ...

The Spanish government has extended the public health order first put in effect on July 17, 2020, amending the criteria for the temporary non-essential travel restrictions from third countries to EU and Schengen associated countries and terminating the Order INT/1236/2020 (December 22), which established the ...

On Friday, March 26, Chancellor Angela Merkel and heads of government agreed to extend the current contact restrictions until April 18. Private gatherings are limited to a maximum of five people from two households; In shops and public transport surgical masks or masks corresponding to ...

On Friday, March 26, Ireland's government announced a further temporary extension of immigration permissions for the following: Permissions due to expire between April 21, 2021, and September 20, 2021 Individuals with permission extended under previous notices Permissions registered by the Immigration Service and An Garda ...

As India continues to battle a second COVID-19 wave, international commercial passenger services remain closed. However, international scheduled flights are permitted on select routes on a case-by-case basis. India has established an “air transport bubble” with certain countries, such as the U.S., France, Canada amongst ...

In a continued response to COVID-19, USCIS has extended the deadline flexibility for individuals responding to certain: Requests for Evidence; Continuations to Request Evidence (N-14); Notices of Intent to Deny; Notices of Intent to Revoke; Notices of Intent to Rescind; Notices of Intent to Terminate ...

With our mission to uncomplicate the complicated, we’ve always thought of our work in immigration as people-first. Our goal is for these updates to make sense of the changes happening across the world. Please share these updates with your colleagues who may find this information ...

This week, we're grateful to welcome back to the podcast Megan Horn Essaheb, the Director of Immigration Advocacy at Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC). Host Ian Gaines talks to Megan about AAJC's policy and legislation priorities with a new administration in the White House, their work ...

On Tuesday, March 23, Ireland's government announced that from 4 AM on Friday, March 26, hotel quarantines will be required for passengers whose journeys originated in the following 33 countries: Angola, Austria, Botswana, Brazil, Burundi, Cape Verde, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, ...

On Sunday, March 21, the UAE cabinet adopted a new remote work visa that will allow employees from around the world to work and live in the UAE for one year. The cabinet also approved multiple-entry tourist visas for all nationalities. These new visas aim ...

With our mission to uncomplicate the complicated, we’ve always thought of our work in immigration as people-first. Our goal is for these updates to make sense of the changes happening across the world. Please share these updates with your colleagues who may find this information ...

The FY22 H-1B cap is the second year that USCIS has implemented an electronic registration process. The registration process timeline is as follows: March 2: Petitioners and registrants can begin creating H-1B registrant accounts at noon Eastern. March 9: H-1B registration period opens at noon ...

The Brazilian government has extended immigration status deadlines. From March 15, all documents that would have expired after March 16, 2020, including RNM cards and other documents from the Federal Police, will remain valid until September 16, 2021, for entry, change of status from temporary to ...

On March 12, USCIS announced it would consider reopening select nonimmigrant petitions that were previously denied based upon three rescinded policy memos. In this week's Immigration Nerds podcast, Erickson Immigration Group managing director Justin Parsons talks to Jon Wasden, partner at Wasden Banias LLC about how ...

DHS has withdrawn its proposed 'Affidavit of Support' rule. The withdrawal from the rule is consistent with DHS’s stated commitment to reduce barriers within the legal immigration system. DHS found the Affidavit of Support rule placed increased burdens on American families wishing to sponsor individuals ...

On Thursday, the House approved two significant bills that provide a path to citizenship for millions of people living in the United States. The American Dream and Promise Act, which passed with a 228-197 vote, grants lawful permanent residency for millions of Dreamers if they pass ...