Category: Immigration

UK Imposes Strict Quarantine Requirements for Passengers From ‘Red List’ Countries

On 15 February 2021, the UK government imposed stricter requirements on individuals travelling or transiting from any of the 33 countries (‘red list countries’) that have had a travel ban to England applied. Separate advice applies to Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Only British citizens, Irish citizens, and those with UK residence rights are able to enter the United Kingdom if they have visited or transited through a red list country in the 10 days prior to entry to England.

These individuals will need to quarantine in a government-managed hotel for 10 days (11 nights) from the date of their arrival. They must also abide by the following requirements.

  • Individuals must only arrive at an authorised airport. According to the guidance, authorised aiports include only Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport, London City Airport, Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, and Farnborough Airport, although ‘[o]ther ports of entry may be added in the future.’ Passengers whose flights are due to arrive at a different airport must reschedule them to an authorised airport.
  • Individuals must provide a negative COVID-19 test to travel to the UK. The test must be taken in the three days prior to departure, and must be negative in order to travel or board the plane. Their results will need to be provided upon arrival in the UK, or else a fine of £500 could be imposed.
  • Individuals must reside in a government-managed hotel. The 10-day quarantine period must be in one of the government-managed hotels and reserved via the booking portal (before arriving in England). The fee for the ‘quarantine package’ for one adult is £1,750. To add another person over the age of 12 to the booking will cost £650, or £325 for a child between the ages of 5 and 12. This price includes transport to and from the hotel, meals, and COVID-19 testing on the second and eighth days of the 10-day quarantine period.
  • Individuals must complete an online ‘passenger locator form’ in the 48 hours prior to travelling to the UK. The form is intended to provide a passenger’s journey and contact details. Passengers who do not complete the form may face delays in entering England or they could be fined or refused entry. Once the form has been completed, passengers will receive a confirmation email with a document attached. The document will contain a QR code that will be scanned by the Border Force to confirm that the form has been completed successfully.

Sanctions may be imposed on passengers who provide false or deliberately misleading information on the passenger locator form. Passengers who provide inaccurate information may be fined ‘up to £10,000, imprisoned for up to 10 years, or both’. If the quarantine rules are broken, fines of up to £10,000 may be imposed.

The situation with COVID-19 and pre-entry requirements to the UK is constantly changing, and it is also likely that other countries may be added (or removed) from the red list. Individuals may want to review the guidance for updates and further information on how to quarantine when arriving in England.

The government also provides guidance for passengers who are not travelling to England from red list countries.

Wales

Passengers may not directly travel to Wales if they have visited or passed through a red list country in the previous 10 days. They must arrive through one of the designated ports of entry to the UK in England or Scotland and ‘isolate for 10 days in a managed quarantine hotel.’

They must also complete a passenger locator form, have proof of a negative COVID-19 test (taken no more than 72 hours before departure), and also take a test on or before the second day and on or after the eighth day of quarantining.

Scotland

Although part of the UK, different rules apply regarding quarantine for individuals arriving in Scotland. All travellers flying into Scotland from outside the Common Travel Area (not just the red-list countries) must book and pay for managed isolation in quarantine hotels. The Common Travel Area comprises of the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands.

The following requirements apply for individuals arriving by air into Scotland.

  • Individuals must provide a negative COVID-19 result during the three days before travel.
  • Individuals must ‘book and pay for managed isolation in a quarantine hotel for at least 10 days from the point of arrival’.
  • Individuals must ‘complete an online passenger locator form before travelling, and provide contact details, travel details and the address of [the] final destination’.
  • Individuals will also need to provide the booking reference for the quarantine package.
  • Individuals must be tested on the second and eighth days of the 10-day quarantine period.
  • Individuals must follow the national rules on ‘Coronavirus in Scotland.’
    © 2020, Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C., All Rights Reserved.
    ARTICLE BY Ruhul K. Ayazi of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C.

For more, visit the NLR Immigration section.

Delays at USCIS Affecting F-1 Students with Work Authorization

With delays at USCIS lockbox and service centers due to COVID-19 and an unprecedented number of applications, those seeking to apply or renew their Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) have experienced issues in commencing or continuing employment.   One class of impacted nonimmigrants is F-1 students, who may apply for work authorization after graduation, called Optional Practical Training (OPT), and if the student has graduated with a STEM degree, may apply for an additional 24 months of STEM OPT.  Below are outlined issues, USCIS responses, and other considerations for both OPT and STEM OPT EAD applications.

Initial OPT period (12 months)

Issue

For students applying for their initial 12 months of OPT, they must complete the 12 months within 14 months of the end of their program.  Due to delays from USCIS because of backlogs, the EAD applications can take several months to receipt, let alone adjudicate.  A student applying for an EAD may apply up to 90 days before, and 60 days after, their program end date, but it now takes more than 90 days to confirm receipt, and then even more time to receive an EAD, which is necessary to begin employment.

USCIS response

USCIS issued an announcement that allows for flexibilities within the 14 month OPT period.  Because of delays, USCIS will now allow the 14 months’ clock to start ticking when the EAD application (Form I-765) has been approved, and not start the clock from the program end date.  If a student receives an EAD that “shorts” them this time, they may request USCIS to issue a new EAD.  In addition, because USCIS allows 60 days after a program end date to apply for an EAD, the announcement also covers rejections of EAD applications, and the ability to refile the application if it was filed after October 1, 2020, and before May 1, 2021.  In addition, the refiles need not contain a new Form I-20.

Other Considerations

What is not addressed are current backlogs at USCIS that is delaying not only the issuance of receipt notices, but also the adjudication of EAD applications.  Even though USCIS is giving the full 12 months of OPT from the time the EAD application is filed, the delays will still affect graduates and their start dates if they cannot start without an EAD in hand.

STEM OPT Extensions

Issue

Students who graduate with a STEM degree may apply for an additional 24 months of STEM OPT.  The application can be filed up to 90 days prior to the expiration of the initial EAD period, and up to the expiration of the card.  EAD applications filed on time (prior to the expiration of the card) will be granted an automatic 180 day work authorization period.  Traditionally, if the card has expired and the 180 day automatic extension has commenced, the student and employer have confirmation the EAD application was filed timely due to the receipt notice issued by USCIS, even if the application is not yet adjudicated.  Due to delays, a student may not receive the receipt notice even after 90 days of sending in the application.

USCIS response

USCIS reminds its stakeholders that a receipt notice is not indicative of an F-1 student’s ability to remain employed.  In fact, the I-9 rules do not use the receipt notice as proof of work authorization, but dictate that the endorsed I-20 issued by the school, as well as the expired EAD, are the necessary documents to confirm work authorization.  In addition, as with the initial OPT EAD filings, USCIS will allow for refiles if the application is rejected with no penalty, if the STEM EAD extension was filed between October 1, 2020 and May 1, 2021, without requiring a new Form I-20.

Additional considerations

There is more flexibility when the application is a STEM OPT extension because of the 180 day automatic extension.  However, due to the issues of receipt issuance and adjudication, the EAD may not be issued within the additional 180 days, and there is currently no solution to that situation.

USCIS continues to show that it will modify its policies to address the ongoing COVID-19 situation and delays with the lockbox.

©2020 Greenberg Traurig, LLP. All rights reserved.

ARTICLE BY Kristen W. Ng of Greenberg Traurig, LLP
For more, visit the NLR Immigration section.

Visas and Immigration in 2021 Under the Biden Administration

The Biden Administration took office on January 20, 2021. Many executive orders have been executed since that date, some of which directly change the manner of handling immigration matters.  However, the U.S. and the world are still dealing with the global pandemic and this directly affects submissions, filings, and consular appointments.  This update provides a list of the latest updates to U.S. visas and immigration matters, as well as what we forecast for the months to come.

  • Immigrant Visa Ban:  The Immigrant Visa Ban that was imposed last year was revoked on February 24, 2021.  Now employment and family based immigrant visas can again be issued by the U.S. Consulates.  See: A Proclamation on Revoking Proclamation 10014 | The White House
  • Entry to the U.S. via a Land Port of Entry from Mexico and Canada:  The entry via land ports remains restricted to essential travel, those on work visas, U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, and a few other limited exceptions.  The entry restrictions are temporary in nature and as of now are expected to remain in effect through March 21, 2021.  The date has been postponed several times and it is unknown if it will again be postponed.  See:  https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-1694?language=en_US
  • Air Travel from Mexico and Canada into the U.S.: Currently there are no limits to air travel from Mexico and Canada.
  • Covid Travel Ban Restrictions: Any travel from Brazil, China, U.K., Ireland, Schengen Countries, and Iran is subject to a National Interest Exception (NIE) waiver from the U.S. Consulate prior to traveling to the U.S.
  • Negative Covid Test:  All inbound passengers are required to obtain a negative Covid test within 72 hours prior to boarding the flight.  This includes air travel from Mexico and Canada.
  • Local Quarantine Rules in the U.S.:  All travelers must also research local travel rules upon arrival in the U.S.  For example New York City and San Francisco have additional quarantine rules upon arrival.
  • Visa Stamping Ban:  The Visa Stamping Ban that was imposed through an executive order from the prior administration for H-1B, L-1, J-1, and H-2B remains in effect. This ban expires on March 31, 2021.  The Biden administration is not expected to extend this ban.  This ban prevents the U.S. Consulates from issuing new visas in this category.  This ban has prevented many executives and highly skilled workers from being able to enter the U.S.
  • Travel from the Middle East:  The U.S. has canceled the blanket travel ban from select countries in the Middle East.
  • H-1B Lottery:  The selection criteria will be the same as last year.   The lottery starts on March 9, 2021 and goes to March 31, 2021.  Winners will be announced on March 31 and then the employer has until June 30, 2021 to file the H-1B petition.
  • H-1B Adjudications at USCIS:  The H-1B Adjudications at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) are expected to return to 2016 standards,  with deference given to prior adjudications, acceptance of multiple educational pathways to an H-1B occupation, etc.
  • USCIS Operational Efficiency: Expected to be a priority going forward.  The Administration is expected to ensure that USCIS operates at an efficient pace so that the backlogs of prior years are not repeated.
  • DACA: The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (“DACA”) has been reaffirmed for both existing DACA recipients and new applicants.
  • Asylum:  The U.S. will again provide opportunities for applicants to apply and have a credible fear interview at the border. If they pass the credible fear interview, they will be allowed into the U.S. to await for their full asylum merits hearing before an Immigration Judge.
  • Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Under the new Administrations some sort of immigration legislation is expected.  Such new provisions are expected to address both labor market and humanitarian needs.  The Administration announced a draft plan on  February 18, 2021.

E-2 Investor Visas:  In recent months Mexican investors have shown an increased interest in the E-2 non-immigrant visa.  As the pandemic slowly subsides, it is hoped that the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juarez will be able to increase their volume of E-2 reviews.  The firm has a robust E-2 visa practice.

NAFTA TN Visas:  The United States– Canada- Mexico Agreement (USCMA) replaced the NAFTA Agreement.  The new USMCA went into effect on July 1, 2020.   However, the TN occupational list and regulations remained the same. Therefore for select occupations, the TN visa continues to be a quick and efficient way for an U.S. employer to get a Mexican or Canadian citizen on the U.S. payroll.    See:  https://www.nafsa.org/regulatory-information/usmca-chapter-16-appendix-2-professionals

Copyright © 2020, Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP.

ARTICLE BY Greg L. Berk and Laura M. Nava of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP
For more, visit the NLR Immigration section.

Biden Directs Review of Immigration Policies, Seeks to Reduce Unnecessary Barriers

On the same day his nominee for Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Alejandro Mayorkas, was confirmed, President Joe Biden signed several Executive Orders regarding immigration, including one that directs complete review of policies.

The first, “Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration Systems and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New Americans,” is of particular interest to the business community.  It sets up a task force to conduct a top-to-bottom review of recent changes that have created barriers to legal immigration, including employment based. This will include a review of the public charge rule, fee increases, and streamlining of the naturalization process, among others. Recognizing the difficulties created over the past four years by the many unpublicized rule, policy, and guidance changes, this Executive Order directs a comprehensive agency review of all immigration-related regulations, orders, guidance documents, policies, and other similar agency actions that impede access to fair and efficient adjudications. It likely will include a review of the policies that led to a 21% denial rate and a 47% Request for Evidence (RFE) rate for H-1B petitions in FY 2020.

The second looks to roll back damaging asylum policies and develop an effective strategy to manage asylum cases across the region.

The third creates a task force to reunify families that were separated at the border.

These latest Executive Orders build on changes already made since January 20, 2021, including:

These Executive Orders and policy announcements are consistent with the administration’s stated goal of creating an immigration system that is more welcoming to immigrants and to the employers who rely on them. President Biden recognizes that “new Americans fuel our economy, as innovators and job creators, working in every American industry and contributing to our arts, culture, and government.”

Jackson Lewis P.C. © 2020
For more, visit the National Law Review Immigration section.

 

President Biden Rescinds Muslim Travel Bans

On his first day in office, President Joseph Biden sought to end a series of discriminatory travel bans set forth by the previous administration.  President Biden focused his initial presidential actions on returning to this country’s tolerant and welcoming principles and values, the traditional American sentiment laid out in the inscription on the Statue of Liberty itself.  He did so by revoking one Executive Order and four Presidential Proclamations enacted by former President Trump that had controversially prevented certain individuals from entering the United States. The bans targeted individuals initially from primarily Muslim counties and in later proclamations, from largely African countries. The various bans included restrictions on entry for nationals from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Nigeria, Burma/Myanmar, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Sudan, Tanzania, North Korea and Venezuela.

President Biden’s Proclamation directs embassies and consulates to resume visa processing and clear the backlog created by these orders. The embassies and consulates are required to assess the number of visa applicants who were being considered for a waiver of restrictions and create a plan to adjudicate the pending visa applications. The Proclamation ensures that any individual whose immigrant petition was denied on the basis of these orders may have their application reconsidered and endeavors to ensure a plan where visa applicants are not prejudiced as a result of a previous visa denial due to the suspension or restriction of the proclamations. The Proclamation further mentions that the current administration will analyze screening and vetting procedures for all immigrant and nonimmigrant entry into the United States to determine recommendations to improve the current practices.

President Biden has clearly set a new tone, addressing these issues within hours of taking office. His actions provide hope for a more inclusive and thoughtful immigration system.

©1994-2020 Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. All Rights Reserved.

ARTICLE BY Danielle A. Porter of Mintz
For more, visit the NLR Election Law / Legislative News section.

A Glimpse Into Biden’s Immigration Policies: The U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021

On January 20, 2021, Joseph R. Biden, Jr. was sworn into office as the 46th president of the United States. With this change in administration, it is expected that sweeping policy reviews and changes will be forthcoming. The acts of a president over the first few days and weeks of the new administration are seen as an indicator of the priorities and the intentions of that new administration. The Biden administration is no different. President Biden has expressed his intention to pursue a host of policy and regulatory changes over the first 100 days of the administration.

In one of the first acts of the new administration, President Biden announced that he would be sending the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 to Congress as part of his plan to reform the U.S. immigration system. The goal of the legislation is to “modernize[] our immigration system,” prioritize family unity, “grow[] our economy,” and “ensur[e] that the United States remains a refuge for those fleeing persecution.” The bill proposes changes to reimagine diverse areas of immigration from employment- and family-based immigration to asylum, refugee, and other humanitarian protections, as well as border security.

Resetting the Tone of the Immigration System

The U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 states that it is attempting to reset the tone of the immigration system by “restor[ing] humanity and American values to our immigration system.” The legislation proposes integral and substantial changes to immigration law starting at the highest level.

Over the past four years, the Trump administration produced numerous executive orders and regulations aimed at restricting immigration, some of which were viewed as discriminatory in nature. Most notably, one of President Donald Trump’s earliest executive orders, often referred to as the “Muslim ban,” was immediately rescinded through a separate presidential proclamation. Moving forward, by and through a provision of the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 termed the NO BAN Act, the Biden administration seeks to “prohibit[] discrimination based on religion and limit[] presidential authority to issue future bans.”

Further, the proposed bill seeks to continue to reset the tone of the immigration system in the United States through changes in the existing language of immigration laws and statutes. A long held point of linguistic contention has been the usage of the term “alien” in relation to foreign nationals and noncitizens throughout the Immigration and Nationality Act and its body of regulations. The U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 proposes changing the term “alien” to “noncitizen” in all federal immigration laws.

Overhauling the Immigration System and Pathways to Citizenship

The U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 seeks to reform major areas of the U.S. immigration system, including creating new pathways to citizenship for undocumented individuals  and individuals with temporary status, as well as increasing the efficiency of various employment-based immigrant processes.

Pathways to citizenship for undocumented individuals, Dreamers, TPS recipients

The proposed bill includes an eight-year pathway to citizenship for many living in the United States without legal status and who were physically present in the United States on January 1, 2021. This eight-year pathway has two phases. The first phase would grant temporary legal status, with the option to apply for permanent residency after five years. This phase would require applicants to clear background checks, pay taxes, and fulfill other requirements. The second phase would allow “green card holders who pass additional background checks and demonstrate knowledge of English and U.S. civics [to] apply to become citizens.”

Under the legislation, three groups that have been at the forefront of immigration legislation in the recent years, Dreamers, temporary protected status (TPS) recipients, and agricultural workers, could benefit from immediately qualifying for permanent residency. Many Dreamers, or individuals who arrived in the United States as children, have benefited from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program enacted by President Barack Obama in 2012. The program provides temporary relief for Dreamers by providing a two-year work permit after meeting certain requirements. Similarly, TPS provides nationals from some countries affected by armed conflict or natural disaster temporary status and work authorization. These programs have been at the forefront of immigration and legislative agendas in recent years. The third group, agricultural workers, has been at the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic as essential workers.

Updating the family-based and humanitarian systems

The proposed bill seeks to “reform[] the family-based immigration system by clearing backlogs, recapturing unused visas, eliminating lengthy wait times, and increasing per-country visa caps.” In line with the theme to restore the system, the legislation would “eliminate[] the so-called ‘3 and 10-year bars,’ and other provisions that keep families apart,” and support families “by more explicitly including permanent partnerships and eliminating discrimination facing LGBTQ+ families.” Because of the per-country visa caps, historically there have been lengthy backlogs in green card availability. The proposed bill seeks to reduce these wait times and “allow[] immigrants with approved family-sponsorship petitions to join family in the United States on a temporary basis while they wait for green cards to become available.”

In terms of asylum, the proposed bill would “eliminate[] the one-year deadline for filing asylum claims and provide[] funding to reduce asylum application backlogs.” In addition, the legislation would “increase[] protections for U visa, T visa, and VAWA applicants,” as well as raise the cap on U visas, reserved for victims of crimes, from 10,000 to 30,000 per year.

Restructuring employment-based immigration

On the employment-based forefront, the proposed bill seeks to grow the U.S. economy by “clear[ing] employment-based visa backlogs, recaptur[ing] unused visas, reduc[ing] lengthy wait times, and eliminate[ing] per-country visa caps.” The legislation would create a program to “stimulate regional economic development, give[] the [U.S. Department of Homeland Security] the authority to adjust green cards based on macroeconomic conditions, and incentivize[] higher wages for non-immigrant, high-skilled visas to prevent unfair competition with American workers.”

The proposed bill would provide additional benefits and protections to dependents of foreign national workers. It would increase the opportunities for dependents of H-1B visa holders to obtain work authorization. This is an expansion of the current H-4 Employment Authorization Document (EAD) guidelines, which do not allow dependent children to obtain work authorization.

The U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 includes additional protections for the family unit, which would prevent children from “aging out” of the system. Currently, children who turn 21 years old may no longer qualify for immigration benefits as a dependent of their parents’ permanent residency applications. The Child Status Protection Act currently provides some exceptions to permit children who turn 21 years old to continue to qualify for immigration benefits. The proposed bill would expand upon these protections.

Looking Forward

Although President Biden’s immigration proposal was introduced to Congress on the first day of his presidency, it likely will face a long road ahead. The proposed bill has been met with some early criticism, but the president and his allies hope to find common ground and move the legislation forward. As part of this common ground, the legislation would seek to increase border security by authorizing additional funding “to deploy technology to expedite screening and enhance the ability to identify narcotics and other contraband at every land, air, and sea port of entry.”

© 2020, Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C., All Rights Reserved.
For more, visit the NLR Immigration section.

Immigration Weekly Round-Up: I-9 Flexibility Rules Extended, Stimulus Aid for Mixed Immigration Status Households

Immigration & Customs Enforcement Extends I-9 Flexibility Rules

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) has announced that it will extend its flexibilities for compliance with I-9 regulations until at least January 31, 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The flexibilities in I-9 compliance were set to expire on December 31, 2020.

On March 19, 2020, ICE issued guidance permitting flexibility in several verification rules in order to allow businesses to safely comply with I-9 regulations during the pandemic. Generally, an employer or its representative must personally inspect the employee’s original documentation during the I-9 verification process. Due to concerns about such interactions during the COVID-19 pandemic, ICE announced that businesses operating remotely could instead conduct remote inspections of verification documentation. The guidance also allowed employers to accept expired documentation, such as driver’s licenses, that had been extended automatically by a state or federal agency. Finally, ICE guidance suspended the requirements that employees initiate contact with the Social Security Administration after being notified about a tentative non-confirmation on information contained in the Form I-9.

COVID-19 Stimulus Aid Available for Mixed-Status Families

The new coronavirus relief bill, passed by Congress on December 21, 2020, and signed by President Trump over the weekend, will provide stimulus checks to mixed immigration status families, including those whose undocumented parents or spouses are present in the United States.

These benefits constitute a significant change from the original stimulus package issued earlier this year. The CARES Act, passed in March 2020, did not provide benefits to people with individual taxpayer-identification numbers, or “ITINs,” which are frequently issued to undocumented immigrants who pay taxes but are ineligible for a Social Security number. The CARES Act further denied benefits to spouses who filed taxes jointly with the undocumented individual, so that many American citizens did not receive emergency aid. The new stimulus bill eliminates that provision – although the new stimulus package still excludes aid for those with ITINs, their American citizen family members will now receive emergency benefits, providing benefits to mixed-status households. This will have a substantial impact on millions of individuals; according to the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute, 3.7 million U.S. citizens and lawful immigrant children reside in mixed-status households, and 1.4 million U.S. citizens or lawful immigrants are married to undocumented immigrants.

©2020 Norris McLaughlin P.A., All Rights Reserved
For more, visit the NLR Immigration section.

Judge Rules Against Another Attempt by Trump to Restrict Legal Immigration

The courts dealt another blow to the Trump administration’s continued efforts to restrict immigration this week, providing relief for companies looking to fill and retain critical positions with foreign talent. On Tuesday, the US District Court for the Northern District of California issued an order setting aside the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) interim final rule, “Strengthening the H-1B Nonimmigrant Visa Classification Program”, and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) interim final rule, “Strengthening Wage Protections for the Temporary and Permanent Employment of Certain Aliens in the United States.”

Last month the Northern District Court of California also issued a preliminary injunction of Presidential Proclamation 10052, which would have added restrictions on temporary visa issuance.

Following last month’s preliminary injunction of Presidential Proclamation 10052’s restrictions on temporary visa issuance, wherein the presiding judge stated that Pres. Donald Trump is not a monarch, the US District Court for the Northern District of California has issued another blow to the Trump Administration.  The court issued an order Tuesday setting aside the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) interim final rule, “Strengthening the H-1B Nonimmigrant Visa Classification Program”, and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) interim final rule, “Strengthening Wage Protections for the Temporary and Permanent Employment of Certain Aliens in the United States.”

The court found that the government failed to show good cause to excuse public notice and comment for the two rules.  The court recognized the contributions of immigrants concluding:

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the nation’s health, and millions of Americans have been impacted financially by restrictions imposed on businesses, large and small, during the pandemic; the consequences of those restrictions has been a fiscal calamity for many individuals. However, “[t]he history of the United States is in part made of the stories, talents, and lasting contributions of those who crossed oceans and deserts to come here. The National Government has significant power to regulate immigration. With power comes responsibility, and the sound exercise of national power over immigration depends on the Nation’s meeting its responsibility to base its laws on a political will informed by searching, thoughtful, rational civic discourse.” Arizona v. United States, 567 U.S. 387, 416 (2012).

This is another victory for regulatory process compliance and supporters of employment-based immigration. The Plaintiffs, which include the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America, National Association of Manufacturers, Bay Area Council, National Retail Federation, American Association of International Healthcare Recruitment, Presidents’ Alliance On Higher Education and Immigration; California Institute of Technology, Cornell University, The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University, University of Southern California, University of Rochester, University of Utah, and Arup Laboratories, filed a Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief from the DOL IFR effective Oct. 8 and the DHS IFR effective Dec. 7, claiming harm and prejudice to hundreds of thousands of American-based workers and disruption to US employers’ ability to hire and retain critical high-skilled talent. (Chamber of Commerce, et al., v. DHS, et al., 20-cv-07331-JSW, 10/19/20.)  Due to inflated salary requirements, employers would be forced to sever relationships with existing foreign national professionals as well as be precluded from hiring and sponsoring new candidates for temporary work and immigrant visas.

In advance of the Nov. 23 hearing, the presiding judge, the Honorable Jeffrey S. White published specific questions to determine whether the Defendants, the DOL and DHS, properly relied upon the good cause exception to the notice and comment period that is required before a new federal regulation can be implemented.  In the matter before the court, the Defendants took seven months to issue the IFRs that are the subject of this litigation, calling into question their claim that exigent circumstances precluded the need for a notice and comment period.

The DOL IFR at issue changed how prevailing wage levels are calculated resulting in higher wages at every wage level and occupation.  Overnight, entry level wages jumped from the 17th to the 45th percentile. So, for example, the annual salary of $58,802 allocated to a mechanical engineer position in Charleston, South Carolina on Oct. 7 increased to $91,749 overnight.

The DHS IFR among other things: would have revised the regulatory definition of and standards for an H-1B specialty occupation; added definitions for “worksite” and “third-party worksite”; revised the definition of “US employer”; clarified how US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will determine whether an “employer-employee relationship” exists between the sponsoring employer and worker; limited the validity period of third-party placements to one year; and codified USCIS’ H-1B site visit authority as well as the consequences of refusing such a visit.

The Defendants are expected to appeal the ruling, although any subsequent decisions may not occur until after the Presidential inauguration.

Copyright © 2020 Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP All Rights Reserved.
For more articles on immigration, visit the National Law Review Immigration section.

172 Immigrants Arrested in Sanctuary Cities by ICE in Six Days

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and United States Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) concluded a targeted enforcement operation, which lasted for a week. The operation resulted in 170+ at-large illegal immigrants arrested throughout the United States in states with sanctuary policies.

About the Immigrants Arrested

ICE officers from the field offices of New York; Seattle; Denver; Philadelphia; Baltimore; and Washington, D.C., conducted the enforcement actions from October 3 through October 9. The arrests were targeted on aliens who have criminal convictions and were arrested but released by state or local law enforcement agencies despite having immigration detainers placed on the immigrants. In a press release, ICE announced that out of the 170+ arrested, more than 80% of the aliens arrested had criminal convictions or pending criminal charges at the time of the arrest.

The immigrants arrested include 54 in New York; 35 in Seattle; 34 in Denver; 26 in Philadelphia; 12 in Baltimore; and 11 in Washington, D.C. Just at the end of September, ICE announced the arrest of 128 aliens in California from where the operation was conducted from September 28 to October 2, as part of immigration enforcement actions. The news released by ICE also had data of the arrested aliens in the fiscal year 2019: ICE arrested more than 1,900 convictions and charges for homicide, 1,800 for kidnapping, 12,000 sex offenses, 5, 000 sexual assaults, 45,000 assaults, 67,000 crimes involving drugs, 10,000 weapons offenses, and 74,000 DUIs.

Acting DHS Secretary Chad F. Wolf said, “Last fiscal year, 86 percent of people arrested by ICE had criminal convictions or pending charges. ICE focuses its resources on those who pose the greatest threat to public safety. The men and women of ICE put their lives on the line every day to keep these individuals off the streets,” He further stated that, “The Department will continue to carry out lawful enforcement actions in order to keep our communities safe, regardless of whether or not we have cooperation from state and local officials. Politics will not come before safety when enforcing the law and keeping our citizens safe.”

Though the arrests made by ICE hints that it primarily targets immigrants with a criminal record, the press release by ICE stated that it does not exempt classes or categories of removable aliens from potential enforcement.

About Sanctuary States

Sanctuary states are states with immigrant-friendly laws, that restrict cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The non-cooperation by the state or local law enforcement agencies acts as an impediment in ICE’s ability to arrest criminal aliens in such communities. It further stated that all those in violation of immigration laws can be subject to arrest, detention, and subsequently removable based on a removal order. Additionally, ICE stated that cooperation with local law enforcement is essential to maintaining public safety.

©2020 Norris McLaughlin P.A., All Rights Reserved
For more articles on ICE, visit the National Law Review Immigration section.

This is Big: Visa Pathway Opens for Foreign Workers Seeking H-1B; H-2B; L-1 and J-1 Visa Stamps

An important court ruling by Judge Jeffrey S. White of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California has opened a visa pathway for temporary workers and their employers.

On June 22, 2020 President Trump issued a Presidential Proclamation 10052 (“Visa Ban”) which suspended the issuance of four types of visas:  H-1B; H-2B; L-1 and J-1, and also prohibited the admission into the U.S. until at least December 31, 2020 of persons subject to this Visa Ban.  Our past alerts on this Visa Ban may be accessed here.

The President claimed that he issued this Visa Ban purely for domestic economic reasons: to protect the U.S. labor force in the wake of the pandemic. But there is a strong argument that the President overstepped his authority in issuing this Visa Ban, since the underlying rationale of this Proclamation related to domestic policy-making (as opposed to keeping immigrants out of the U.S. for national security reasons).  Further, by a stroke of his pen, the President wiped out the availability of four categories of work visas specifically enacted into law by Congress.

Because the Proclamation allows for such limited exceptions to its broad reach, this Visa Ban has adversely impacted thousands of employers and temporary workers across the United States.  People who are subject to it simply cannot get L-1 or H-1B visa stamps at US Consulates abroad while the ban is in place (unless they fit into an exception/exemption based on the nature of their work).

As noted above, yesterday, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California upheld a legal challenge to this Visa Ban filed by plaintiffs including Intrax, Inc., the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (AmCham); the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the National Retail Federation, and TechNet.  The above-referenced association plaintiffs had filed the lawsuit on behalf of their association members claiming that the Proclamation exceeded the President’s authority and that it violated the Administrative Procedures Act (APA).   Now that the federal court in California has enjoined this Ban, members of the plaintiff associations can benefit from the injunction.  This means if an employer can show it is a member of one of these associations, or becomes a member of one of them, it can argue that the injunction applies both (a) when its employees apply for a visa abroad in one of these categories, and (b) when seeking to enter the U.S. in one of these otherwise banned visa categories.  

Joining a Plaintiff association is a straightforward matter.  For example, a company can join the American Chamber of Commerce by paying a fee of $250. U.S. Consulates should honor proof of membership in a plaintiff association in considering visa applications for one of these impacted visa categories.

It is rare to be able to take advantage of a legal ruling in this way, and all U.S. employers who depend upon their valued H-1B, H-2B, L-1 and J-1 workers, should immediately try to leverage this opportunity presented by this injunction.

©1994-2020 Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. All Rights Reserved.

ARTICLE BY Susan J. Cohen of Mintz
For more articles on visas, visit the National Law Review Immigration section.