The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released their final rule on Jan. 31, 2024, adjusting the price for certain immigration and naturalization fees. Every two years, the USCIS conducts a fee review. In the most recent biennial review, they determined that the “fees do not recover the full cost of providing adjudication and naturalization services.” In tandem with USCIS, DHS READ MORE READ MORE

Under a newly proposed rule issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”), employers will have more options when conducting the I-9 verification process for newly hired employees. The proposal promises to extend alternative options, including making some COVID-19-related flexibilities permanent. The proposed changes could have significant repercussions for employers and I-9 compliance practices. The I-9 Verification Process Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, is a standardized form used READ MORE READ MORE

COVID-19 continues to worsen the increasingly large visa backlog in the United States, increasing wait times for individuals trying to enter the United States, and recent reports have noted the significant and often detrimental economic impact of those long wait times. In response, employers have started to seek alternatives, including relying on remote work performed overseas. The United States Visa Backlog The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected READ MORE READ MORE

As of July 2022, 38 states have legalized the medical use of cannabis to differing degrees. Each jurisdiction has its own criteria regarding what conditions cannabis can be prescribed for, in what amounts, and the process for issuing medical marijuana licenses. Based on this, immigrants may believe using marijuana in a state that has legalized it will not hurt or impact their immigration status. Unfortunately, that is READ MORE READ MORE

In a typical year, more than 270 million immigrants living and working abroad send cash transfers, known as remittances, to their home countries. In 2019, two-thirds of all international migrants lived in just 20 countries, with the United States holding the most at 51 million (about 19% of the world’s total). (United Nations). As of 2020, despite the lockdowns that have devastated economies and led unemployment rates to skyrocket, remittances have generally held READ MORE READ MORE