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

Today, the United States is home to the largest immigrant population in the world. While much immigration-related debate centers on social issues, immigration’s economic effects are clear-cut it increases potential economic output by increasing the size of the labor force. While inflation fears grip the U.S., the war in Ukraine has caused skyrocketing costs for farmers here. The price of agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides has risen 50% over the 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

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has an ambitious goal this year. Its primary objective is to reduce the backlog of cases and its impact on Immigration Services. This past year, USCIS has felt the harmful effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic turned what were already significant processing delays into unprecedented backlogs across the entire system. In fact, as of 2022, numbers are very READ MORE READ MORE