A recent study by Pennsylvania State University and the Center for Rural Pennsylvania found that between 2000 and 2016, the foreign-born immigrant workforce throughout Pennsylvania rose significantly and now makes up a considerable portion of Pennsylvania’s rural and urban economy. Economic Implications of Pennsylvania’s Foreign-Born Population The study, “Economic Implications of Pennsylvania’s Foreign-Born Population,” found that in rural Pennsylvania, the foreign-born workforce grew by 75% over the READ MORE READ MORE

Employers across the country flooded the U.S. Department of Labor’s Foreign Labor Application Gateway System at the stroke of midnight on January 2, 2020. The reason? To enter a random selection process—a lottery, of sorts—with the hope of being randomly selected to hire foreign unskilled and skilled workers to travel to the United States for a temporary duration, to assist U.S. employers during a one-time need occurrence, READ MORE READ MORE

New Jersey has become the fourteenth state to pass legislation allowing undocumented immigrants to get their driver’s license. A Little Background Based on a study conducted by the New Jersey Policy think tank in 2018, New Jersey has an estimated population of 466,000 undocumented residents of driving age. The NJ Assembly passed the bill in separate votes and is now awaiting Governor Phil Murphy’s signature, which expected READ MORE READ MORE

Last week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed a Rule in the Federal Register that could drastically change the premium processing program and cause delays in the otherwise timely adjudication of employer-based immigrant and non-immigrant worker petitions. What Is Premium Processing? Premium processing provides expedited servicing of application for certain employment-based petitions and applications. By expedited processing, USCIS guarantees a 15-calendar day processing to those petitioners READ MORE READ MORE

With the Trump Administration’s increase in employer immigration enforcement, businesses of all sizes and in all types of industries must be prepared. Ensuring a compliant Form I-9 processing system demands that all employers stay current on the changing Form I-9 regulations and increased enforcement. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers are focusing on Pennsylvania and New Jersey employers through collaboration with the Social Security Administration (SSA) in READ MORE READ MORE