The Senate issued its version of the tax proposal on Thursday, the same day that the House Ways and Means committee approved their version. How Are They Similar? The Senate and House proposals share many similarities. Both plans reduce the corporate income tax rate, eliminate most itemized deductions, eliminate personal exemptions and increase the child
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The holiday season can be a hectic time for international travel. Airports, Consulates and ports of entry are exceptionally busy due to the large number of travelers, visa applicants, increased security measures, and enhanced vetting procedures implemented pursuant to executive orders. We encourage corporate human resource personnel, business travelers, and foreign national employees to take proactive
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On October 20, 2017, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Inspector General released a report outlining recommendations to improve the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) Administrative Site Visit and Verification Program and targeted site visits for H-1B non-immigrant workers. What Employers and Foreign Nationals Can Expect The USCIS’s Fraud Detection and
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What is the Diversity Visa Lottery? The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, which is administered by the U.S. Department of State, permits up to 50,000 diversity immigrant visas to be granted for fiscal year 2019 to persons from countries with low immigration rates to the United States. Foreign nationals are selected for eligibility to file an
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New York City’s new ban on inquiries concerning salary history will take effect on October 31, 2017. According to the law signed by Mayor de Blasio this spring, it will be considered an unlawful discriminatory practice for any employer to inquire about the salary history of a job applicant or to use the applicant’s prior
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has resumed Premium Processing today for all H-1B petitions. Premium Processing was previously suspended for all H-1B petitions starting April 3, 2017, and subsequently reinstated for H-1B petitions filed on behalf of physicians under the Conrad 30 waiver program, interested government waivers, and Fiscal Year 2018 cap-subject filings. What Employers
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a notice in the Federal Register announcing plans to collect additional information and social media data on all immigrants. The scope of data collection is potentially very broad, and affected groups include green card holders, naturalized citizens, and relatives and associates of any individuals subject to the Immigration
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H-1B cap-subject visa petitions filed and approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for Fiscal Year 2018 will take effect on or after October 1, 2017. Change of Status Filings: H-1B cap-subject petitions filed as “change of status” will take effect on October 1, 2017 if the beneficiary: Was physically present in the U.S.
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The Trump Administration issued a Proclamation on September 24th, 2017 announcing various restrictions on nonimmigrant and immigrant entry for certain foreign nationals who are citizens or nationals of eight countries: North Korea, Venezuela, Chad, Syria, Iran, Somalia, Libya, and Yemen. The Administration previously issued travel restrictions through Executive Orders in January and March for certain nationals
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On September 18, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it resumed Premium Processing for pending H-1B visa petitions subject to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 cap. Processing for Non-Cap Subject H-1B Petitions Premium Processing was previously suspended for all H-1B petitions starting April 3, 2017, and subsequently reinstated for H-1B petitions filed on behalf
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