The Department of Labor (DOL) announced its H-2A Transition Plan for updating its Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) system based on the preliminary injunction (known as the Kansas Order) issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Southern Georgia. That order prevents the DOL from enforcing its new H-2A Farmworker Visa Rule against
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USCIS Improvements Cut Naturalization Processing Time
By Xiaolu Sheng
USCIS is processing naturalization cases faster than they have in years, and the agency is managing to cut down on its naturalization backlog. Given the current average timing, eligible green card holders who applied early in the summer 2024 might be sworn in in time to vote in the upcoming November elections.
Of course, field…
U.S. Embassy in Havana Restores Visa Services for 7 Work, Exchange Visas
By Sydney Wong
The U.S. Embassy in Havana has expanded visa services to include some temporary non-immigrant visas. Cuban nationals with the following approved petitions will be able to schedule visa interviews at the Embassy:
…
Illinois Enacts Additional Employee Protections on Employers’ E-Verify Use
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has signed an amendment to the Illinois Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act that provides additional employee protections regarding employers’ use of E-Verify. The amendment’s effective date is Jan. 1, 2025, and applies to both private and public employers.
Illinois already had specific rules to ensure that E-Verify is…
DOL: Indefinite Delay in FLAG System Update for New H-2A Farmworker Visa Rule
The Department of Labor (DOL) has decided to delay updating its Foreign Labor Application Gateway, or FLAG, case processing system to implement revised H-2A job order and application forms for the new 2024 Farmworkers Protection Final Rule until further notice. For now, H-2A job orders and applications will continue to be received and processed under…
Judge Blocks New DOL H-2A Farmworker Visa Rule in 17 States
Seventeen states joined in a suit in June to block the Department of Labor (DOL) from enforcing its new rule providing more protections to farmworkers employed as H-2A temporary visa holders. Now, Judge Lisa Godbey Wood of the U.S. District Court for the District of Southern Georgia has granted a preliminary injunction preventing the DOL…
Upcoming E-Verify Account Login Changes
E-Verify will enhance security for account logins later this year. The system will require multi-factor (or two-step) authentication, meaning that, in addition to a password, users may need to enter a code sent to their email or phone. This can help prevent unauthorized account access in case of a compromised password – particularly due to…
Biden Administration Grants 18-Month Removal Relief for Certain Lebanese
President Joe Biden on July 26, 2024, granted Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for certain Lebanese nationals for 18 months due to the humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon created by the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. To be eligible, the Lebanese national must have been in the United States as of July 26, 2024, and…
USCIS Updates Form I-9 Expiration Date
USCIS has updated the Aug. 1, 2023, edition of its Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, solely to extend the expiration date from July 31, 2026, to May 31, 2027.
What should employers do?
- Employers must be using the Aug. 1, 2023, edition of the form.
- The Aug. 1, 2023, edition now has two different versions
…
Bringing Dogs Into the U.S.? New Regulations Effective Aug. 1
Starting on Aug. 1, 2024, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is simplifying its regulations regarding the entry of dogs into the United States.
CBP still wants to be sure that rabies does not “enter” the United States because the entrance of just one dog with the disease can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars for…