2020 Planned Closures of USCIS Field Offices
USCIS is continuing with the planned closure of 13 US international field offices and 3 district offices by August 2020. USCIS operated 23 international offices in 20 countries around the globe. While it had previously advised of plans to close all of its international offices by March 2020, USCIS confirmed in a statement last summer […]
New H-1B Electronic Visa Registration Process
A new registration process takes effect for the forthcoming H-1B cap selection process which, according to USCIS, will deliver overall cost savings to petitioning employers. Following completion of a pilot testing phase in 2019, USCIS has confirmed it will be implementing the new electronic registration process in the next H-1B visa lottery for the fiscal […]
Ethical Veganism is a Belief Protected by Law, Tribunal Rules
A dismissed employee has been told by an employment tribunal that his ethical veganism is protected against discrimination by UK law. The Employment Tribunal in Norwich held that the beliefs of an ethical vegan qualify as religious or philosophical beliefs and that the employee is entitled to equality protections under the Equality Act 2010. The […]
Controversial US Health Insurance Mandate Blocked Temporarily
A federal judge in Oregon has temporarily blocked President Trump’s order to deny visas to immigrants without health insurance. On October 4, 2019, a Presidential Proclamation suspended entry of immigrants into the US without approved health coverage or without the ability to pay for foreseeable medical issues within 30 days of entering the country. The […]
Online giants pledge to tackle fake online reviews
Facebook and eBay have signed agreements pledging to combat the use of fake and misleading reviews on their sites. Following an investigation by the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) last year, both sites have responded to the CMA’s demand to take measures to better identify, investigate and respond to fake and misleading reviews. Three […]
Overhaul of US Immigration Regulations Ahead of Election
2020 is set to bring wide-ranging reforms in US immigration regulations as the Trump Administration moves ahead with planned changes against a deadline of this year’s Presidential election. The proposed rules, as outlined in the Government’s Unified Agenda for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), will, if enacted, profoundly affect employers, H-1B and L-1 visa […]
US Public Charge Update
A number of US courts have blocked the Trump Administration from using new, tougher rules on US immigration applications from low-income immigrants. The Public Charge Final Rule is currently being litigated and some courts have issued an injunction, preventing the new rules from being applied until the legal challenges are resolved. On August 14, 2019, […]