Immigration Update for the Week of March 11, 2013

Disagreement and Delays over Immigration Reform Continue - Lawmakers Delay Draft of Immigration Legislation Until Early April
Lawmakers have announced that, despite meeting several times a week to write immigration reform legislation, a draft might be delayed until after the congressional recess scheduled for the last week in March and first week in April. Read the full post here. (March 15)
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Immigration Update for the Week of March 4, 2013
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Supports Mandatory E-verify LawTestifying before the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security, a U.S. Chamber of Commerce representative indicated the organization now supports a mandatory E-Verify law for all employers to be phased in over the next three years, provided that certain conditions are met. Read the full post here. (March 8)
New I-9 Form to Go into Effect on May 7, 2013
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced that, effective May 7, 2013, employers must use a new Form I-9 for employment eligibility verification purposes. Read the full post here. (March 8)
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Continue Reading...Immigration Update for the Week of February 18, 2013
United States: ICE Increased Number of Audits and Fines in San Diego in Fiscal Year 2012
10 San Diego-based companies were fined a collective total of $173,800 during FY 2012 for various employment-related violations, including employing unauthorized workers. Read the full post here. (February 19)
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Immigration Update for the Week of February 11, 2013
Mexico: New Immigration Procedures to Obtain Work Visas for Foreign Nationals Working in Mexico
In November 2012, Mexico's National Migration Institute issued new regulations and guidance to implement immigration laws that were enacted in May 2011. These regulations significantly impact employers that currently employ foreign nationals or that intend to sponsor a foreign worker for a work visa and/or residency in Mexico. Read the full post here. (February 14)
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Nuevos Procedimientos para la Autorización de Visas de Trabajo para Extranjeros en México
New Procedure to Obtain Work Visa for Foreigners Working in Mexico
In November 2012, Mexico's National Migration Institute issued new regulations and guidance to implement immigration laws that were enacted in May 2011. These regulations significantly impact employers that currently employ foreign nationals or that intend to sponsor a foreign worker for a work visa and/or residency in Mexico. To learn more about the regulations, see Littler's ASAP, New Immigration Procedures to Obtain Work Visas for Foreign Nationals Working in Mexico, by Rogelio Alanis Robles and Tania Terrazas Arnaldo (Para la versión en español, prosiga a leer aquí)
Immigration Update for the Week of February 4, 2013
United States: Representative Issa and Gingrey Introduce Immigration Reform Bills in the House of Representatives
New bills introduced in the House of Representatives will be considered as part of comprehensive immigration reform. Read the full post here. (February 8)
United States: OCAHO Rejects ICE's Request for Near-Maximum Penalties against Restaurant for I-9 Violations
Although the restaurant admitted it did not complete the I-9 forms, and therefore violated federal law, Administrative Law Judge Ellen Thomas concluded the circumstances did not warrant fining it $935 for each missing I-9. Read the full post here. (February 6)
United States: Immigration Reform in 2013 - What U.S. Employers Can Expect
Article provides a brief background on immigration reform, discusses the potential immigration reform measures, and concludes with the potential effects of immigration reform on U.S. employers. Read the full post here. (February 5)
United States: New Bills to Address Immigration Issues Proposed in Senate
Two immigration reform bills recently introduced in the U.S. Senate will likely be included in the comprehensive immigration reform discussions currently underway in Congress. Read the full post here. (February 4)
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Immigration Reform in 2013 - What U.S. Employers Can Expect
For the past decade, lawmakers have discussed immigration reform, but changes to U.S. immigration laws have been minimal. During the 2012 election campaign President Obama pledged to place immigration reform at the top of his agenda. His re-election indicates that key voting blocs support immigration reform, and analysts on both sides of the political debate predict changes to current immigration law in 2013. Most recently, President Obama announced in Las Vegas his support for various proposed reforms, with the top contenders including: relief to undocumented workers; increased immigration enforcement; and an increase in the number of visas allotted to foreign nationals with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) degrees. In Littler's Insight, Workplace Policy Institute: Immigration Reform in 2013 - What U.S. Employers Can Expect, by Jorge Lopez, Michelle Valerio, Carol Williams, and Scott Decker, our attorneys provide a brief background on immigration reform, discuss the potential immigration reform measures, and conclude with the potential effects of immigration reform on U.S. employers.
Immigration Update for the Week of January 28, 2013
United States: Immigration Innovation Act of 2013 Introduced in the Senate
Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) introduced Senate Bill 169, The Immigration Innovation Act of 2013 ("I-Squared Act"). This bill has a number of aspects that would greatly benefit U.S. businesses and highly educated foreign workers. Read the full post here. (January 31, 2013)
United States: Bipartisan Immigration Plan Released
A group of Democrat and Republican senators released the Bipartisan Framework for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, the latest bipartisan effort for comprehensive immigration reform to fix the broken U.S. immigration system. Read the full post here. (January 28)
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Immigration Update for the Week of January 21, 2013
United States: DOL to Make Various Immigration Filings Publicly Available
The U.S. Department of Labor announced plans to make available to the general public, through a new online tool called the iCERT Labor Certification Registry, "appropriately redacted" copies of H-1B, H-1B1, E-3, H-2A, H-2B, and permanent labor certification documents. Read the full post here. (January 25)
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