Online Application Process for Nonimmigrant Visas Fully Operational

Immigration Reform Bill Might Call for Biometric Identification Cards
A mandatory biometric identification card for U.S. citizens and legal residents could be included in a comprehensive immigration reform bill. The card would contain standard identifying information, but would also contain a biometric identifier, e.g., fingerprints. Read the full post here. (March 12)

ICE Serves 180 Audit Notices on Businesses in Five Southern States
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that it has served Notices of Inspection (NOIs) on 180 businesses and will review these businesses' hiring records to determine their compliance with federal employment eligibility verification laws. Read the full post here. (March 12)

United States: Report Finds E-Verify Fails to Detect 54% of Unauthorized Workers

Chile: U.S. State Department Revises Travel Alert
In its revised Travel Alert on Chile, the State Department is advising U.S. citizens to avoid tourism and non-essential travel to Chile due to the February 27 earthquake's aftermath. Read the full post here. (March 4)

United States: Bill Would Grant Two-Year Visa to Entrepreneurs with U.S. Investor Backing
Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) have introduced the StartUp Visa Act of 2010 (S. 3029), which would create a new visa category (EB-6) for foreign entrepreneurs. Foreign entrepreneurs would qualify for a two-year visa upon demonstrating that a qualified U.S. investor will dedicate at least $250,000 to his or her startup venture. Read the full post here. (March 4)

The bill is expected to pass without significant alteration, as it is sponsored by Bolivia's ruling party, Movimiento al Socialismo (the Movement for Socialism).

Global: Increase in Use of Trusted Traveler Programs

United States: House Bil Would Impose Criminal Penalties for Employing Unauthorized Aliens
Representative Frank Kratovil (D-MD) has introduced the Criminal Penalties for Unauthorized Employment Act of 2010 (H.R. 4627), which would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act by establishing criminal penalties--and increasing the existing civil penalties--that can be levied against individuals with "hiring authority" who employ unauthorized aliens. Read the full post here. (February 26)

United Kingdom: Revised Guidance Issued for Points-Based System Sponsors
The UK Border Agency has issued revised guidance documents for employers and education providers holding sponsor licenses under the country's points-based immigration system. Read the full post here. (February 25)

United States: Arizona Senate Passes Bil that Would Tighten Immigration Enforcement
Arizona's senate, by a party-line 17-13 vote, passed a broad, immigration-focused bill covering a wide range of topics including law enforcement procedures, criminal law, and traffic congestion. Read the full post here. (February 22)

United States: Final Rule on H-2A Temporary Agricultural Employment
The U.S. Department of Labor has published a final rule in the Federal Register concerning temporary agricultural employment of foreign laborers under the H-2A visa program. The final rule is intended to strengthen worker protections for both U.S. and foreign workers, increase workers' wages, and provide greater access to the U.S. labor market. Read the full post here. (February 22)

Some suggest that requiring employers to provide additional paid leave is inappropriate given the current economic climate, and that small businesses will suffer. Resistance is particularly strong in the United Kingdom where compliance costs would almost triple, reports Personneltoday.com. Currently in the United Kingdom, one year of leave is available; the first six weeks are compensated at 90% of the employee's salary, and then at the statutory amount of £123 per week for the remainder. If passed, the measure could cost U.K. employers an additional £1.5 to £2 billion per year.

United States: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to Issue Revised Notices of Approval for Forms I-129 & I-539

India: Work Permit Rules May Be Relaxed
The Indian government may be relaxing the rules that prevent business visa holders from working in India. For instance, the government is identifying activities within the IT industry for which companies may employ--for limited periods--foreign nationals who do not hold work permits. Read the full post here. (February 12)

Singapore: Immigration Reform Proposed to Promote Economic Growth
An economic strategy committee composed of public and private sector representatives has proposed measures to decrease reliance on foreign labor, such as increasing the focus on research and development and tightening immigration rules. Read the full post here. (February 10)

South Korea: Visa and Citizenship Procedures Modified
JoongAngDaily reports that South Korea has eased the path to citizenship and relaxed immigration restrictions. Read the full post here. (February 10)

United States: Status of Immigration Reform Remains Uncertain
In his 2010 State of the Union address, President Obama devoted only a single sentence to immigration reform. As reported by The Washington Post, this cursory treatment of the issue has led to "disillusionment" among immigration advocates. Read the full post here. (February 9)

United States: Audit Reveals E-Verify Errors by the Social Security Administration

United States: USCIS Memo Outlines Employer-Employee Relationship for H-1B Purposes
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services' Associate Director for Service Center Operations has issued a detailed memo regarding how to determine, when evaluating H-1B visa petitions, whether an employer-employee relationship exists and will continue to exist. Read the full post here. (January 21)

United States: ICE to Update Student and Exchange Visitor Information System
In the January 5, 2010 Federal Register, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) outlined its two-phase process for updating the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. Read the full post here. (January 19)

United States: USCIS Provides Q&A on Vaccination Requirements
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services has published a Q&A webpage concerning vaccination requirements for immigrants. Read the full post here. (January 19)

The bill has the support of both the Government and Medef, the national employers' association. If the law passes, France will be the third (and largest) European country to enact a quota; Norway and Spain both have similar laws in place.

In a related development, France's Labor Minister will table a bill later this session concerning gender inequality in the workplace, and this bill also may include quotas.

Photo credit: Markpruce

United Kingdom: Identity Cards for Skilled Migrant Workers Now Available

United States: State Department Releases February 2010 Visa Bulletin
The U.S. Department of State has released its Visa Bulletin for February 2010. Read the full post here. (January 16)

United Arab Emirates: Transition to Single Application for Visas, Labor and Identification Cards
A single application form for UAE residence visas, labor cards and identification cards will be available later this year. Read the full post here. (January 12)

United States: USCIS Further Extends Validity Period of Medical Endorsements
A recent U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services memo directs field offices, when evaluating adjustment of immigration status petitions decided before January 1, 2011, to accept as valid a Form I-693 civil surgeon endorsement that was signed more than one year prior to the evaluation if certain conditions are met. Read the full post here. (January 11)

United States: Department of Labor Revises Prevailing Wage Determination Policy Guide
The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration recently revised its guidance on prevailing wage determination concerning nonagricultural immigration programs. Read the full post here. (January 11)

United Kingdom: Malaysians May Lose Visa-Free Status

China: Government Officials Attempting to Curb Illegal Immigration in Guangdong Province
Government officials are working to combat illegal immigration in southern China's Guangdong province, home to 57,800 permanent--and more than 1.14 million temporary--foreign residents where, during the first half of 2009, almost one-third of foreigners visiting China entered or exited the country. Read the full post here. (January 4)

United States: The City of Lancaster, California Will Require Businesses to Use E-Verify
Businesses in the southern California city of Lancaster will be required to use E-Verify to confirm new hires' eligibility to legally work in the United States, and those that fail to comply with the requirement could face revocation of their business license. Read the full post here. (January 4)

In November 2009, the euro area lost 102,000 jobs, while the Unites States reported an increase of 4,000 jobs. However, the United States' good news was short-lived, as 16,000 job losses were added to October's revised tally, bringing the country's net job losses in 2009 to 85,000.

Unemployment rates vary widely in Europe. The Netherlands has the lowest at 3.9%, while Latvia has the highest at 22.3%. France and Germany, with unemployment rates of 10% and 7.6%, respectively, had established programs offering support to companies putting workers on shorter hours to alleviate the effects of recession, which has helped to keep unemployment rates relatively low in these countries.

India: Online Processing of U.S. Visa Applications Begins February 1, 2010

United States: Prevailing Wage Determinations to be Processed in D.C.
Starting January 1, 2010, the Office of Foreign Labor Certification National Prevailing Wage and Helpdesk Center in Washington, D.C. will receive and process prevailing wage determination requests for use in H-1B, H-1B1, H-1C, H-2B, E-3 and permanent labor certification programs. Read the full post here. (December 31)

Canada: Online Applications Available for Temporary Residents
Citizenship and Immigration Canada has announced that temporary residents seeking work permits or extensions of their stays in the country now can apply online. Read the full post here. (December 31)

The ruling Democratic Party, which came into power in September, has taken other measures to bolster the labor market, including:

• easing conditions under which employers can receive subsidies to keep employees on their payrolls; and
• pledging to create 100,000 jobs by March 2010.

United States: Bills Would Reform the H-2B Visa Program

United States: Fiscal Year 2010 H-1B Cap Has Been Reached
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that, as of December 21, 2009, it has received sufficient petitions to reach the statutory cap for fiscal year 2010 H-1B visas. Read the full post here. (December 23)

United States: New Program Streamlines International Arrivals for Pre-Approved Travelers
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has introduced the Global Entry program which allows U.S. citizens, permanent residents and Dutch citizens who are pre-approved as low-risk travelers to process quickly through international arrival areas in certain U.S. airports. Read the full post here. (December 21)

United Kingdom: UK Border Agency Provides New Advice on Sponsor Takeovers
The UK Border Agency issued new advice to employers regarding the impact of company takeovers and restructurings on sponsor licenses and migrant workers. Read the full post here. (December 21)

United States: H1-B Cap Count

Australia: Largest Source of Immigrants Shifts to China
The number of immigrants to Australia from China has surpassed those from New Zealand and the United Kingdom, thereby making China the country's main source of immigrants. Read the full post here (December 15)

United States: Growing Numbers of Chinese Students Are Enrolling at U.S. Colleges and Universities
An Institute of International Education report found that, compared with last year, enrollment by Chinese nationals has increased 21% to 98,510 undergraduate and graduate students, slightly behind India, which sends 103,260 students. Read the full post here (December 14)

United States: Over 1,000 Businesses Face ICE Forensic Audits in December
Many businesses, e.g., those involved in the food supply chain, have been targeted because they are connected to public safety and to the United States' "critical infrastructure." Read the full post here (December 14)

United Kingdom: Critics Question IT Firms' Apparent Overuse of Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfers
There has been a significant increase in the number of foreign workers employed in the UK via intra-company transfers under Tier 2 of the country's points-based immigration system. Read the full post here (December 14)

United States: Web-Based Nonimmigrant Visa Application Unveiled
The Bureau of Consular Affairs announced that the Electronic Visa Application Form is being replaced by DS-160, a fully web-based nonimmigrant visa application form. Read the full post here (December 14)

India: New Visa Proposed to Remedy Infrastructure Project Delays

United Kingdom: Master's Degree No Longer Required for Highly Skilled Foreign Workers
The move came in response to strong lobbying by business interests, who argued that the restrictions blocked access to the best talent as the UK tries to emerge from the global recession. Read the full post here (December 10)

United States: Certain Permanent Residence Applications on Hold Until New Vaccine Criteria Take Effect
US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that it has temporarily held certain applications of individuals seeking to become lawful permanent residents until the new Centers for Disease Control vaccination criteria becomes effective on December 14, 2009. Read the full post here (December 8)

United States: January Contreras Appointed as US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Ombudsman
As Ombudsman, Contreras will be responsible for helping USCIS resolve obstacles to accessing services, identify areas in need of improvement, and recommend actions that will improve services. Read the full post here (December 8)

United Kingdom: Changes to Tier 1 of Points-Based System Recommended for 2010/11
The UK Border Agency announced that the Migration Advisory Committee has completed its review of Tier 1 of the UK's points-based immigration system. Read the full post here (December 8)

Croatia: Work Permit Availability Drastically Reduced for 2010
Only 902 new work permits will be approved for 2010, compared to 4,267 in 2009. Read full post here (December 4)

New Zealand: New Visa Scheme Unveiled for Young, Highly Skilled Workers
The "Silver Fern" policies, which will take effect in April 2010, create two types of permits. Read the full post here (December 3, 2009)

Canada: Express Business Visas for Indian Citizens
The new scheme will offer multiple-entry visas to Indian citizens, and business visa applications will be cleared within 24 hours. Read the full post here (December 2, 2009)

United Kingdom: Important Changes Regarding Biometric Travel Documents and Advertising Requirements for Tier 2 Job Openings
On arrival in the UK, border control will perform regular immigration checks on all foreign nationals seeking admission to the UK and then capture their fingerprints to verify that they match the fingerprints given when the foreign national started the process abroad. Read the full post here (December 2, 2009)

Kuwait: Unpaid Utilities Will Prevent Expatriates from Leaving Country
The Ministry of Interior will require foreign residents seeking to leave the country to obtain and present a clearance certificate demonstrating that they have paid their water and electricity bills. Read the full post here (December 1, 2009)

India: Recently Amended Visa Scheme Impacts Chinese Industrial Workers
India's visa scheme for Chinese nationals has resulted in a substantial decrease in the number of Chinese workers--from 650 to 100--at a power plant project in Mundra. Read the full post here (December 1, 2009)

United States: Filings of H-1B Cap-Subject Petitions Are on the Upswing
Employers should immediately assess whether they have any H-1B needs as next year the cap may be reached early if the economy continues to improve. Read the full post here (November 30, 2009)

United States: US Citizenship and Immigration Service's New Verification Operations Center Aims to Improve Integrity of E-Verify and SAVE Programs
Specifically, the new center will run verification checks of employee work authorization status for companies enrolled in E-Verify, and it will confirm immigration status inquiries for government entities using SAVE. Read the full post here (November 30, 2009)