|
|
|
|
|
Immigration Law
Update May 19, 2009
|
|
|
Immigration Law
Practice Group Leader
|
|
|
|
|
IMMIGRATION LAW UPDATE
Passport Deadline Reminder
Beginning June
1, 2009, pursuant to the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI),
individuals will not be permitted to enter the US from Canada and
Mexico without a passport or passport card. Information
regarding applying for or renewing a US passport can be found on the US
Department of State website. Information
regarding applying for a US passport card, a less expensive
alternative to a passport, can also be found on the US
Department of State website.
Detroit Passport Agency Opens
On
March 16, 2009, the US Department of State opened the Detroit
Passport Agency. The Agency is located in downtown Detroit at
211 West Fort Street. The Agency will accept appointments from
US citizens who have international travel plans within 14 days of
scheduling the appointment. The agency has the capability to issue US
Passports on-site to qualifying applicants. For more information
on the Detroit Passport Agency, see the Department
of State's website.
On
May 4, 2009, USCIS announced that it has received
approximately 45,000 H-1B petitions toward the 65,000 available per
fiscal year under the general cap. USCIS continues to accept
petitions toward the general cap. In addition, the agency
continues to accept petitions toward the 20,000 US Master's
cap. The H-1B is a frequently utilized temporary work visa for
professional positions. For more information on the H-1B visa, see
the Clark Hill website.
Extension of J-1 Wavier Announced
On
May 11, 2009, USCIS announced an extension of the J-1
entry date to September 30, 2009, for international medical graduates
to take advantage of the "Conrad 30" waiver. The J-1
Non-Immigrant Exchange Visitor Visa allows a variety of individuals,
including foreign medical graduates, to come to the US to participate
in cultural and educational programs. For more information
about the J-1 Visa, see
the Clark Hill website. The "Conrad 30"
Waiver allows foreign medical graduates to obtain a waiver of the
two-year foreign residence requirement if the graduates practice
medicine for at least three years in a medically underserved
area. Before the extension, the last date for qualifying for
admission was March 6, 2009.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Updates
Below
are summaries of recent efforts by the US Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) to enforce laws related to employment of persons
not authorized to work in the US.
Restaurant
Owner Sentenced
On
May 6, 2009, ICE announced that the owner of a Wisconsin
Chinese restaurant had been sentenced to fifteen months in
prison following a conviction of harboring unauthorized workers to
work at his restaurant.
Maryland
Employer Pleads Guilty
On
April 23, 2009, ICE announced that a Maryland employer had
pled guilty to hiring unauthorized workers for his paint business and
to money laundering. The employer faces a maximum penalty of
five years in prison for hiring unauthorized workers and a maximum of
ten years in prison for money laundering.
Visa Priority Dates - June Visa Bulletin
|
|
|
|
To find out
more about Clark Hill and our Immigration and Empoyment Practice
Groups, visit clarkhill.com
or call 800.949.3124.
|
|
|
