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Recently by Michael D. Patrick
Department of Labor (DOL)
Changes Are Afoot: Modernization is coming to the permanent labor certification program
As a prelude to my column this month, please allow me to thank Metropolitan Corporate Counsel and all of you who have read my column over the past six years. I am retiring at the end of July. It has been a pleasure. Employers are likely to soon see changes to the permanent labor certification...
Read MoreTemporary Status as an Interim Solution: Employers look to TPS to expand their pool of foreign nationals authorized for work
The Supreme Court is currently deciding whether the president’s executive action granting Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) is constitutional. If the Supreme Court finds in favor of DAPA, it would provide a three-year reprieve from deportation for...
Read MoreImmigration Compass- Business Travelers Face New Restrictions: Changes to the Visa Waiver Program establish “countries of concern,” possibly affecting participation eligibility
This past December, in the wake of the tragic terrorist events in Paris and San Bernardino, Calif., Congress passed new security enhancements to the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) via the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015. While the Act’s key objective is...
Read MoreFacilitate, Don’t Obstruct, Foreign Skilled Workers: The proposed Durbin-Grassley restrictions to the H-1B and L-1 visa programs could further inhibit employers
Immigration Compass Historically, skilled foreign workers, such as those admitted under the H-1B and L-1 programs, have supplemented the U.S. workforce and been beneficial to the U.S. economy. Recently, the dialogue surrounding these programs has become increasingly negative. Specifically, a series...
Read MoreImmigration
A Waiting Game: Visa bulletin reform is intended to relieve the backlog affecting employment visas – but when?
In November 2014, President Obama announced a multiagency plan to “modernize and streamline” the U.S. immigrant visa system. As one of the signature reforms in the administration’s plan, on September 9, 2015, the Department of State (DOS) announced that beginning in October 2015...
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