Tag Archive
United States: Immigration Priority Dates
Priority date cut-offs in the third employment-based immigrant category will advance substantially for most countries, but will move forward more modestly for China and will be unchanged for India. »
United States: Arizona’s Immigration Law
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit today in an effort to invalidate Arizona’s immigration law, broadly arguing that the law is preempted by federal law and that the enforcement of U.S. immigration law is the responsibility of the federal government. DOJ has requested a preliminary injunction to block the implementation... »
India: Simplified Visa Renewal
Employment visa holders in India may now obtain a first-time visa renewal of up to one year directly from their local Foreigners Regional Registration Office, rather than the three-month preliminary extension that was previously granted. Applicants may be required to provide a police clearance proving that they have not been convicted of any crime... »
Brazil: Registration Procedures
The strike by the workers of the Federal Police Department of São Paulo that began last week has ended, which means processing times for new work permit holders completing in-country registration and business visitors and tourists seeking to extend their stay have returned to normal. Foreign workers in São Paulo can still expect to... »
Argentina: Confusion Over New Migration Decree
Argentina’s business visitor and transitory work authorization categories will continue to be available to foreign nationals, despite a new regulatory decree from Argentina’s National Migration Office that appeared to have eliminated them, causing confusion and concern for foreign nationals and their employers. The Migration Office has stated it will not alter the decree before... »
Russia: New Streamlined Work Permit Procedure
Russia is introducing a new streamlined work permit program for highly qualified foreign specialists on July 1, 2010. Under the new program, eligible organizations seeking to hire these specialists will be exempt from Russia’s work permit quota and employment permit regimes, though they will be subject to a variety of safeguards and reporting requirements.... »
Canada: Labor Market Opinion Exemption to End
Effective October 1, work permit applications for all foreign information technology (IT) workers will require a labor market opinion, whether filed with Citizenship and Immigration Canada or with the Canadian Border Services Agency at a port of entry. On September 30, Canada’s facilitated processing program, which exempts employers from the labor market opinion requirement... »
United States: USCIS Unveils Tool to Verify Immigration Petitioners
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will soon launch a pilot program that will use Dun & Bradstreet databases to verify the business information of employers who submit immigration petitions, the agency announced to stakeholders on Thursday. A new electronic tool – the Verification Instrument for Business Enterprises (VIBE) – is intended to help... »
Costa Rica: New Social Security Process
Foreign nationals who are seeking a first-time residence and work permit must now be registered with the Costa Rican Social Security Administration (CCSS) after their application is approved in order to receive their permit, according to a recent government ruling. Previously, foreign nationals had to be registered with the CCSS before filing their residence... »
Thailand: Immigration and Consular Services Resume in Bangkok
The Bangkok offices of the Thailand Bureau of Immigration (the Bureau) and foreign diplomatic posts in Bangkok resumed full operations on Monday, May 24. These offices were closed all of last week after the Thai government announced a public holiday to facilitate efforts to resolve political demonstrations in the capital. Processing delays are still... »