WR Immigration Director of Visa Consulting Charlie Oppenheim, Partner Charina Garcia, and Senior Associate Laura Bloniarz update HR professionals with the latest information from the December Visa Bulletin. They dive into an analysis of employment-based and family-based immigrant visa categories, December predictions and an extensive Q&A session from live attendees and submitted questions. Watch below!
On December 2, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed its version of H.R. 1044, the “Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2020.” The Senate version of the bill now returns to the U.S. House of Representatives. If the Senate version passes in the House and is signed into law by the President, it would remove the per-country limits on all employment-based immigrant visa categories, among other things. Since Congress is scheduled to end its session shortly, chances for passage in the House are unclear. The bill includes several controversial provisions, such as an annual limit on the number of immigrants who could adjust from H-1B status to that of permanent resident and a bar on those affiliated with the military forces of the People’s Republic of China or the Chinese Communist Party or the Chinese military. Details: R. 1044, https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1044 Section-by-section summary of Senate bill, https://www.visalaw.com/siskind-summary-s-386-fairness-high-skilled-immigrants-act-2020-852020/
The US Department of Homeland Security was busy this year making changes to the Form I-9 and the identity verification process. Watch as WR Immigration Partner Kimberley Robidoux provides a year-end recap of what has changed, when it went into effect, and what you need to know about identity verification in 2024. Topics include the end of COVID-19 flexibilities, the new Alternative Procedure, new DHS Pilot Programs, and much more!
