Client Payment Portal

WR Immigration News Digest

Apr 9, 2025 | Immigration Updates

USCIS Releases Updated Form I-9

On April 2, 2025, E-Verify announced minor updates to Form I-9 to align with statutory language and an updated DHS Privacy Notice. The revised form (edition 01/20/25, expiration 05/31/2027) is now available. Prior editions (including 08/01/23) remain valid until their listed expiration dates.

Key Changes:

  • Section 1 checkbox now reads “An alien authorized to work”
  • Updated descriptions for two List B documents
  • Revised instructions and DHS Privacy Notice

E-Verify Alignment:

  • Employers must select “An alien authorized to work” in E-Verify, even if the I-9 used shows “A noncitizen authorized to work”
  • E-Verify+ users will see the new edition and expiration dates reflected in Form I-9NG

Impact: Global mobility teams should ensure systems reflect the new Form I-9 edition and expiration date, coordinate with E-Verify partners to align terminology, and begin transitioning to the updated form while still accepting valid older versions.

Court Order Extends Venezuela TPS and Work Authorization

On April 2, 2025, USCIS announced that Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuela remains in effect following a federal court order issued on March 31, 2025. The order delays the previously published termination of the 2023 TPS designation. As a result, TPS for Venezuela will continue until the Department of Homeland Security obtains relief from the court’s decision.

In connection with this ruling, USCIS also confirmed that work permits issued under Venezuela’s TPS designation, specifically those with expiration dates of September 10, 2025; April 2, 2025; March 10, 2024; or September 9, 2022 are automatically extended through April 2, 2026, while litigation is ongoing.

Impact: Employers should continue to accept valid TPS-based work authorization for Venezuelan nationals through April 2, 2026, and monitor USCIS updates for any changes affecting work eligibility or reverification.

Hong Kong DED-Based Work Authorization Extended Through 2027

On April 3, 2025, USCIS announced procedures for certain Hong Kong residents covered under Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) to apply for Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) valid through February 5, 2027. Per the Federal Register notice, DED-based EADs with expiration dates of February 5, 2023, or February 5, 2025, and Category Code A11 are automatically extended through February 5, 2027.

DED does not require an application to be in effect, but individuals must file Form I-765 to obtain a current EAD and may file Form I-131 for advance travel authorization.

Impact: Teams should treat qualifying DED-based EADs for Hong Kong nationals as valid through February 5, 2027, and ensure I-9 processes reflect this automatic extension. Continue monitoring USCIS for any updates affecting DED-related work authorization.

Mistaken Termination Notices Sent to Ukrainians in U4U Program

On April 3, 2025, some Ukrainian nationals in the U.S. under the Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) humanitarian parole program received emails from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stating their legal status was being revoked and instructing them to leave the country within seven days. The message also warned of possible enforcement actions and the loss of work authorization. DHS has since confirmed that these notices were sent in error and clarified that the U4U parole program remains in effect. A follow-up communication was issued to retract the original message and assure recipients that no action would be taken against their parole status.

While the program has not been formally terminated, the current administration has suspended new admissions and status renewals under U4U, as part of broader rollbacks of humanitarian parole initiatives introduced during the Biden administration.

Impact: Global mobility teams should note that Ukrainian employees under U4U remain work-authorized unless formally notified otherwise. No immediate action is needed, but teams should monitor DHS updates, keep HR/I-9 systems aligned with current guidance, and consult counsel as needed for individual cases.

Related Posts:

Creating a Path to Citizenship: Update on President Biden’s Legislative Proposal for Immigration Reform

Within his first 100 days of office, President Biden introduced a 353-page comprehensive immigration reform bill that would provide a path to citizenship to undocumented children, address the root causes of migration, make efforts to responsibly manage the southern border, reform the immigrant visa system, and serve other goals. But what are the odds that President Biden’s ambitious plans for immigration reform will pass and become enacted into law? Given narrow party divisions in the House and Senate, large-scale immigration reform has been historically difficult to push through Congress.  Piecemeal legislation has a much higher chance of surviving the legislative process. At present, lawmakers are focused on incorporating a pathway to citizenship into President Biden’s multitrillion dollar reconciliation package under consideration by Congress. The budget plan, which passed in the House of Representatives in late August, includes provisions to facilitate legal permanent residency for undocumented children, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, and farmworkers.  It also earmarks $107 billion for immigration and border security. However, special rules restrict the type of measures that can be passed as part of budget reconciliation, and it is uncertain whether language concerning immigration reform will remain intact.    Senate Democrats will be meeting with the […]

Read More

HR is Driving the Economy with Foreign-Born Talent

The role of human resources is more complex than meets the eye. On the surface, it’s about ensuring that a company is appropriately staffed and the workforce has the support it needs to be effective. But the impact of HR is substantially deeper — it’s a lynchpin for a company’s near-term performance and long-term leadership. In industries like tech and life sciences, foreign-born workers are particularly crucial to that task. Plain and simple, there are more scientific and technical roles to fill than there are U.S. citizens with the right skills. Foreign-born talent often has the perfect mix of education and leadership ability to make significant contributions to the success of a company. Consider a study of immigrant corporate leadership by INSEAD (Institut Européen d’Administration des Affaires), which found that out of 147,336 U.S. executives for which educational background was available, 3,098 corporate leaders were of Chinese ethnicity, 3,095 Indian, and 1,395 Middle Eastern. The remaining 139,748 were from other ethnicities, including European. As the study authors noted, “If the U.S. hopes to address its leadership shortage as its population ages, it needs to embrace immigration, and acknowledge the significant contribution that immigrant executives already play.” In fact, in 2019 […]

Read More