Siskind Susser is excited to announce that Lynn Susser was recently elected to ABIL, the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers. ABIL is comprised of over 20 lawyers from top tier immigration practices with years of expertise and a comprehensive understanding of immigration law. For more information on ABIL, including a map of ABIL attorneys worldwide, visit their website at www.abil.com.
The following articles are excerpts from ABIL’s monthly Immigration Insider, available here on their website.
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USCIS Recalls 800 Incorrectly Printed Employment Authorization Documents
On June 21, 2018, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began recalling approximately 800 employment authorization documents (EADs) that were issued in conjunction with Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal, which were granted by USCIS asylum officers. USCIS said the cards contain a production error that transposed the first and last names of the individuals receiving the EADs. USCIS mailed these cards to recipients in April and May 2018.
USCIS said it is sending notices to individuals who received the incorrect EADs, as well as to their attorneys or accredited representatives, if a G-28 was submitted with the corresponding Form I-589. The agency said the affected individuals should return their incorrect EADs to USCIS in the provided pre-paid envelope within 20 days of receiving the notice. Recipients may also return their EADs to a USCIS field office. Replacement EADs will be sent within 15 days of receiving the incorrect card, USCIS said.
USCIS noted that the recall does not affect these individuals’ employment authorization because they are authorized for employment without needing an EAD. Affected recipients’ Forms I-94 showing that they were granted asylum is also evidence that they are authorized to be employed. USCIS said that any affected individuals who need proof of their employment authorization can notify the USCIS Contact Center.
The USCIS notice is at https://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/uscis-recall-800-incorrectly-printedemployment-authorization-documents.
More information about the USCIS Contact Center, including the telephone numbers to call, is at https://www.uscis.gov/contactcenter.
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USCIS Sends Letter on B-1/B-2 Upcoming Proposed Regulation
On May 30, 2018, L. Francis Cissna, Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), sent a letter to Rep. Paul Mitchell (R-Mich.), who had hosted a May 16, 2018, roundtable on B-1 visa issues. The letter notes that USCIS is reviewing existing regulations, policies, and programs and developing a combination of rulemaking, policy memoranda, and operational changes to implement President Trump’s “Buy American and Hire American” executive order. Among other things, the letter states:
One area of focus is the B visa program. As noted in the Spring 2018 Unified Agenda, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is working on a proposed regulation pertaining to nonimmigrants admitted to the United States as temporary visitors for business (B-1) or pleasure (B-2). The proposed regulatory revisions will clarify the criteria for according B-1 or B-2 nonimmigrant classification to applicants for admission to the United States. As stated in the Unified Agenda, “Such clarification is necessary to ensure fair and consistent adjudication and enforcement, as well as to make the criteria more transparent.”
The letter states that this rulemaking is a “priority” and that USCIS is “taking a lead role in drafting the proposed regulation,” which will include an opportunity for public comment.
The letter also references discussion of “B-1 in lieu of H” issues during the roundtable:
As explained, USCIS adjudicates applications from individuals who are already here and wish to extend a stay in B status or change to another nonimmigrant status (that is, change either to or from B status). USCIS also adjudicates employer petitions in H nonimmigrant visa classifications. As part of the above-described regulatory process, we are, in coordination with the Department of State and other immigration components within DHS, reviewing existing policy with respect to “B-1 in lieu of H-1,” as well as “B-1 in lieu of H-3.”
Director Cissna’s letter, copied to six Republicans and two Democrats, refers to a meeting “in the near future” with Rep. Mitchell to “discuss our efforts to improve the B visa program, as well as our other regulatory initiatives and statutory suggestions.”
The letter is at https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/files/nativedocuments/B-1_Visa_abuse_-_Representative_Mitchell.pdf.
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132 Members of Congress Urge DHS to Continue Allowing H-4 Spouses of H-1B Nonimmigrants to Work
One hundred and thirty-two members of Congress sent a letter on May 16, 2018, to Kirstjen Nielsen, Secretary of Homeland Security, urging maintenance of the current regulation granting work authorization to certain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B nonimmigrant workers. The letter states that the opportunity for H-4 visa holders to work “has made our economy stronger, while providing relief and economic support to thousands of spouses—mostly women—who have resided in the United States for years.” The letter notes that many are on the path to permanent residence and would already be permanent residents if not for decades-long employment backlogs. “Rescinding the rule will hurt the competitiveness of U.S. employers and the U.S. economy, as well as H-4 accompanying spouses and their families,” the letter states.
The letter notes that providing work authorization for accompanying spouses helps U.S. employers recruit and retain highly qualified employees, “putting U.S. policy on par with other countries—such as Canada and Australia—competing to attract foreign nationals.” The letter notes additional reasons for allowing H-4 spouses to continue to work in the United States.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director L. Francis Cissna responded on May 24, 2018, on Secretary Nielsen’s behalf. He stated that the Department of Homeland Security is committed to growing the U.S. economy and creating jobs for U.S. workers, and that the public will be given the opportunity to provide feedback during a notice-and-comment period “on any revisions to regulations that DHS determines appropriate, including revisions relating to the rule providing employment authorization to certain H-4 nonimmigrants.”
The letter and Director Cissna’s response are at https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/files/nativedocuments/H-4_dependents_of_H-1B_Visa_holders_-_Representative_Jayapal.pdf.
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This newsletter was prepared with the assistance of ABIL, the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers (www.abil.com), of which Lynn Susser is an active member.
Disclaimer: This newsletter is provided as a public service and not intended to establish an attorney client relationship. Any reliance on information contained herein is taken at your own risk.