Trump’s H-4 Immigration Stance Would Cost the Economy

Issues & Insights (May 18, 2019) – Under the banner of protecting U.S. workers, the Trump administration is working to rescind a regulation that allows certain spouses of high-skilled foreign workers – referred to as H-4 visa holders – to apply for work authorization while they are waiting for their green cards. But why? There is
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Think an I-9 investigation won’t happen to your company? Think again.

All companies, regardless of size, sector or type of workforce, are subject to investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to verify that their employees are authorized to work and that they have properly completed I-9 forms for all employees hired after Nov. 6, 1986. A company that receives a notice of inspection must be
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Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP CIO Vince DiMascio to Speak at the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium

DiMascio to Discuss the Future of Process Automation: Leveraging RPA & AI at the Nation’s Premier CIO Conference San Francisco, CA  – May 9, 2019  – BAL has announced that Vince DiMascio, CIO, will be a featured speaker at the 16th Annual 2019 MIT Sloan CIO Symposium, the nation’s premier CIO conference on May 22,
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Will Congress tackle immigration reform?

Former President George W. Bush raised eyebrows last month during a speech at a naturalization ceremony, when he veered into politics and urged legislative reform of the immigration system. “When the laws are outdated and ineffective, they must be rewritten,” he said. “I hope those responsible in Washington can dial down the rhetoric, put politics
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Modernize the H-1B Visa Category

Once again—for the seventh straight year—the H-1B quota was reached in five days, triggering U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to embark on what has become an annual ritual: the random selection of petitions via lottery to fill the Congressionally mandated cap of 65,000 H-1B visas (plus an additional 20,000 for master’s degree candidates). This year,
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After another busy H-1B cap season, will the Trump administration chart a new course on high-skilled immigration?

With another busy H-1B cap filing season completed, U.S. companies are reminded that current policies toward high-skilled immigration remain both challenging and unpredictable. Recent changes this cap season continue to demonstrate a hard line toward the H-1B visa program. Yet, in recent months there has been talk of a possible softening of the administration’s position
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BAL Selects UiPath to Advance Robotic Process Automation for Global Mobility

Leading immigration law firm leverages automation to enhance client service and business performance DALLAS; NEW YORK; SAN FRANCISCO – Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP (BAL), the leading immigration law firm in the world, recently announced it has selected UiPath, the leading enterprise Robotic Process Automation (RPA) platform, to continue its intelligent automation journey. Last year,
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ICE sting operations against foreign students: a warning for employers?

The recent sting operation conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to catch foreign students that illegally secure Curricular Practical Training, or CPT, serves as a poignant reminder to employers about the potential pitfalls of hiring or continuing to employ these students. In its undercover investigation, ICE set up a phony university, a Michigan-based school
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Fact check: H-1B visas are not cheap, convenient or easy to obtain

Over the past two years, opponents of high-skilled immigration have put a bull’s-eye on H-1B visas. They have successfully advocated for policy changes that restrict the ability of U.S. companies to apply for the category, premised on the perception that high-skilled foreign workers are taking jobs away from Americans and that companies are abusing the
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