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On Jan. 20, the president issued the “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats” Executive Order (EO) that gives federal agencies a 60-day period to identify countries that may warrant restrictions affecting the ability of foreign nationals
On Jan. 20, President Trump signed multiple Executive Orders (EOs) that are focused on immigration. Within those EOs are over 50 directives to government agencies. Key Points: Following are takeaways from President Trump’s EOs: Travel Bans: Trump did not impose any immediate travel bans but did
The Canadian government announced an intake cap for permanent residence applications under the Agri-Food Pilot. Key Points: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) confirmed that permanent residence applications under the pilot will be capped at 1,010 spaces. Applications can be submitted until the pilot expires on
The Malaysian government announced that the Department of Labor Peninsular Malaysia (JTKSM) is improving modules and adding new functions to the Integrated Foreign Workers Management System (ePPAx). Key Points: The upgrades specifically impact Employment Pass (EP) and Professional Visit Pass (PVP) applications and the process of initial approval
The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Texas vs. USA on Jan. 17 that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Final Rule is “substantively unlawful,” but will maintain status quo with DACA’s policy of forbearance and limit its injunction to Texas only. Key
The Italian government’s policy update regarding biometric data collection for certain long-term visas is now in effect. Key Points: As BAL reported, Decree Law No. 145/2024 came into effect on Oct. 11, 2024, and introduced several provisions regarding the entry of
The Mexican government requires companies that employ foreign nationals to update their corporate registration certificate (CRC) after filing their taxes each respective fiscal year. Key Points: Companies employing foreign workers must update their CRC with the National Immigration Institute (INM) no later than April 30, 2025. The tax filing deadline is
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced today that Australia is now an official Global Entry partner country, making Australia one of 19 partner countries whose citizens can apply for Global Entry membership. Key Points: Australian Global Entry applicants undergo rigorous and recurring vetting by both
The Home Office announced a temporary exemption from obtaining an electronic travel authorization (ETA) for certain passengers transiting airside. Key Points: As BAL reported, effective Jan. 8, all eligible non-European travelers are now required to obtain an ETA prior to travel
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services updated policy guidance to clarify how it evaluates eligibility for the second preference employment-based (EB-2) classification for immigrant petitions filed with a request for a national interest waiver (NIW). Key Points: The new policy guidance addresses: How USCIS considers
The Labor Department has posted updated processing times for permanent labor certification (PERM) applications and prevailing wage determination (PWD) requests. PERM Processing Times: As of Jan. 1, 2025, the department was adjudicating PERM applications filed in September 2023 and earlier and reviewing appeals for reconsideration filed
The Edakunni v. Mayorkas settlement, in which U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agreed to simultaneous adjudications of “bundled” H-4 and L-2 applications for dependent status and employment authorization, is set to expire on Jan. 18. Key Points: Under the 2023 Edakunni v. Mayorkas settlement, USCIS
The Home Office announced that the first-round ballots for the 2025 Youth Mobility Scheme for Taiwanese youth will open on Feb. 4. Key Points: Beginning Feb. 4, travelers ages 18 to 30 from Taiwan can apply for the Youth Mobility Scheme ballot. The ballot window will
The South Korean government launched a new digital residence card for foreign nationals. Key Points: The Ministry of Justice launched a new digital residence card on Jan. 10 for permanent residence and overseas Korean residence cards that has the same validity as a physical residence card.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has not officially announced the exact start date of the H-1B fiscal year (FY) 2026 cap season, but there are important reminders regarding the H-1B electronic registration process and H-1B cap season that employers should
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services published a Federal Register notice providing updated procedures for submitting a Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, accompanied by a permanent labor certification, application for Schedule A designation or
The Canadian government announced changes to open work permits (OWP) for family members of temporary residents. Key Points: As BAL initially reported, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada originally announced their intention to change OWP eligibility for family members of international students
Finnish authorities announced the Finnish Immigration Service is now fully responsible for processing residence permits for employed persons. Key Points: As BAL previously reported, a pause on decision-making was previously announced for certain residence permit applications during the transfer of responsibility.
In this week's episode, Gabe Mozes and Jeff Robins introduce BAL’s newest office in Atlanta and litigation service group while diving into their deep experience in immigration. Explore more episodes of the BAL Immigration Report podcast, available on