Mark A Ivener, A Law Corporation

Latest News


State Dept. Announces Potential Visa Availability in the Coming Months

The Department of State’s Visa Bulletin for the month of October 2016 provided an overview of potential visa number availability in the coming months: EB-1: Current EB-2: Worldwide: Current China: Up to three months India: Up to four months EB-3: Worldwide: The rapid forward movement of this final action date during the past year should… Read More

State Dept. Announces Expiration of Two Employment-Based Visa Categories

The Department of State’s Visa Bulletin for the month of October 2016 announced the expiration at the end of September of the employment fourth preference “Certain Religious Workers (SR)” category and the I-5 and R-5 employment fifth preference categories. Employment fourth preference SR. The non-minister special immigrant program expires on September 30, 2016. No SR… Read More

ICE Extends and Adds to Employment Authorization for Certain Syrian F-1 Nonimmigrant Students

  In an earlier notice, the Department of Homeland Security’s Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) suspended certain requirements for F-1 nonimmigrant students whose country of citizenship is Syria and who have been experiencing severe economic hardship as a direct result of the civil war in Syria since March 2011 (PDF). A new notice… Read More

DHS Announces Annual Limit for CNMI Transitional Workers

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on September 2, 2016, that the numerical limitation for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)-Only Transitional Worker (CW-1) nonimmigrant classification for fiscal year (FY) 2017 (October 1, 2016, through September 30, 2017) is set at 12,998. The notice (PDF) announces the mandated annual reduction of the CW-1… Read More

DHS Alerts Employers Re Documentation Options in Wake of Flooding

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a notice on September 9, 2016, stating that the agency “is aware of the hardship and ongoing recovery efforts resulting from the recent flooding in areas such as Louisiana and Texas.” DHS noted that individuals from these affected areas who need to replace lost or damaged documents can… Read More

DHS Updates Lists of Officials Authorized to Perform Various Immigration Functions

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) amended its regulations (PDF) on September 9, 2016, to update provisions that list specific immigration officials authorized to perform various immigration functions, including the issuance of notices to appear, warrants of removal, and arrest warrants. DHS said the lists are outdated and do not reflect the current DHS organizational… Read More

Sens. Grassley, Leahy Oppose Reauthorization of Unaltered EB-5 Regional Center Program; Rep. Goodlatte Introduces EB-5 Reform Bill

A lot has been happening the last few days in the EB-5 world. The regional center part of the EB-5 immigrant investor green card program is scheduled to expire on September 30, 2016. On September 8, Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), chair and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, respectively, wrote… Read More

United States, Mexico Sign MOU To Combat Employment Discrimination

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Mexico’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs have established a formal partnership to protect workers from discrimination based on citizenship, immigration status, and national origin. On September 1, 2016, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, and Mexican Ambassador Carlos Sada signed a memorandum… Read More

USCIS Proposes Rule on Parole for Certain International Entrepreneurs

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has published a proposed rule allowing certain international entrepreneurs to be considered for parole (temporary permission to be in the United States) so they may start or scale their businesses in the United States.  The proposed rule would allow the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to use its existing… Read More

OFLC Publishes Names, Other Info on Foreign Labor Recruiters

The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) is publishing a list of the names of foreign labor recruiters and the identity and location of persons or entities hired by or working for the recruiter that employers have indicated they engaged, or planned to engage, in recruiting prospective H-2B nonagricultural workers to perform the work described… Read More