President Trump recently issued two proclamations suspending the entry of many immigrants and other foreign nationals into the United States. These proclamations have caused considerable frustration and uncertainty for thousands of U.S. companies that rely on foreign workers to keep their businesses running. If these proclamations stay in effect, they will block an estimated half

Keith Covington
Keith Covington practices labor and employment, immigration, and construction law in the firm’s Birmingham office. He counsels employers on a wide variety of topics, including labor relations, union avoidance, equal employment opportunity, OSHA compliance, disability accommodation, non-compete agreements, and issues relating to employee discipline and termination. His immigration practice includes worksite compliance and obtaining employer-based non-immigrant and immigrant visas for foreign national employees. View articles by Keith.
Even I-9s Affected by COVID-19 (If Operating Remotely), Plus a New Form
The newest edition of Form I-9 is officially here, and DHS has provided some guidance on how to inspect work authorization documents in a COVID-19 remote world.
The New Form
Last fall, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a revised Form I-9, which has an edition date at the bottom that reads “10/21/19.” Since…
New H-1B Visa Cap Process Still on Track: USCIS Releases More Details on Electronic Registration Process
As we’ve previously explained, some big changes are coming this year to the H-1B visa process. Employers use H-1B visas to temporarily employ workers in “specialty occupations” – generally, jobs that require a bachelor’s degree or higher in a specific specialty or its equivalent.
Each year, the government makes available 85,000 new cap-subject H-1B…