The District of Columbia Chamber of Commerce has invited Simone Williams, Managing Attorney of Williams Global Law, on its first Trade Mission to Ethiopia, scheduled for November 8 to November 12th. Joining this historic delegation will be the Honorable Muriel Bowser, Mayor of the District of Columbia, and other government officials. The primary purpose of this mission is to renew the sister city agreement with the city of Addis Ababa, explore investment opportunities, and promote tourism. The trip is intended to enhance the development of diplomatic relations with Ethiopia, attract new foreign direct investment into District real estate and infrastructure, promote DC as a destination for Et

On Friday, October 4, 2019, President Trump issued an executive order that will bar entry of a foreign national requesting admission on an immigrant visa unless the individual has qualifying health insurance, will have such health insurance within 30 days of admission, or “… has the financial resources to pay for reasonably foreseeable medical costs.” This executive order is scheduled to go into effect on November 1, 2019. This rule aims primarily at immigrants seeking to join their families in the United States and does not impact those applying for admission as nonimmigrants (H1B, F-1, B-1/B-2) or refugees and asylum seekers. Here there are more details on the new Executive Order.

The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has issued instructions for entry into the fiscal year (FY) 2021 diversity visa (DV) lottery, more commonly known as the “green card” lottery. The FY21 diversity lottery will grant 55,000 immigrant visas to qualified applicants. Registration for FY21 begins at noon Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on October 2, 2019, and will conclude on November 5, 2019, at noon Eastern Standard Time (EST). Who is eligible? Only individuals from countries with low rate immigration to the United States. This year following countries of origin are excluded: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (mainland born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamai

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reminded employers that they may accept only unrestricted Social Security cards for Form I-9 employment authorization verification purposes and has updated the I-9 form accordingly. If the Social Security card has one of the following restrictions, USCIS said the employer should ask the employee to provide a different document showing work authorization: Not valid for employment; Valid for work only with INS authorization Valid for work only with DHS authorization For more details, see the bulletin.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued guidance for Bahamians wishing to travel to the United States following the recent devastation of Hurricane Dorian. DHS is requiring all such Bahamians to possess valid, unexpired travel documents, such as a passport or Bahamian Travel Document listing the nationality as Bahamian. Those Bahamians, who arrive to the United States by vessel, must be in possession of a valid passport and valid travel visa, DHS said. Bahamian citizens may apply for admission to the United States without a visa at one of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Preclearance facilities are located in Nassau or Freeport International Airports. Travelers who woul