On July 30, 2020 a federal judge in New York temporarily blocked the Trump administration from carrying out two rules that bar immigrants from living in the U.S. if officials believe they will use too many public benefits, such as food stamps or Medicaid. Judge George Daniels of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a nationwide injunction stopping the administration from enforcing the requirements, citing the urgency of the coronavirus pandemic. The rule, from the Department of Homeland Security, would make it easier for immigration officials to deny entry or legal status to people likely to rely on government assistance. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Servi

On July 21, 2020, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and several trade associations have sued the Trump Administration over the anticipated economic impacts of Presidential Proclamation 10052 issued on June 22, 2020. The lawsuit seeks an injunction to block President Trump’s recent proclamation suspending new nonimmigrant visas over concerns about the economic harm caused by the loss of critical workers who help drive the American economy. For more information and other current immigration issues, check out our Williams Global Law Newsletter! LINK HERE:https://lnkd.in/gsqp_PK

The White House issued an executive order on Hong Kong normalization on July 14. The order deprives Hong Kong of a number of privileges that set it apart from the People’s Republic of China (PRC). As of now, persons born in Hong Kong will be chargeable to the “China-Mainland Born” chargeability area, rather than to the “Rest of the World” area, as before. They will now face much longer waiting periods before they can become permanent residents, since the cutoff dates applicable to the Mainland China area of chargeability are much earlier than those applied to the Rest of the World area. The order would also prevent persons born in Hong Kong from participating in the Diversity Visa program, w

On July 17, 2020, the State Dept. provided a list of exceptions under recent Presidential Proclamations that suspended the entry of immigrants and nonimmigrants into the U.S. Some of the exemptions include travel as a healthcare professional, or researcher to alleviate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, travel by an au pair that prevents an individual in lawful status from becoming a public health charge, specialized teachers in accredited educational institutions, and others.

Don't forget to register for the 2020 National Bar Association virtual Convention. Link here: https://www.nationalbar.org/NBA/Events/Event_Display.aspx?EventKey=CONV95&WebsiteKey=0131bda0-b8d6-42ea-88ce-2447f3c18193 I am excited to join Allen Orr, President-Elect of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and Sheldon A. Smith for a discussion on “Emergent Immigration Law Issues in the Age of Trump and COVID-19” on June 26th from 3:15 to 4:30 PM EST.... #Immigrationlaw #NationalBarAssociation #NBA

On July 26, 2020, Managing Attorney of Williams Global Law, Simone Williams will be speaking at the National Bar Association (“NBA”) virtual conference on a panel entitled, “Immigration Law – Emergent Immigration Law Issues in the Age of Trump and COVID-19”.    The panel of expert immigration attorneys will be discussing current immigration issues, policy changes and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. DETAILS ON PANEL: Immigration Law – Emergent Immigration Law Issues in the Age of Trump and COVID-19 Panelists:    Allen Orr, Sheldon Smith and Simone Williams Date:            July 26, 2020 Time:            3:00 - 4:30 pm For more information on the Virtual Conference and/or to attend the

Special congratulations to Managing Attorney of Williams Global Law, Simone Williams for being appointed as Chair of the International Business Committee at the DC Chamber of Commerce! With over 1,700 members, the DC Chamber of Commerce has been an avid advocate, support, and resource for the small, medium, and large businesses in Washington DC for the past 75 years. Congratulations to Ms. Williams on her new role with the DCC!

On June 29, 2020, President Trump issued an amendment to his Presidential Proclamation issued on June 22, 2020. The initial rule restricted foreign workers who did not hold a valid U.S. visa stamp in their passports but appeared to exempt individuals who held any type of valid U.S. visa (i.e., individuals who held a B-1/B-2 visa would still be able to get one of the specified work visas to enter the United States). U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) released a related statement on June 29, 2020, clarifying that a foreign worker must have possessed a valid visa in the same visa category as the one in which they are seeking to enter the United States in order to be exempt from

On July 14, 2020, the Trump administration has agreed to rescinda directive that would have barred international college students from the U.S. if their colleges offered classes entirely online in the fall semester. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) rule change, released last week, announced that those on F-1 and M-1 student visas would need to leave the U.S. or transfer to another college if their schools offer classes entirely online when they reopen in the fall. If they do not, they could face deportation proceedings. A number of colleges and universities had already announced plans to offer online-only classes because of the coronavirus pandemic. The agency's July 6 an

On June 22, 2020, President Trump issued “Proclamation Suspending Entry of Aliens Who Present a Risk to the U.S. Labor Market Following the Coronavirus Outbreak,”suspending the issuance of new L-1, H-1B, H-2B and J-1 nonimmigrant work visas for the remainder of 2020 to applicants who are currently outside the United States. These new restrictions took effecton June 24, 2020.    Late on June 24, 2020, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) received confirmation from US Customs & Border Protection headquarters that Canadians are exempt from this latest Proclamation.   When the Canada-United States border re-opens, and companies and their employees feel comfortable to resume travel

Since March 2020, routine visa services have been suspended at all U.S. missions, allowing only for life-and-death emergency appointments amid the coronavirus pandemic. However, a State Department spokesperson announced on July 13, 2020, that U.S. embassies and consulates around the world will soon resume visa services. The resumption of routine visa services will occur on a post-by-post basis, in coordination with the Department's 'Diplomacy Strong' framework for safely returning our workforce to Department facilities. But they are "unable to provide a specific date for when each mission will resume specific visa services," the spokesperson added, referring questions to each individual emba

#BreakingNews.  Trump administration rescinds foreign students rule, which would have stripped visas from international students whose courses move exclusively online amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Trump administration was sued over the new policy by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). #visa #updates #studentvisas #usa #immigrationlawyer #internationalnews #immigrationnews #USimmigrationnews  #USimmigration

Monday, new guidelines were issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) forcing international students to leave the U.S. or transfer to another college if their schools offer classes entirely online this fall. The updated rules provide additional pressure for universities to reopen even amid growing concerns about the recent spread of COVID-19 among young adults. Colleges received the guidance the same day that some institutions, including Harvard University, announced that all instruction will be offered remotely. On Wednesday, Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology filed a lawsuit against ICE seeking to block the directive, arguing it violates the Administrati

As of July 1, 2020, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (“USMCA”) went into effect replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement (“NAFTA”). The new agreement was signed by the U.S., Mexico and Canada in 2018 and approved by Congress earlier this year. No changes were made to the Immigration Chapter, and TN visas still remain intact. However, among the key changes, USMCA creates an incentive to build cars and trucks in North America, provides strengthened labor laws in Mexico, more market access to US dairy farmers, new benefits for the technology sector and a budget to address environmental problems.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, USCIS is extending the flexibilities it announced on March 30, 2020, to assist applicants who are responding to: Requests for Evidence, Notices of Intent to Deny, Notices of Intent to Revoke, Notices of Intent to Rescind and Notices of Intent to Terminate regional investment centers; This flexibility applies to the above documents if the issuance date listed on the request is between March 1 and Sept. 11, 2020. The agency will consider a response within an extra 60 calendar days after the response due date set in the request or notice.

As of July 1, the E.U. reopens its external border to a list of 15 countries in an attempt to save the European tourism season. The list requires that countries allowed entry have coronavirus infection rates equal to or better than the E.U. Therefore, most travelers from the U.S., where the virus is currently resurging, will remain barred from entering the bloc. Please note, these restrictions have exceptions, such as citizens abroad, health workers, and "passengers traveling for imperative family reasons." The list, which will be updated every two weeks, is only advisory and EU member states can deviate if they wish.

As of July 1, 2020, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (“USMCA”) went into effect replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement (“NAFTA”). The new agreement was signed by the U.S., Mexico and Canada in 2018 and approved by Congress earlier this year. No changes were made to the Immigration Chapter, and TN visas still remain intact. However, among the key changes, USMCA creates an incentive to build cars and trucks in North America, provides strengthened labor laws in Mexico, more market access to US dairy farmers, new benefits for the technology sector and a budget to address environmental problems.

Simone Williams and her team at Williams Global Law wishes a Happy 4th of July to our clients, colleagues, and friends. May our businesses keep prospering and keep contributing to the growth of America, freedom and equality for all! A special thank you to our foreign immigrant clients who have helped make America a dynamic and prosperous nation. We welcome and appreciate your contributions and achievements!