GT’s Immigration & Compliance litigation team secured a mandamus victory in federal court for a long-pending Petition by an Investor to Remove Conditions on Permanent Resident Status (Form I-829) case. In the recent win, a Mainland-China-born EB-5 investor filed the I-829 with USCIS in April 2020, and as of February 2023, USCIS had failed to provide a substantive case status update. This delay affected the investor’s daily life, so a mandamus was filed in March 2023, and the case was promptly approved a few weeks later in April. GT’s experience arguing on behalf of clients to resolve long ..read more

Due to the suspension of immigrant visa services at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow in April 2021, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) formally designated Russian nationals as homeless nationals and designated the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw, Poland as the immigrant visa processing post for nationals and residents of Russia. This suspension means the U.S. Embassy in Moscow also cannot accept local filings of form I-130, Petitions for Alien Relatives. Since that time, Poland and other European Union countries have restricted entry of Russian nationals into their countries, thus limitin ..read more

Legislative Updates Two immigration bills were introduced in Congress this week: The Dignity Act and The Essential Workers for Economic Advancement Act. The Dignity Act, introduced by Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla) and Veronica Escobar (D-Tex), would, among other things, provide a path to citizenship for Dreamers, individuals with Temporary Protected Status, and undocumented immigrants; update the legal immigration process; and provide resources to secure U.S. borders. The Essential Workers for Economic Advancement Act will be re-introduced by Reps. Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa) and Henry Cuellar ..read more

On May 5, 2023, DHS announced that the COVID-19 temporary flexibility for Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification will end July 31, 2023. Employers must complete in-person physical document inspections for employees whose documents were inspected remotely during the temporary flexibilities by Aug. 30, 2023. In light of this announcement, employers must act swiftly to complete in-person physical inspection of identity and employment verification documents for those remotely reviewed during the flexibility period. Further, employers should only utilize in-person review of documents moving ..read more

Most employment-based permanent residency applications require the applicant to go through the PERM labor certification process where the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) certifies that there are not sufficient U.S. workers able, available, and qualified to fill a position. However, DOL recognizes nurses and physical therapists as shortage occupations or “Schedule A” occupations, where the DOL has determined there are not sufficient U.S. workers to fill these openings, so hiring foreign nationals would not displace U.S. workers. Even with annual springtime “Match Day” seasons for incoming medica ..read more

On May 10, 2023, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill (SB) 1718, which, among other things, mandates E-Verify enrollment and participation for a considerable number of employers across Florida. See GT Alert. As this legislation takes effect July 1, this GT Alert provides answers to some commonly asked questions about SB 1718, its effect on immigration compliance for Florida employers, as well as other immigration laws in Florida with which employers must comply ..read more

On May 17, 2023, USCIS updated the review procedure for the processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans. The update is intended to maintain a meaningful and equitable opportunity for all beneficiaries of a Form I-134A, Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support, to move forward through the process and seek advance travel authorization. The Biden administration first announced this update Jan. 5, 2023. Under the new review process, USCIS will randomly select about half of the monthly total, regardless of filing date, from the entire pending workload o ..read more

Laura Foote Reiff, co-founder of the Immigration & Compliance Practice of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP, will present “Navigating the Impact of Florida’s New E-Verify Mandate: Ensuring Compliance and Maximizing Efficiency” May 22 at 10 a.m. in a virtual myLawCLE program. Reiff will focus on the implications of Florida’s new E-Verify mandate for employers with 25 or more employees, including resuming the E-Verify system, specific requirements of the law, potential benefits and challenges, and data security/privacy concerns. Enacted May 10, the law’s provisions become ..read more

Four Immigration & Compliance Practice shareholders at global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP are recognized in Lawdragon’s 2023 “100 Leading Immigration Lawyers” guide. The guide recognizes the following Greenberg Traurig shareholders: Kate Kalmykov, New York office and New Jersey office Laura Foote Reiff, Northern Virginia office and Washington, D.C. office Nataliya Rymer, Philadelphia office Martha J. Schoonover, Northern Virginia office ..read more

Laura Foote Reiff, co-founder of the Immigration & Compliance Practice of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP, was named chair of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Subcommittee on Immigration. Reiff has been a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Labor Relations Committee for 24 years and has been an active member of the Immigration Committee throughout ..read more