Learn More About How E-Verify+ Streamlines Employment Eligibility Verification on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024 at 2 - 3 p.m. Eastern

From the Public Engagement Division -

Learn More About How E-Verify+ Streamlines Employment Eligibility Verification

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, 2 - 3 p.m. Eastern

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services invites you to learn about E-Verify+, a new service of E-Verify that streamlines employment eligibility verification. During our national stakeholder engagement on Thursday, Nov. 14, from 2 - 3 p.m. Eastern, the USCIS Immigration Records and Identity Services Directorate will highlight the benefits of using this free and easy service, provide guidance on how to use it, and explain how the “plus” provides employers added efficiency, reduces burden, and gives employees more control over their personal information and verification of their employment eligibility in the United States. To learn more, get an early preview into what E-Verify+ has to offer here: Inside E-Verify+ video!

________________________________________

To Register:

1. Visit our registration page.

2. You will be asked to provide your email address and select “Submit.”

3. On the next screen, you will see a notification that you successfully subscribed to this event.

________________________________________

Once we process your registration, you will receive a confirmation email with the engagement link.

If you have any questions, or if you have not received a confirmation email within three business days, please email us at public.engagement@uscis.dhs.gov.

To request a disability accommodation to participate in this engagement, email us at public.engagement@uscis.dhs.gov by 5 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, Nov. 7.

Firm News - Congratulations to Richard!

We are proud to share that Richard Iandoli recently received the National Association of Foreign Student Advisers’ (NAFSA’s) New England Region’s ‘George Commentator Lifetime Achievement Award’.  It was awarded at the NAFSA Regional Conference in Hartford, CT on October 28, 2024 before 350 attendees.   This award is granted to a person who has provided extensive service to the regional and/or national NAFSA community.  As a long-time member of NAFSA, Richard has given decades of service and support to NAFSA and the community of international educators, professionals, scholars and their collaborators in the immigration law field. 

Congratulations, Richard, and thank you for your dedication to this community! 

November 2024 Visa Bulletin

The Department of State publishes a monthly Visa Bulletin which identifies all immigrant “preference” categories and indicates whether a backlog exists for each one. The categories are separated into two charts: a “Final Action” chart and a “Dates for Filing” chart for both family and employment-based immigration. In November 2024, the EB-1 preference category on the Final Action Chart remains current for all countries other than China and India. The EB-1 priority dates for China and India are November 8, 2022, and February 1, 2022, respectively. USCIS determined that Chart B (Dates for Filing) must be used. EB-2 and EB-3 preference categories remain backlogged for all countries, which means that individuals in these categories may not file Form I-485 applications until their priority dates become “current.”

If you have questions about planning, please schedule a consultation with one of the attorneys at Iandoli, Desai & Cronin (info@iandoli.com).

Mid-year data indicates that international student commencements in Canada could drop by nearly 50% for 2024

An article published in the ICEF Monitor on September 11, 2024 reported that an ApplyBoard analysis found that the Canadian government’s two-year cap on new study permits, aiming for “zero growth” in international student, will severely impact demand for study in Canada.  The analysis suggests that in 2024, the number of study permits awarded could decrease by 47% compared to 2023.   In addition to study permit applications that were not approved, ApplyBoard attributes the overall drop in permits processed to students pausing or deferring their applications, or to students who pivoted to other destinations like the U.S., Germany, Italy, Australia, and the U.K., among others.

The analysis also observed that prospective international students are likely considering factors such as a new savings requirement of $20,000 CDN, the removal of the right of partners of students to receive an open work visa, and the elimination of post-study work eligibility for students enrolled in certain private-public partnership programs, among concerns for additional immigration rulings in the future. 

Canadian higher education organizations have expressed concern over the impact this trend would have in university budgets nationwide, and that some universities have already reported an impact on budgets from the decline in international enrollment. 

More information about this analysis can be found here.

U.S. Higher Education Urged to Diversify International Student Recruitment

According to the feature article in International Educator magazine’s September issue, there is a projected 15% decline in U.S. college students between 2025 and 2029.  This decrease is expected due to demographic changes such as declining birthrates both in the U.S. and worldwide. Countries like Japan and Spain have taken steps to recruit more international students to mitigate the impact of these demographic changes, while English speaking countries like Australia and Canada have taken steps to restrict international enrollments. According to these reports, supporting international enrollment and strategically recruiting a larger and more diverse population of international students could help ensure financial stability and prevent universities shrinking through attrition.

The International Educator article can be found here.

ICE Notice of Employment Authorization for Certain Lebanese Students

On October 18th, 2024, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security published a Special Student Relief Notice for F-1 nonimmigrant students whose country of citizenship is Lebanon, or individuals having no nationality who last habitually resided in Lebanon, so that eligible students may request employment authorization, work an increased number of hours while school is in session, and reduce their course load while continuing to maintain F-1 status through the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) designation period. This action covers eligible Lebanese F-1 nonimmigrant students who meet the following requirements:

(1) Are a citizen of Lebanon regardless of country of birth (or an individual having no nationality who last habitually resided in Lebanon);

(2) Were lawfully present in the United States on July 26, 2024, in F-1 nonimmigrant status under section 101(a)(15)(F)(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(F)(i);

(3) Are enrolled in an academic institution that is Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified for enrollment for F-1 nonimmigrant students;

(4) Are currently maintaining F-1 nonimmigrant status; and

(5) Are experiencing severe economic hardship as a direct result of the current humanitarian crisis in Lebanon.

Per the notice, this action applies to F-1 nonimmigrant students in an approved private school in kindergarten through grade 12, public school grades 9 through 12, and undergraduate and graduate education.  F-1 students covered by this notice who transfer to another SEVP-certified academic institution remain eligible for the relief provided by means of this notice.  Additional details on the Federal Register notice can be found here.

Notice of Approval of New Credentialing Organization for Healthcare Workers for Certain Immigration Purposes

On October 25, 2024, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted a notice of the approval of a new credentialing organization, International Education Evaluations, LLC, for certain healthcare workers for certain immigration purposes.  Under relevant sections of the Immigration and Nationality Act, an individual seeking admission to the U.S. as an immigrant or nonimmigrant (whether applying for admission, a change of status, or adjustment of status in the U.S.) for the purpose of working in certain health care occupations must present a certificate from an authorized credentialing organization.  Under applicable regulations, DHS expressly authorizes the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS), the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT), and the Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT) to issue such certificates.

DHS, after consulting with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, also established standards for the approval of additional credentialing organizations.  USCIS created an adjudication framework for the filing and processing of these applications using form I-905, Application for Authorization to Issue Certification for Healthcare Workers.  These regulations also provide for periodic review and termination of credentialing authority for organizations if necessary.

Diversity (DV) Lottery runs from October 2, 2024 through November 7, 2024

On October 28, 2024, the State Department issued a correction to the entry period for the Diversity Visa 2026 (DV-2026) program year. Public Notice 12558, issued on October 1st, incorrectly listed the entry period as October 4, 2023 and ending on November 7, 2023. The correct entry period is October 2, 2024 through November 7, 2024. 

Information about this correction can be found here, and the corrected DV-2026 instructions can be found here.

3 Immigrants To America Win 2024 Nobel Prize In Economics

The 2024 Nobel Prize in Economics was awarded to Daron Acemoglu (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Simon Johnson (MIT) and James Robinson (University of Chicago) for their research on “how institutions are formed and how they affect economic prosperity”.  Dr. Acemoglu was born in Turkey, while Dr. Johnson and Dr. Robinson were born in the United Kingdon.  As noted by Forbes, “Immigrants have been awarded 38%, or 45 of 117, of the Nobel Prizes won by Americans in chemistry, medicine and physics since 2000, according to an analysis by the National Foundation for American Policy (updated through the 2024 awards). Immigrants also have been awarded 31% (24 of 78) of the Nobel Prizes won by Americans in economics, including 28% since 2000.” Forbes also states that this joint award demonstrates the “…continued contributions by immigrants to the United States.”

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) designation for Lebanese nationals

On October 17, 2024, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a new TPS designation for Lebanon for 18 months due to ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions in Lebanon that prevent nationals of Lebanon from returning in safety. Those approved for TPS will be able to remain in the country while the United States is in discussions to achieve a diplomatic resolution for lasting stability and security across the Israel-Lebanon border. The designation of Lebanon for TPS will allow Lebanese nationals (and individuals having no nationality who last habitually resided in Lebanon) who have been continuously residing in the United States since October 16, 2024 to file initial applications for TPS, if they are otherwise eligible. Lebanese nationals who entered the United States after October 16, 2024 will not be eligible for TPS. More information about TPS, including how to apply for employment authorization, will be included in a forthcoming Federal Register Notice which DHS intends to publish in the next few weeks. Individuals should not apply for TPS under this designation until this Federal Register Notice is published.

USCIS has also posted a Federal Register Notice establishing procedures for those Lebanese nationals covered by President Biden’s July 26, 2024 grant of Deferred Enforced Departure (DED)to apply for Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) that will be valid through January 25, 2026. As described in the Federal Register Notice, eligible Lebanese nationals can apply for an EAD by filing Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. USCIS adjudicates each EAD application on a case-by-case basis to determine if an applicant meets all standards and eligibility criteria. More information about DED-based EADs is available on the USCIS website.

Click here for more on DHS Offers Protections for Lebanese Nationals Currently in the United States.